G3: Steve Vai: 'I'm A Composer More Than Anything Else'

In the final instalment of Ultimate Guitar’s exclusive G3 Down Under series, Joe Matera sits down with Steve Vai to talk G3, finding the right musical chemistry and composing for orchestras.

Ultimate-Guitar: When it comes to the creative process, how do you go about accessing that spark that will provide the impetus? Is it through noodling on the guitar or jamming with other musicians or just some personal experiences in life?

Steve Vai: We all have the ability to be inspired. It is just a matter of letting down certain defences and letting inspiration come in and then acting upon it with courage. I think for people, who are like geniuses, it is always there. But when it comes to people like me, I kind of have to wait for the gods of inspiration to sprinkle some fairy dust on me or something. But once it’s there, it is quite liberating.

You’ve been performing For The Love Of God during your G3 set. Watching you perform it, you’re still able to call up the same feelings as you do on the original recording. Is there some sort of technique you adhere to in order to access that same spirit that you captured when you first put it on record?

I think when ever we go to create something we enter that creative element in our mind. And it is a place we can return to. If you think about the state of mind you’re in when you’re doing your tax returns or state of mind you’re in when you’re cooking or when you’re making love or when you’re playing an instrument, they’re all very different. So when I go to record a piece of music, I try to put my frame of mind within the emotional dynamics of the piece of music. And For The Love Of God has always been sort of the same. You know there is all this mystique surrounding how I prepared for that song.

"When I go to record a piece of music, I try to put my frame of mind within the emotional dynamics of it."

Yeah it’s documented you spent many days preparing for it both mentally and physically. It’s a little like the whole ten hour guitar workout you’re famed for.

Well some people are natural on instruments. To be quite frank, I’m not a natural. I had to work very, very hard. I have friends that can virtually go to any instrument, and are able to play and get a tune out of it. But I just can’t do that. The thing that is natural for me is my sense of the absurd or my flow. My flow is natural. I can’t play other instruments but I can write for them. I can imagine how they’re played, I know no other composers who have that. They’re not gifted on performing on an instrument. When I started to play guitar, I had all of this drive and energy and I focused it all on the guitar for years. And I really enjoyed it and as a result of all that dedication, came my chops. There are guys who have twice as many chops as me, I mean technique. But it’s the age old adage, it’s what you play and that is the thing that stimulates people.

How do you go about picking your G3 set list from your vast catalogue?

It is really difficult because my catalogue is filled with music that is not necessarily guitar hero stuff. I don’t consider myself an instrumental solo guitarist. I do stuff like that but my last record Real Illusions, I mean though there are some instrumental guitar pieces on it, it’s more of a compositional record.

So would you rather call yourself a composer then?

I like to. I used to have a hard time calling myself a composer because it sounds pretentious, but you know what? I’m a composer more than anything else. There, I said it. So when I’m in the G3 format I enjoy it very much but I really have to pull together a certain side of myself to flourish in the G3 environment but it works. But in reality there is a huge percentage of my catalogue that would never go over on a G3 show.

"Some people are natural on instruments. I'm not a natural."

Having the right chemistry with your backing band is obviously a vital component when it comes to performing live for you. How do you go about picking the right members so that chemistry can flourish?

I’ve been touring for 26 years now and it’s been a real challenge at times to find the right people. First and foremost a tour is like a piece of your life and when you look back at that, it doesn’t matter how many records you’ve sold or how successful the tour was or how much money you made or how big or small it was, what you’ll have is a snapshot of that piece of your life and the people who were in it. And they are going to have a big effect on your memory. So the first thing I look for is a cool person, somebody who is a good person, likes to have fun in a good way but isn’t crazy out of their mind. If you go out on a tour and there is one miserable son of a bitch, he’s going to be the one that screws up the whole tour and then when you look back at that experience, you’re soured and who wants that? And the guys have to be good players as they have to make me feel comfortable when I lay in the musical bed that they create.

