Yngwie Malmsteen Gives Thumbs Up To Guitar Hero

Yngwie Malmsteen is looked upon as being one of the fastest guitarists in rock, and when it comes to solos and using classical elements his talent cannot be denied. So now with the popularity of Guitar Hero, Rock Band and games like that, more kids are being exposed to the technically challenging music, which lends itself perfectly to a game scenario.

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In fact, once players got to a certain level of proficiency, they were awarded with the Yngwie Malmsteen award in Guitar Hero 3. We asked the real-life guitar virtuoso if he's heard about the milestone.

 Yngwie Malmsteen On Guitar Hero

"I actually think it's a good thing. I do. I think because it introduces kids to music. I was sitting in the airport in Miami, I don't know, a couple of months ago? We were flying somewhere, and me and my drummer and my bass player or somebody, my singer too, we were sitting at this restaurant waiting and this little kid, he couldn't have been more than eight or nine years old, and he looks up at us and goes, 'Hey, are you guys in a band?, We go, 'yeah.' 'I want to be in a band!' And this was so cool because a few years ago that wouldn't be happening. Plus, I see in the audience when I play now, every night there's very, very young kids. This is a great thing."

Yngwie Malmsteen actually just released his new album, Perpetual Flame, which features the vocal talents of former Judas Priest singer Tim "Ripper" Owens.

Comments

[str84ever]

Yngwie Malmsteen is looked upon as being one of the fastest guitarists in rock, and when it comes to solos and using classical elements his talent cannot be denied.

He is a great player no one can deny that but his music sounds like total shit.

[Scorge]

str84ever wrote:

Yngwie Malmsteen is looked upon as being one of the fastest guitarists in rock, and when it comes to solos and using classical elements his talent cannot be denied.

He is a great player no one can deny that but his music sounds like total shit.

lol....amen to that.

[edbert]

str84ever wrote:

Yngwie Malmsteen is looked upon as being one of the fastest guitarists in rock, and when it comes to solos and using classical elements his talent cannot be denied.

He is a great player no one can deny that but his music sounds like total shit.

hahaha I suppose it all sounds the same after a while, great player but he should branch out from his typical phrygian/harmonic minor/diminished 7 style

[Ricky4635]

I agree with Yngwie. Guitar Hero is for sure showing kids what real music sounds like. A couple years ago the kids in my class listened to 50 Cent and Lil' Wayne and crap. Know they listen to Metallica, Aerosmith and Ozzy Osbourne.

[true_bacon22]

str84ever wrote:

Yngwie Malmsteen is looked upon as being one of the fastest guitarists in rock, and when it comes to solos and using classical elements his talent cannot be denied.

He is a great player no one can deny that but his music sounds like total shit.

Opiniontated member is opinionated.

[The_String_Man]

he looks old in the video..

[Bucketheadroolz]

my opinion on guitar hero:

It does not introduce kids to music, at all! it has no influence on kids to pick up a f*ckin instrument at all! all they think is that buckethead songs are harder to play than foghat. and pushing five colored buttons down is not even a tiny bit close to playing guitar. guitar is much harder to learn than guitar hero. it takes years of dedication. why play an instrument if im good at a game is what they think. It does not influence what they listen to one f*****n bit. the game is so annoying! and now they have the whole band. that is so stupid! obvoiusly if they were going to play an instument they would of, instead of paying 200 dollars of whatever for the video game. Also, now you can make your own songs!!! that is even more gay! slash said it would open their mand to songwriting. again, if they were going to play an instument and write they would of gotten an instument!!!!! im so glad led zeppelin has kept their dignity and not given their rights to a video game. and the beatles would of never agfeed if they were all alive.

[Bucketheadroolz]

also...there is no way in h**l that anyone could play soothsayer on guitar. but i know many people that can on guitar hero... what does that say? guitar hero sucks! and the whole 'its just a video game' crap is stupid. if it was just a video game why are people saying it would influence? it wont not at all, never.

[David_Bowie=GOD]

str84ever wrote:

Yngwie Malmsteen is looked upon as being one of the fastest guitarists in rock, and when it comes to solos and using classical elements his talent cannot be denied.

He is a great player no one can deny that but his music sounds like total shit.

I somewhat agree, some of his stuff is okay but some of it is just noise, at least some of his stuff sounds good, unlike other shredders cough MAB cough

[Black Star]

str84ever wrote:

Yngwie Malmsteen is looked upon as being one of the fastest guitarists in rock, and when it comes to solos and using classical elements his talent cannot be denied.

He is a great player no one can deny that but his music sounds like total shit.

