The Pagemeister Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixpense Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 The most relaxed guitar player I have ever seen even though what he plays is very complicated. I guess working for Frank Zappa as a transcriber helped! He wrote a series of articles back in the 90s for GUITAR PLAYER and not one article had to do with technique. It was all about attitude, emotion etc. A superb guitar player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles J. White Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 The most relaxed guitar player I have ever seen even though what he plays is very complicated. I guess working for Frank Zappa as a transcriber helped! He wrote a series of articles back in the 90s for GUITAR PLAYER and not one article had to do with technique. It was all about attitude, emotion etc. A superb guitar player. This is a classic Vai bit where he sounds fantastic to my ears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA0iCUuGzco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithril46 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I agree that Steve Vai is a great guitar player. I saw him 3 times early in his career(solo, 2 times Roth). He is very original. The only Problem I had with him is that he has little or no blues influence in his playing. But that is what makes him unique. He also tends to Throw in a lot of cartoon like music in his playing. No doubt from Zappa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTM Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 The most relaxed guitar player I have ever seen even though what he plays is very complicated. I guess working for Frank Zappa as a transcriber helped! He wrote a series of articles back in the 90s for GUITAR PLAYER and not one article had to do with technique. It was all about attitude, emotion etc. A superb guitar player. Did you know that to get a perfect take on 'For the Love of god' from the 'Passion and Warfare' album according to an interview he gave to 'Musician' magazine about the recording of the 'Passion and Warfare' album Vai said he meditated for seven days before laying down the track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixpense Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Did you know that to get a perfect take on 'For the Love of god' from the 'Passion and Warfare' album according to an interview he gave to 'Musician' magazine about the recording of the 'Passion and Warfare' album Vai said he meditated for seven days before laying down the track. I believe it. That cd is also really good. There are all kinds of music from blues to jazz (track called Sisters) to Van Halen hard rock. The Van Halen type track is him as a school kid introduced to the class by his teacher. He starts playing and it quickly gets crazy with the teacher loosing control of the class. Reminiscent of Hot for Teacher by Van Halen. He is putting that Eventide Harmonizer to full use on that cd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixpense Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I agree that Steve Vai is a great guitar player. I saw him 3 times early in his career(solo, 2 times Roth). He is very original. The only Problem I had with him is that he has little or no blues influence in his playing. But that is what makes him unique. He also tends to Throw in a lot of cartoon like music in his playing. No doubt from Zappa. Rarely plays the blues scale. Uses other scales like Phygrian, Lydian, and Mixolydian. Definitely check out the Whitesnake cd Slip of the Tongue. He fills in as the guitar player on that cd. The original guitar player was suffering from a hand injury and could not play. He really rocks out on that cd but he also gets animal sounds on a specific track called Kitten's Got Claws. (Cat's meowing and tigers growling- uses the strings with the tremolo bar) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixpense Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Steve guested on the David Letterman show a few years back. Letterman complained that he didn't recognize anything Steve was playing with the band...........So Steve starts playing Whole Lotta Love! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithril46 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Well, believe it or not, unlike other highly technical guitar players, Vai was actually very much into Zep and Page. Credit goes to him For not copping Jimmy's licks, and just appreciating him for the soulful player he is. Because I have a built in bias against players who don't have some blues feel, I can't listen to such players for too long. Yngwie is another player who is an innovator(although IMO Vai is much more well rounded) who goes off the cliff without much to hold on to. No problem with classical music, just someone Who is a great soloist without real good songs or extended listening tolerance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles J. White Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Well, believe it or not, unlike other highly technical guitar players, Vai was actually very much into Zep and Page. Credit goes to him For not copping Jimmy's licks, and just appreciating him for the soulful player he is. Because I have a built in bias against players who don't have some blues feel, I can't listen to such players for too long. Yngwie is another player who is an innovator(although IMO Vai is much more well rounded) who goes off the cliff without much to hold on to. No problem with classical music, just someone Who is a great soloist without real good songs or extended listening tolerance. Here is my issue with Vai, he had something good going with David Lee Roth and it fell apart, he had something good going with David Coverdale and it fell apart - is it because he is like Vivivan Campbell who hadn't found the right project until he was in Def Leppard and now is a happy dude - or does Vai not like being in a band at all? I do like his playing but it seems like it's just an excuse to solo for the sake of the solo. I like the solo to be part of the song, not just the song. It's like Joe Satriani I love his stuff in Chickenfoot because it sounds much more balanced to my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pagemeister Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pagemeister Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geekfreak Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 On 01/10/2016 at 3:43 AM, The Pagemeister said: 25 yrs young!!!! fabulous Steve Vai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badgeholder Still Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles J. White Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 On 2/22/2015 at 8:28 PM, sixpense said: Rarely plays the blues scale. Uses other scales like Phygrian, Lydian, and Mixolydian. Definitely check out the Whitesnake cd Slip of the Tongue. He fills in as the guitar player on that cd. The original guitar player was suffering from a hand injury and could not play. He really rocks out on that cd but he also gets animal sounds on a specific track called Kitten's Got Claws. (Cat's meowing and tigers growling- uses the strings with the tremolo bar) And yes, that Kitten Got Claws has a really interesting opening, the way he bends the strings is interesting - but the rest of Kitten Got Claws is not really to my taste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pagemeister Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geekfreak Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 On 08/10/2016 at 7:29 PM, Charles J. White said: And yes, that Kitten Got Claws has a really interesting opening, the way he bends the strings is interesting - but the rest of Kitten Got Claws is not really to my taste fabulous album if the memory is correct Steve Vai plays all the guitars on the album, wasn't sure why he did... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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