You have a lot of companies interested in working with you on creating gear that is catered for your needs?

Yes I’m in a very fortunate position to be able to do that where I can work with companies who are interested in making stuff that is designed specifically for my ear. I’ve embraced that concept from the very beginning. When I was a young kid, madly in love with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck and Joe Satriani - who was my teacher - I felt that there was a voice that I had that I wanted to express and that was very different. So I purposely went out of my way to avoid ripping off licks as such. Then as the years went on and my playing style started to conform to who I was, I had the opportunity to create instruments and amplifiers that resonated with my ear. And the first big design was the JEM guitar which was a unique instrument in the realm of rock guitar. When it came out, I can mention five things about that guitar that you could not find on a guitar. But now they’re pretty common which is nice but the JEM itself is still built around my idiosyncrasies so it is a great thrill to be able to have that opportunity. When it came to amps, I never was really comfortable with any of the amps I used to use. I mean Marshalls are fantastic but why do I want to play an amp that everybody else uses? Plus there was always an edge to them that I was uncomfortable with. Then I found these Bogners and I kind of liked them so I used them for several years because they had a little bit more of warmth to it, there were still things that were still not quite right. So when it came time to design an amplifier, I had every company in the world willing to build whatever I wanted and Carvin were the ones that really stepped up to the plate. They were willing to work the way I wanted to work and to reflect the kind of sound that I like.

"The thing that is natural for me is my sense of the absurd."

Speaking of sound, you use two distortions pedals as the basis of your distinct guitar tone, an Ibanez Tube Screamer and a Boss DS-1?

Yeah…but I’ve just finished designing a pedal with Ibanez called the Gemini that is coming out sometime next year. It is two pedals in one, two distortion pedals that are both voiced differently. And the volumes are voiced differently too. It’s really great because now I can set the distortions completely differently where if I want a little bit of a kick or a particular sound, I kick one in and then I can kick the other one in for a more distorted sound and it especially works great if you use a clean amp.

Finally what is coming up for Steve Vai?

Musically, I’m working on finishing a record that I did with the Metropole Orchestra in Holland. It was a tremendous project where we did five sold out shows. I was commissioned by the Dutch government and NPS Radio to compose two hours of music - they only wanted an hour - but I did two! [laughs] So I’m currently working on the editing aspect and mixing right now. It’s going to be a double record set and will be called Steve Vai’s Sound Current. It is part of a series of records I’ve released that have been orchestral. One of the records in the double set will be made up of new compositions for the orchestra while the other record will feature older compositions of the guitar and the orchestra. It is a very different side to me and something that my fans will either get or not.

2006 © Joe Matera

Listen to Steve Vai (photo) greeting Ultimate-Guitar.com at this location.

Comments

[ac/dc_freak91]

First! Woot! Good article. Didn't know he had a tough time with the instrument. Gives me hope.

[MeTaLcOrE_ShReD]

Neva wud of thought steve vai wasnt a natural

[TheGuitaristMan]

Goes to show the value of practicing

[Satch_Boogie]

Woo the guy rocks. He looks so cool.

[MattIgoe0108]

Yeah, this man shows why its worth working so hard on it

[5150man]

hehe i saw him on second row

[buckethead_jr]

i thought he was a natural :S his technique is near flawless and his songs are just beautiful. his new distortion pedal sounds like it's gonna be good

[ArcherTheVMan]

he is a great man, but i don't agree that you shouldn't use certain equipment because everyone else uses it. everyone else uses it becauses its Good.

[angusyoungwanab]

^^^ i dunno about everyone using it means its good (Marshall MG) anyway, im interested to try out the pedal that he said Ibanez was making.

[Limaj_daas]

Nice.... even though i don't lik many many of vai's stuff, he comes up with sum friggin amazing shit once in a while... For the luv of god, toughing tounges and building the church are a few....

[joshjhasarrived]

AWESOMENESS! Steve Vai FTW!!

