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Steve Vai: An Exclusive Interview with the Guitar Virtuoso on Mastery, Innovation, and the Future of Guitar

It’s an honor to host the legendary Steve Vai as he talks to us about the future of guitar, technology, practice, his upcoming European tour with Joe Satriani, and more!

By Magesh MageshContributing Author

Photo credit: Larry Dimarzio

Steve Vai is a true musical virtuoso. He has taken the guitar to places most people could only dream of. His work with Alcatrazz, Frank Zappa, Whitesnake, and David Lee Roth showcased his versatility as a musician. 

Vai's unique 7-string guitar with a low B string helped create a new style of music influencing bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit. Steve is about to tour Europe with legendary guitarist Joe Satriani.
 

Magesh Magesh, Musicngear: You have always been a big advocate of practicing the guitar. How much do you think aptitude and natural talent affect the way a musician plays their instruments?

I have seen many people who have a natural aptitude for playing the guitar. They just seem to have the ability to understand and learn quickly the mechanics of technique. This would obviously have an effect on the way they play an instrument.

If guitar playing was a technique contest, and in some circles, it is, then those people with natural abilities to play and improve and expand technique quickly and powerfully would be “the winners.” I don’t believe there is anything wrong with having the desire to be a virtuoso type player and practicing your ass off to continue to improve. Amazing technique can be attractive to some players and the guitar-loving audience, but the true effectiveness of a musical statement has its foundation in something much more essential than incredible technique. It comes from the heart as opposed to the head.

Some degree of technique is needed to get your point across, and only the creator of that point will know how much technique they have to develop to express their message. Still, the effectiveness of the point has more to do with how authentically that melody comes from the player's inspired creative impulse.

I’ve always wanted it all: unique and otherworldly technique coupled with deeply touching and inspiring melodies.

Musicngear: With so many people using sites like Chordify that transcribe songs in real time, do you think the art of transcribing music by ear will eventually become a thing of the past?

A lot of transcription work being done these days, or in the past, is the result of the need for a transcription for perhaps a lead sheet manuscript book or other publications. I might assume that type of transcribing would be greatly reduced with the advent of AI transcription programs. But it makes sense that there will always be people who enjoy the process of listening to a song and figuring it out with their ears, which is a form of transcribing.

Also, when I was younger and working for Frank Zappa, I did a lot of transcribing, and the vast majority of it was incredibly dense and rhythmically obtuse. I very much enjoyed entering this world of listening deeply to the music and transcribing it onto manuscript paper. It was very satisfying for me to do this. I think there will be people like me who just enjoy transcribing regardless of whether they can push a button and have the music automatically transcribed or not.

Musicngear: Your seven-string guitar changed music by allowing guitar players to tune down, which essentially created heavier riffs. Are you currently working on any innovations with the guitar or other technology?

Not right now, although you never know when something might surface. Any guitar design I’ve been involved with in the past always seemed to arise out of nowhere. Right now, I’m in a songwriting recording type of head space.

"I would highly recommend that however you learn on the instrument, or however you approach your practicing make it a point to be with other musicians and play together with them"

Musicngear: Many young musicians today learn in isolation through online tutorials instead of jamming in their garages with other musicians. How do you think this will affect new musicians in the long run?

It’s based on the interest of the musician. In the past and now, many musicians take lessons and then practice in isolation with the occasional opportunity to play live with others. And then some musicians never take lessons and never really practice. They just play, play, play. Both are fine, but I would highly recommend that however you learn on the instrument, or however you approach your practicing make it a point to be with other musicians and play together with them.

This is vital and in many ways is what it’s all about. Practicing is only one aspect of being a performer. Being able to listen to and respond effectively with other musicians in a live setting is very different than sitting alone building chops. Communicating musically with another musician excursuses brain muscles that nothing else can quite work out.

The ability to listen is a musician's greatest asset. Listening deeply and being connected to the musical environment you are in requires being present. Being able to intimately listen to and hear the unique melodies that are in your mind and wanting to come out is a very different state of mind than regurgitating scales and riffs that you know.

Musicngear: A professor of music once told me that 'Life was too short to learn every song in all 12 keys'. Do you have any advice for young musicians that will help them improve but might not be super obvious?

Yes. Don’t worry about the future.

Musicngear: What projects are you currently working on?

Working on some very fulfilling things right now. Writing and recording new music with my buddy Joe Satriani and preparing for our European summer tour.

I’m also still technically touring with BEAT, and we will be hitting South America and Mexico in April/May.

I have a half-completed solo acoustic vocal record on the shelf and 4 hours of studio-recorded symphonic music that needs to be tweaked for release.

Connect with Steve Vai
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SatchVai Band featuring Joe Satriani and Steve Vai - Tour Dates on Ticketmaster

For more tour dates visit https://www.satchvaiband.com/

About Magesh Magesh

Magesh is a musician and producer who has worked with Rihanna, Lionel Richie, Ricky Martin, Chris Brown, The Pussy Cat Dolls, Nelly Furtado, and Vernon Reid of Living Colour. He released an instructional drumming DVD called "Unique Beats" where he mixed the drum kit with electronics and Indian hand percussion. He recently moved from Australia to the UK to explore new musical opportunities.
Website: mageshdrumteacher.co.uk

Contact Magesh Magesh at magesh.magesh7@gmail.com

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