"The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older. Shorter of breath, and one day closer to death."
― Pink Floyd
It's in the F# minor pentatonic scale. Most of the notes are right, but I don't have David Gilmour's finesse. Anyway, let's take a look at a chronology evolution of Time's iconic Gilmour guitar solo. All of the following videos will begin at the start of the solo. This first 1972 take is a rare version which I believe must be before the recording of The Dark Side of the Moon ― the solo is barely recognizable:
Though he can play the same solo more than once, Gilmour is notorious for changing it up. This next version from 1972 or 1973 will sound a little more familiar yet there is much improvisation on Gilmour's behalf:
This next one is from 1974 and is truer to the album recording, but Gilmour still takes it in a slightly different direction:
And then a 2005 version when the four (post Syd Barrett) members of Pink Floyd performed Time during a reunion concert in London's Hyde Park for Live 8. You'll note rather than the long and sustained somber notes, Gilmour peps it up quite a bit with a lot of improvisational blues riffs:
Alas, this was the last time the quartet would perform together. Keyboardist Richard Wright died of cancer in 2008, and Roger Waters and Gilmour continue to feud to this day.
I was fortunate to see the Gilmour-led Pink Floyd three times in the late 80s and early 90s for Momentary Lapse of Reason and Division Bell tours. I recall that the solo in Time in the 1987 performance I attended was a tad lackluster, which may have been intentional. You can listen to that performance at this YouTube link. But it's Gilmour nonetheless ― how dare I critique! During the 90s Gilmour went back to playing the solo almost album verbatim at most performances.
I saw Roger Waters twice in concert for Radio KAOS and In The Flesh Tours. He's an amazing lyricist, but the sound of Pink Floyd is all Gilmour in my humble opinion. Waters, a multi-millionaire, is something of a crybaby complaining to this day that he isn't allowed to publish anything under the Pink Floyd moniker. He declared the band defunct back in 1985, but Gilmour thought otherwise. Waters eventually issued a statement to EMI and CBS invoking the "Leaving Member" clause in his contract. In 1986 he attempted to dissolve the Pink Floyd partnership. Gilmour, Mason, and Wright won that legal dispute.
Though I got my first electric guitar when I was 13 years old, I didn't have any serious influences until I heard Gilmour's searing ethereal solos. Inspired, I bought my first Stratocaster in 1987 and then a few others including a Candy Apple Red American Standard 1994 I still have today. I went on a lengthy guitar hiatus until the pandemic prompted me to start playing again. I don't have the hand and finger strength and dexterity of my youth, but I enjoy playing (and collecting) guitars more than any other time in my life.