[jamus_dood]

****ing ledgend

[wasp2020]

Frank, Tender Surrender, Whispering a Prayer, Die to Live = Amazing Songs

[Jawshuwa]

Vai, not a natural ? Clearly he's being modest. Last I knew he was able to transcript Frank Zappa's songs note-for-note flawlessly just by listening to them. Even if he wasn't a natural, he had Satriani to teach him, so that's just as good.

[Guitarmeister]

wow
i guess he here proving practice makes perfect
joe matera is one of the luckiest guys alive
i really love Vai's work though

[Satch_Boogie]

Even if he wasn't a natural, he had Satriani to teach him, so that's just as good.

Amen to that.

[Anty 7]

actually when Satriani was his teacher he wasn'tthe guitar player he was today, and besides, I don't think Satriani is a better teacher than quite a lot of great but less famous guitar players out there.

Vai is clearly gifted for music, he's my favourite artist, but I believe him when he's not a naturalvon the guitar, besides, who is? Every technically astounding guitar great worked very hard for years before achieving fame, from Hendrix to Rusty Cooley, you name it, he's not a natural, just a hard worker.

The toughest bit is writing the music.

Vai>you

[Constantine]

I love all of Steve Vai's music... His entire mystique adds alot to of it too. Incredible guitarist.

[JadeFalcon5]

i like it that no ones flamed him yet lmao

he is an amazing guitarist though, no one can deny that, hes not the fastest and whatnot, but hes got soul

[Lin]

this series has been such a coup; more excellent articles like this please

[Cobalt Blue]

yeah he does a lot of practising. I heard he spends an hour just on finger warm ups and stretching exercises. while his hero Jeff Beck doesn't practice at all and is unbelievably talented...

[SurfinWithSatch]

Cracking chap is Mr. Vai, the new album sounds good, as does the distortion pedal! Hopefully he'll come to the U.K this year either solo or with G3, I've never seen him play live. And I'm glad he said he isn't a natural, anyone who does is just arrogant.

[metallicat420]

Steve Vai, his music cures my hangovers!!! LOL!!! they really do, I dont think it should be Virtuoso though, it should be Vaituoso

[omega5]

i'm glad he can admit hes not a natural.

[Absent Mind]

No one of professional standard is a natural, theres a differnt between picking it up and being able to play basically well, than playing steve vai straight away. No one can do that.

I'm glad he worked really really hard, look how it payed off.

Joe Satriani must be a good teacher, he has coached 2 quality guitarists and is sucessful himself.

[07bevanm]

The only downside for me about steve vai, is that sometimes his sense of the absurd is a bit too muc for me, eg 'ya yo gakk' is one sone that a dont like by him, but that sense of uniqueness is probably why so many like his music.
i dont think being a natural or not can help anyone get to the level thathe is at, at the moment. That difinatly takes, as was said, just complete dedication to the guitar

[rollingstones]

steve vai f***ing rules. I cant believe he wasnt a natural. It really gives me hope knowing that if i practice enough like he did i can one day be as good of a guitarist as he is. Also i never knew he was taught by joe satriani. Im really looking forward to the new pedal he is putting out with ibanez.

[Night_Lights]

very interested in his distortion pedal

[Caustic]

Talent and "natural gift" is the biggest myth ever. Every great guitarist in the world only gets to the standard they're at because of practice, study and dedication. Practically anyone has the capability of being as good as Vai.

Pah. I hate it when people give up because they say "Eh, I guess I'm just not meant for it", or revere people because "They're a natural".

[§tratôcaster]

SATCH TAUGHT VAI???



wow.

[NaivexLi]

He's my hero

[crazymettal666]

He doesn't consider himself a instrumental guitar soloist? suprised me. and he's not a natural, man this guys full of em.

[classic_rock_90]

man...when i read the part that vai wasnt a natural and he worked hard to become the legend he is today...it made me feel like i could accomplish anything...i know people arent just talented.but now i know that someday i WILL be as good as vai. if i work really hard at the instrument.