As much as I agree with this, I love his new album. Even if it is simply for Tim Owens.

[Roberttitus]

All of you all are being f*cking idiots. Nobody said it was as easy to play a song on guitar as it was on Guitar Hero/Rock Band, all that Yngwie/Anybody who isn't a jealous no name is saying is that it introduces alot of kids to instruments & shows them the kind of dedication it takes to play a song perfectly. I know tons of people who never even thought of picking up an instrument start playing one because they enjoyed the game so much that they wanted to learn the songs in real life. So it does influence. Just not in the same way that your shallow little minds want to except. Do I play it... Yeah, But I have also been playing guitar for 11 years. That just isn't something you see anymore. Hopefully for the sake of Rock & Metal this game will revitalise the genre.

[dehydration]

yngwie is absolutely awesome. his only problem is that he 'overshreds' and turns quality music into too many notes. and yes, guitar hero/rock band does introduce music. not every gamer considers game difficulty levels real. bloody hell, I started listening to avenged sevenfold after playing guitar hero

[Wakisazhi]

Actually I have to lol at this article, for once Yngwie isn't acting as over the top or as arrogant as he normally does.

[maninthebox24]

Too bad Yngwie wouldn't listen to the kid's band. He said in that UG interview that he doesn't listen to much modern music, just stuff like Queen and Mozart. They're great, but does he really care if that kid wants to be in a band when he might not even listen to them.

[explosionate]

Does anybody else think that Yngwie's tone is just terrible?

[LegsOnEarth]

now he approves i can play this game! yey!

[Fred1000000]

Bucketheadroolz wrote:

my opinion on guitar hero:

It does not introduce kids to music, at all! it has no influence on kids to pick up a f*ckin instrument at all! all they think is that buckethead songs are harder to play than foghat. and pushing five colored buttons down is not even a tiny bit close to playing guitar. guitar is much harder to learn than guitar hero. it takes years of dedication. why play an instrument if im good at a game is what they think. It does not influence what they listen to one f*****n bit. the game is so annoying! and now they have the whole band. that is so stupid! obvoiusly if they were going to play an instument they would of, instead of paying 200 dollars of whatever for the video game. Also, now you can make your own songs!!! that is even more gay! slash said it would open their mand to songwriting. again, if they were going to play an instument and write they would of gotten an instument!!!!! im so glad led zeppelin has kept their dignity and not given their rights to a video game. and the beatles would of never agfeed if they were all alive.

We got ourselves a genuine internet tough guy.

[dave742]

Bucketheadroolz wrote:

my opinion on guitar hero:

It does not introduce kids to music, at all! it has no influence on kids to pick up a f*ckin instrument at all! all they think is that buckethead songs are harder to play than foghat. and pushing five colored buttons down is not even a tiny bit close to playing guitar. guitar is much harder to learn than guitar hero. it takes years of dedication. why play an instrument if im good at a game is what they think. It does not influence what they listen to one f*****n bit. the game is so annoying! and now they have the whole band. that is so stupid! obvoiusly if they were going to play an instument they would of, instead of paying 200 dollars of whatever for the video game. Also, now you can make your own songs!!! that is even more gay! slash said it would open their mand to songwriting. again, if they were going to play an instument and write they would of gotten an instument!!!!! im so glad led zeppelin has kept their dignity and not given their rights to a video game. and the beatles would of never agfeed if they were all alive.

That is pathetic. I'm a guitarist and playing guitar hero got me into a hell of a lot of awesome bands (motley crue, rush, lamb of god). Also i think the songwriting thing is ****ing awesome...you can build your own drum tracks to exactly how you want them, your own basslines to go with your riffs, i'm not using it to write full on songs, but its sure gonna help my songwriting structures a lot.

[deevolution]

im not trying to say anything mean but its just funny how some people think that theyre actually the man at guitar coz they can play through fire and flames on expert lol

[limewireislegal]

deevolution wrote:

im not trying to say anything mean but its just funny how some people think that theyre actually the man at guitar coz they can play through fire and flames on expert lol

lol i totaly agree

[str84ever]

true_bacon22 wrote:

str84ever wrote:

Yngwie Malmsteen is looked upon as being one of the fastest guitarists in rock, and when it comes to solos and using classical elements his talent cannot be denied.

He is a great player no one can deny that but his music sounds like total shit.

Opiniontated member is opinionated.

of course its my opinion what else would it be :S.

I think i see what your getting at though.

[KingGohma]

This is the first interview with Yngwie I have ever read which does not make me hate him instantly.

His head is slightly less deep in his own ass in this one.

