Why Steve Vai and other "great" guitarists are so boring?

[ShinkanPo]

Been playing for a couple decades and while I respect and appreciate Vai and Satriani and have even bought their stuff, I’ve never really liked them or learned a lick of theirs. I am however a fan of shred - Eddie, Friedman, Petrucci etc

I tend to admire the riff-writers the most.

On the other end of the spectrum I think Hendrix is a terrible player and is about as overrated as it gets. So I don’t fit in well in very many guitar normie communities.

Very interesting take.

You will get shit on by shitting on Hendrix like that but I am more of the open minded commenters when it comes to Music.

The thing is it seems Hendrix is highly regarded by a lot of people even my college Professor in Classical guitar thinks Hendrix is the shit.

 

[Seano]

Steve Vai was pretty awesome back in the 80s and 90s. I think some of those shredders, Billy Sheehan on bass and Vai in particular, got less musical as they progressed. Vai seems more about proving he can make weird noises on the guitar than writing a cool melody.

 

[Seano]

If you can't grasp the groove of these songs you may be deaf.

Liked Passion and Warfare myself.

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

Alex Skolnick is the most underrated "shredder" guitarist - very different style than most of his contemporaries but just as "shred" and technical. Throw in the fact that during his heyday in the late 80s early 90s he used some thick ass strings to play those solos and licks on.

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

More of Skonick's versatility

 

[Hellowhosthat]

FUCK YEAH!


I love Devin Townsend. His vocals are just as good as his guitar playing. One of my top 5 musicians ever.

Also folks who enjoy Satriani, Vai, and Gilbert will love Earthless. A mostly instrumental psychedelic rock band from San Diego, California consisting of guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, bassist Mike Eginton and drummer Mario Rubalcaba.

I'm a huge fan of theirs and own all their material on vinyl.

I was really into "Rhythms From a Cosmic Sky" when it came out. I didn't know they were still going, will have to check out some of their more recent stuff.

 

[Hyperglide]

Tender Surrender & Bad Horsie are literally the only songs I can listen to, they're the exception.
The 2 Satriani songs you posted were boring af though.
And other than these 2 songs from Steve Vai, I couldn't find anything I could enjoy listening too.

You ever hear Buckethead or Paul Gilbert? I never could get into guys like Satriani, Malmsteen, Vai as well. Buckethead and Gilbert I fucks with though. Might just be a personal preference thing.



Whitewash:

 

[Hyperglide]

FUCK YEAH!


I love Devin Townsend. His vocals are just as good as his guitar playing. One of my top 5 musicians ever.

Also folks who enjoy Satriani, Vai, and Gilbert will love Earthless. A mostly instrumental psychedelic rock band from San Diego, California consisting of guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, bassist Mike Eginton and drummer Mario Rubalcaba.

I'm a huge fan of theirs and own all their material on vinyl.

That was pretty badass. Thanks for sharing.

I'm 32 and have played guitar since I'm 13. Got my first electric guitar at 16 and until 19/20 I played like a maniac. I still can play but I would need some practice and condition to be able to shred like those days.

Honestly I like Vai and Satriani much more than many other guitarists. But there are limitations to instrumental music based on a lead guitar.
That is why I get bored after 4/5 songs in these days.

I found growing up that people that enjoy that kind of music are usually musicians themselves. And there is nothing wrong with that.


I think for example that Yngwie Malmsteen sucks even from a technical standpoint (he is sooo basic) and most guitarist can play his songs blindfolded.
He has some good music (Arpeggios from Hell, I am a Viking, Black Star, etc) but his need of playing fast and adding notes wherever they fit is annoying.


BTW TS... do you find any guitarist that you enjoy? I think that Paul Gilbert is one of those guys that got it right:




Damn.. this is brilliant:

Excellent post. I don't play guitar which is probably why I don't "like" Vai or Satriani. I respect their talent but their music does nothing for me.

 

[Violent Violin]

Granted, it's not my preferred genre of music but every time I hear Vai or Satriani or Malmsteen I always thing..."well, that was a lot of notes."

Here is some guitar brillance:

 

[Xuh]

I always found Vai kind of boring as a solo performer and didn't listen to much of his stuff as a result.

Satriani on the other hand, at his best, is extremely melodic and 'catchy'. Something like the 'Surfing with the Alien' album is basically a bunch of jazzy pop songs (covering quite a range of styles too) with guitar doing the verse/chorus melody instead of singing, then a 'guitar solo' moment in the middle too like a standard rock song. I'd suggest listening to that album and also if you like cheesy and gay music (I do) his song 'Friends' is also a good one to start with. If your reaction to all that is it's 'boring' my first assumption is that maybe you're just one of those people who has to have words and singing to like most music.

 

[ShinkanPo]

More of Skonick's versatility

Skolnic overall as a guitarist is under rated he has now a degree in Jazz

 

[ShinkanPo]

I always found Vai kind of boring as a solo performer and didn't listen to much of his stuff as a result.

Satriani on the other hand, at his best, is extremely melodic and 'catchy'. Something like the 'Surfing with the Alien' album is basically a bunch of jazzy pop songs (covering quite a range of styles too) with guitar doing the verse/chorus melody instead of singing, then a 'guitar solo' moment in the middle too like a standard rock song. I'd suggest listening to that album and also if you like cheesy and gay music (I do) his song 'Friends' is also a good one to start with. If your reaction to all that is it's 'boring' my first assumption is that maybe you're just one of those people who has to have words and singing to like most music.

Satch's techinique in controlling tone and dynamic is also legendary his ballads like "Always with me Always with you" and "Crying" is really desceptively very difficult to play.

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

Skolnic overall as a guitarist is under rated he has now a degree in Jazz

He is my all time favourite and definitely on par with any of the typical shredders just a very different style.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

I appreciate the skill of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, etc... They're quite impressive to watch, but gosh, their music is just so boring to listen to. Even baby songs have often a more catchy tune than stuff they play.
Is this because I'm a music imbecile that knows nothing about music and just can't grasp their godly music?
Or is it cause their "catchy tune" talent is non-existent?

It blows my mind how somebody can be that good on an instrument, yet compose such shitty music.
Thoughts?

Proficiency with an instrument and songwriting are two different things.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

If your reaction to all that is it's 'boring' my first assumption is that maybe you're just one of those people who has to have words and singing to like most music.

Music reaches a greater height when there's a marriage of both instrumentation and words. Lyrics provide another, profound dimension for the listener. This is coming from someone who has put out a couple dozen records or so with no singing.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

I just learned that Vai was one of the first guys to bring the 7 string guitar to the forefront but used it differently (for lack of better term) than what you hear metal players doing with it.

pretty cool..

 

[BFoe]

I’ve always felt that guitarists like Satriani, Vai, Malmsteen, and even Eddie Van Halen have no soul in their playing. I can respect their technical skill, but I just don’t feel anything when I hear them play. BB King does more with 4 notes than any of them do with 400 notes, IMO.

And I won’t say anyone’s opinion is wrong, because ultimately it’s about our own tastes. But overrated is one thing that Jimi Hendrix absolutely is not. Just about every rock guitarist to this day stands in Jimi’s shadow.

 

[Xuh]

Music reaches a greater height when there's a marriage of both instrumentation and words. Lyrics provide another, profound dimension for the listener. This is coming from someone who has put out a couple dozen records or so with no singing.

words are gay

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

words are gay

Says the guy using them.

 

[Xuh]

Says the guy using them.

...

Spoiler