[IriShDroPkick]

wow.. Vai is amazing, although sometimes some of his work isn't always what I would like to listen to, I still respect him greatly as a guitarist.. amazing dude

[Yngwie #1]

I'm going to NAMM 2007! ..... well I had to tell someone besides my friends.....

[FloydHammer666]

Steve Vai is a testament to the value of practice. Anybody who doesn't practice until they are pulling their hair out in frustration and then practice some more is doing it wrong. Oh, and Stratocaster, common knowledge. Steve, you're a god.

[Magero]

His G3 was insanely good. The amount of emotion he got out of his guitars was amazing. You could actually feel the room become more relaxed during "For the love of god".

[k90728]

**cries** So good... **bows down**

[tweeres04]

Awesome interview, Steve Vai is amazing. UG, this G3 interview idea was totally awesome. Way to go.

[Skarr]

Vai, Satriani, and Petrucci, along with Malmsteen and some others, are all guitar gods. I never would have thought that Vai wasn't a natural...anyway, great interview. Can't wait for the Gemini.

[JeffReigns]

I think that people are born with talent, some people are natural... but it isn't what its blown up to be... just like talent, IMO, your "born-with" talent is just the ability to be creative, some people just cant be creative. Look at the people out there who have trouble with rhythm, I know plenty of people who do - I never did, and I know people who never did. Like I said, "talent" and "natural" aren't what they're blown up to be... but they are something you're born with.

[Guitar_Poet]

buckethead_jr wrote:

i thought he was a natural :S his technique is near flawless and his songs are just beautiful. his new distortion pedal sounds like it's gonna be good

lol, yea im definitely gonna check that pedal out! and i had to laugh cuz i use a DS-1 too.. so standard, didnt think Steve Vai would be using it!

[Guitar_Poet]

tweeres04 wrote:

Awesome interview, Steve Vai is amazing. UG, this G3 interview idea was totally awesome. Way to go.

i agree. finally a whole bunch of really great interviews!

[Thursdae]

Ahh I was waiting for this, and it came with good news as well. Thanks so much.

[jAck tHE ®iPper]

so hes not a natural ? well that still doesnt count for the fact that his hands are FRIGGEN HUGE !#$
probaly my fave guitarist with jason becker
rock on \m/\m/

Check3d

[RawrDemon]

God, I wish I could go to a G3 concert. From the sounds of these articles, they sound more awesome than I thought.

[slash6464]

i saw him play at the G3 in melbourne, he totally stole the F***ing show, he was easily my favourite and all of my friends fav's that night. then the next day he signed my guitar!! great guy really friendly at the signing, so was satch, petrucci snubbed all of my mates off though.

[sockboy]

There is a difference in some people, i consider myself a natural because i can get better without much practice but that also means i am lazy and i worry i wont have the dedication to get to the top level.

At the end of the day, Steve Vai is better than 99% of guitarists because he has put in more hours. Natural or not, if everybody put in the same amount of time as him they would be able to play like a virtuoso.

[-yasi-]

awesome

[Aidy Damage]

Not a fan of shred, but it really goes to show that you really can achieve anything through hard work and practice- Steve Vai's no natural, and neither are you or me, but we can always work hard like he did and be the best we can be.

[bluesblaster]

sockboy wrote:

There is a difference in some people, i consider myself a natural because i can get better without much practice but that also means i am lazy and i worry i wont have the dedication to get to the top level.

At the end of the day, Steve Vai is better than 99% of guitarists because he has put in more hours. Natural or not, if everybody put in the same amount of time as him they would be able to play like a virtuoso.

i agree completely, being a natural tends to just make you practice less

[guitar_fre@k]

sockboy wrote:

There is a difference in some people, i consider myself a natural because i can get better without much practice but that also means i am lazy and i worry i wont have the dedication to get to the top level.

At the end of the day, Steve Vai is better than 99% of guitarists because he has put in more hours. Natural or not, if everybody put in the same amount of time as him they would be able to play like a virtuoso.

exactly dude.....i couldnt have put it better...