[Emo_Guitars]

yea...i thought thumbs up ment there was gonna be a malmsteen Guitar Hero...lol imagine easy..

[xiempie]

You don't hear much bands praising guitar hero

[waveningkan]

better guitar hero than hip-hop hero?haha.

[Primus12]

waveningkan wrote:

better guitar hero than hip-hop hero?haha.

They do have a hip-hop hero, its called Grand Theft Auto XD

[vIsIbleNoIsE]

Primus12 wrote:
They do have a hip-hop hero, its called Grand Theft Auto XD

nice one!

[kornstar116]

Bucketheadroolz wrote:

my opinion on guitar hero:

It does not introduce kids to music, at all! it has no influence on kids to pick up a f*ckin instrument at all! all they think is that buckethead songs are harder to play than foghat. and pushing five colored buttons down is not even a tiny bit close to playing guitar. guitar is much harder to learn than guitar hero. it takes years of dedication. why play an instrument if im good at a game is what they think. It does not influence what they listen to one f*****n bit. the game is so annoying! and now they have the whole band. that is so stupid! obvoiusly if they were going to play an instument they would of, instead of paying 200 dollars of whatever for the video game. Also, now you can make your own songs!!! that is even more gay! slash said it would open their mand to songwriting. again, if they were going to play an instument and write they would of gotten an instument!!!!! im so glad led zeppelin has kept their dignity and not given their rights to a video game. and the beatles would of never agfeed if they were all alive.

people like you make me sick. i mean first of all, it's "would have" not "would of", and second, almost every guitar hero game has introduced me to new music. Guitar hero 2 showed me Every Time I Die which is now my favorite band of all time. When i was younger and i picked up guitar hero 1 the day it came out i kept playing til i got better and better until finally i knew it wasn't enough anymore. A week later I bought my first guitar and started getting lessons. What you need to realize is that people know that playing a real guitar is much harder than playing a game with 5 buttons, and they dont need to keep hearing it from people like you who hate the fact that someone else is better than you at a video game. It takes balls to admit that you're wrong, so grow some and do it.

[queenslander47]

does anybody actually think that because they can play guitar hero that means they must rule at guitar?

everytime there is a guitar hero article on here everyone says shit like that. nobody is stupid enough to think they are great at guitar just because they can play guitar hero. its the insecure idiots on here who are shit at the game and cannot handle being beaten by their untalented friends that have to whinge and say dumb stuff like "they think they are cool, but they can't play it on real guitar"

honestly, its a video game, its not taking away from real music in anyway, if anything it is adding to it because tonnes of ppl become interested in rock music because they like the game

[bfchead]

str84ever wrote:

Yngwie Malmsteen is looked upon as being one of the fastest guitarists in rock, and when it comes to solos and using classical elements his talent cannot be denied.

He is a great player no one can deny that but his music sounds like total shit

Its not shit its just heavy listening, would you consider technical difficulties by paul gilbert shit too?

[One.]

Bucketheadroolz wrote:

my opinion on guitar hero:

It does not introduce kids to music, at all! it has no influence on kids to pick up a f*ckin instrument at all! all they think is that buckethead songs are harder to play than foghat. and pushing five colored buttons down is not even a tiny bit close to playing guitar. guitar is much harder to learn than guitar hero. it takes years of dedication. why play an instrument if im good at a game is what they think. It does not influence what they listen to one f*****n bit. the game is so annoying! and now they have the whole band. that is so stupid! obvoiusly if they were going to play an instument they would of, instead of paying 200 dollars of whatever for the video game. Also, now you can make your own songs!!! that is even more gay! slash said it would open their mand to songwriting. again, if they were going to play an instument and write they would of gotten an instument!!!!! im so glad led zeppelin has kept their dignity and not given their rights to a video game. and the beatles would of never agfeed if they were all alive.

The funny thing is, I quit guitar ages ago cause I was bored to hell of it, then I decided to play guitar hero 2, and I started playing again.

Alot of the songs I play regularly are from guitar hero, and guitar hero definitely inspired me to play real guitar.

GH doesn't make you better at guitar, but it has other benefits.

[carroway]

he should probably write something that's fun to listen to, not something that you say oh man that's a sweet use of the harmonic minor scale.

[Saint Valentine]

Yngwie is great and Guitar Hero is great. That's all I can say. Oh, and FUCK YOU GH BASHERS!

[dfc_jebus]

"me and my drummer and my bass player or somebody..."

LOL!

[zorbozate]

I hope i don,t read no jealousy!!!c,mon guitar slingers hopefully you will reap the same rewardas this MUSICIAN has!!! He,s at least on EARTH!!!!