[J.MitMetallica]

§tratôcaster wrote:

SATCH TAUGHT VAI???



wow.

. Steve's good, but sometimes, as quoted from a song that Vai fans should know: "that sounds like noise Mr Vai!"

[Bubonic Chronic]

Composer my ass. Most of us WORK or go to school - REAL SCHOOL!!!

Barring those, I'm sure any of us could play self-indulgent wank guitar.

[\m/(--_--)\m/]

Hey didn't Vai do the guitar work for Halo 2?

[uh-iron-maiden]

i dont know but he was in that meatloaf cd-by the way i need a tab for the song-( the monsters loose, by meatloaf) so if anyone get get that it would rule

[fligi3]

Yeah, he did the Halo 2 theme. It is pretty awesome, too.

[RR3]

hey steve i got ur pik from the g3 tour in sydney. if u wnt it bak com giv me a visit in nz. n do a show in nz too

[Partyboy2k05]

I actually kind of like that he thinks of himself more as a composer than a guitar player, really puts the musicianship into it. Kinda how most people think of every great piano player as composers, he's just doing the same for guitar.

He say's he's not a natural guitarist, but I think he does have a natural ear for music and that's why he was able to transcribe Frank Zappa's works note for note. He can even do the same for other instruments even though he doesn't know how to play them. Basically when he hears a note, he knows exactly what it is.

And yeah, Satriani has trained several guitar greats besides Vai. Kirk Hammet, Larry LaLonde, and the counting crows guitarist.

[guitar_amateur]

man, we all want to play like steve vai, he's been great for a hell of a long time...who's seen the movie crossroads?steve vai is in there in a guitar competition he ends up losing to a song he himself played since the kid he lost to can't actually play it(of course that wouldn't happen in real life. and with the one hour he spends doing finger warm-ups, he spends another seven practicing, and this goes on every day he's not busy doing something else...i'm so inspired

[pissonemo]

angusyoungwanab wrote:

^^^ i dunno about everyone using it means its good (Marshall MG) anyway, im interested to try out the pedal that he said Ibanez was making.

A lot of people don't use the marhall MG because everyone thinks it's good.....they use it because it's cheap.

Checkavelli

[ITSTIMETOROCK]

Steve vai your the man. i love him, for as good as he is it must be near impossible to be as humble as he is. 100000 points for you steve vai

[CanCan]

I actually kind of like that he thinks of himself more as a composer than a guitar player, really puts the musicianship into it. Kinda how most people think of every great piano player as composers, he's just doing the same for guitar.

First, remember I'm not fully disagreeing with you, I would just like to develop that comment. Mr. Steve Vai is totally right, he's totally right to call himself a composer, or as I will call him, a musician more than a guitar player. For you, music equals guitar? He's just a musician that happens to play the guitar. He could've done the same with a piano or a clarinet. He's a natural musician and a composer.

[zRoCkIsAdDiCtIn]

phenomenal musician

haha shocked me he was never a natural

goes to show, you can be just as good or BETTER than others even if you dont start out with the same amount of talent, it matters on how hard you work towards it

[Darkone666]

Steve Vai not a natural on guitar? it makes me wonder if he isn't a natural then what talen does a natural have vai is basically a god and if god isnt a natural then it really says something for the skill of any guitar player gives me a kind of hope that i could be famous

[vantage4]

no surprise he's not a natural, not many people are and it's pretty commonly known that he puts in some serious practice hours. i'm more impressed that he always sounds like such a nice guy.

[rad82]

steve vai is way too awesome for me to comprehend. i hope i can be as good as him after a couple decades of playing. didn't know satch taught him though.

[boberto]

i think steve vai is pretty awesome but when i saw the g3 i just think the best music is from petrucci and this is not just because im a dream theater fan.

[Punk2Guitar]

Cobalt Blue wrote:

yeah he does a lot of practising. I heard he spends an hour just on finger warm ups and stretching exercises. while his hero Jeff Beck doesn't practice at all and is unbelievably talented...

Keep dreaming ? you think Jeff Beck never practised his guitar work.... nobody picks up a guitar and knows exactly what to do. THEY ALL PRACTISE.

maybe he doesn't practise at much but hey , Steve doesn't need to practise everyday but he wants to do it

[##_Guitar-newb]

hehe, what a crazy cat. But well done UG, in the olden days, you woulda stole this interview from a magazine or something.

[Metalhead1991]

ok im surprised how many ppl are talkin about natural talent here....
personally i dont beleive in natural talent, i beleive sum ppl have sum kind of natural edge, maybe a musically in tune ear or flexible fingers that give them a head start, but in the end everyone any close to this guy's skill has taken millions of hours of practice

[plectrum911]

There is such thing as natural talent but there are few who have this. i understand where vai is coming from it is hard work to be good, im not saying i am better than anyone because there is no BEST in the guitar playing world. The greatest thing to have is the urge of wanting to play the guitar and a desire to be better each and every day.

Checked.

[Cazz3000]

Well I cant say I don't think 7 hours of practice plus an hour warm-up is a little excessive, I maybe manage 2 - 3 and have done alright over the years and can play most Vai songs that I like. But it would explain why he gets alot of publicity and earns the right to be called a "Guitar Virtuoso" wouldn't it?

[PureIronMaiden]

VAI IS GOD!

[NightEmbers]

So any gues on whos gonna be the next lucky ***er on G3... I hope Eric Sardinez makes a few stops on it cause that guy Kick ass

[Nhex (PT)]

seeing this man playing makes me cry he is great

[gibsonplyr202]

I think it's kind of ironic that Joe taught him and now they're touring together. They're both amazingly awesome.

[murzilka]

Getting Into Our Inner Musical World

I recently had the distinct opportunity to see Steve Vai at a master class clinic. The clinic proved to be the most helpful and emotionally pleasant guitar clinic I ever experienced. Steve was able to achieve that perfect balance between music and audience interaction. A simple question posed by an audience member becomes transformed in Steve’s mind into a thought provoking discussion. His words come right into your mind, into your heart. It is clear that Steve truly wants to convey his inner thoughts and emotions so that he may help another guitarist along his or guitar quest.

During the clinic, Steve played some of his familiar music and gave in to moments of pure improvisation as well. Being a man of deep self reflection, he was able to illustrate for the audience how he transforms what is coming from deep within him and how he then translates to the guitar in a musical expression.


When asked how he comes up with melodic ideas Steve does not respond with cliché answers. No - Steve looks deep inside himself, analyzing his inner world to create his masterpieces. Sometimes, he finds an image or situation and tries to "sound" like it. Other times it is the people around him and his relationships that can give birth to his music. Yet at other times he simply plays exercises and chord progressions, with the hope that something new and exciting will come about. To this end he sometimes sings along to a chord progression and records himself, to then analyze the recording later and see if there is a worthy idea buried there.


Steve feels his most beautiful music is created when he is listening with his "inner ear". Since we all are occupied with our problems and everyday routine we simply do not have enough time to learn every facet of music and guitar. So instead of arbitrarily learning various aspects of the guitar Steve recommends using the "inner ear" to determine what is truly important to us. But we must learn how to use this "inner ear" and feel what is going on in our inner world so that we can express that world in the form of sounds and music, without being limited to scales, arpeggios, etc for expression. The deeper the exploration, the more unexplored lands we see and hence our inspiration for musical creativity becomes endless.


Through our inner exploration we understand what music means to us. This is what I AM, and this is MY music. It doesn't always matter how good or bad our music is. It doesn't matter if anybody else needs our music. What matters is that we need it ourselves.


Yuri Nikitin
Ibanez guitars fan
Guitar Lessons Pros
Ibanez Guitars

[JSX]

Vai is amazing, he proves that even if you aren't a natural you can keep practicing and become amazing. ThAt is just cool to me.