Opinion on Steve Vai

Steve Vai is a great technical guitarist, thats true, ill give him that much. But Steve does not have any musical feel. He knows how to play guitar but he doesn't know how to play music. He's fun to watch for 2 minutes, then he gets boring cause its the same thing all over again, speed, speed, speed, speed, speed.........Boring. Take someone like BB.king. He's a great guitarist. HE plays slow but he plays from the heart, and thats what music ia all about.

[grant]

Originally Posted by Vince

Steve Vai is a great technical guitarist, thats true, ill give him that much. But Steve does not have any musical feel. He knows how to play guitar but he doesn't know how to play music. He's fun to watch for 2 minutes, then he gets boring cause its the same thing all over again, speed, speed, speed, speed, speed.........Boring. Take someone like BB.king. He's a great guitarist. HE plays slow but he plays from the heart, and thats what music ia all about.

I agree 100%

[Mondy]

Hi Guys, I can see this becoming a feel versus techinical ability thread which has been pretty much debated to death in this thread.

Don't be surprised if this get's particularly hostile, and maybe even closed, especially as it could be seen as being posted purely to provoke a reaction being that this is a pro Steve Vai thread, and the post could be considered as anti-Steve Vai.

But maybe we can all play nicely from the start...

[Satchmo72]

I dont like Vai's stuff AS MUCH as Satriani's because Vai is really more experimental than Satch and in doing that, becomes less melodic.

Yes, Vai has some melodic songs and I like those but he is too experimental for me. Spent too long with Zappa which isn't a bad thing because he has total control of his guitar, just not melodic enough for me.

Sex and Religion is one of my favorite albums because of that, every song has a hook and great staight up guitar on it.

Vai rocks live though, no matter what he is doing!!!!

[grant]

Originally Posted by mondola

Hi Guys, I can see this becoming a feel versus techinical ability thread which has been pretty much debated to death in this thread.

Don't be surprised if this get's particularly hostile, and maybe even closed, especially as it could be seen as being posted purely to provoke a reaction being that this is a pro Steve Vai thread, and the post could be considered as anti-Steve Vai.

But maybe we can all play nicely from the start...

Yeah, it should be just opinions, keep it clean .

[mab8485]

Hey satchmo, 'touching tongues' is an awesome song

About Steve having no musical feel to his tunes, i completely disagree. When i listen to his music, I hear someone who is holding back speed in favour of songwriting.

[Sister_Wrath]

Well, since they are playing clean..let's play..i totally disagree with the idea that Vai is just a technical player. Maalsteem and Satch are more technical...after surfing with the alien - a great album-, the tone, and the type of melody played by Satch in following albums is mostly the same.
Vai's style touches everything, from blues -tender surrender- , to hard rock -anything from fire garden- to experimental. He plays with the greatest musician -MacAlpine, Sheehan-.

BB King is one of the greatest guitar players in the world, and so is Clapton, and so was SRV, and so was Django, and so on...diff styles, diff times, diff technologies...so, do not compared vai and bb...it certainly will be unfair for any guitarist in the world

The single most interesting thing that i like about Vai is that every album surprises me, everything has something new, he's not affraid to try and to experiment, and that's for me the characteristic of a true genius: change and evolution...

[Guitaristic]

steve vai plays from his heart the most

[bbkane]

My opinion is that BB King is by far the most over-rated blues guitarist on the planet aside from SRV. That said Vai has a very different style. Some people cant look past the technique aspect and here the amazing melodies he writes. They just hear and think "oh hes a shredder" and remain close minded. I do agree that there is music out there that is a lot of notes for the sake of a lot of notes. I agree that Vai is holding back for the sake of musicality. I disagree with the negative attitude people have over people that are talented though, I honestly think its one of those things where they realize they cant play like that, or dont want to spend the time practicing so they say
"oh it has no feeling"

feeling is subjective

the same boring vibratto and stacato pick attacks by a overrated blues guitarst also might strike some as "no feeling"

[Goport]

This thread is rather provocative coming from someone who has only posted a few times and I think that is a silly way to make your presence felt.

Steve vai is by no means my favourite guitarist. But I really can't think of anybody more dedicated to the guitar. I can't think of anybody who challenges their audience as much as him. I can't think anybody more musically aware than him. I can't think of anybody BETTER than him.

Personally I prefer Satriani because he is more conventional (not more melodic as was mentioned, sorry satchmo, vai is rarely unmelodic he is if anything too clever for his own good with harmonic/melodic strcture IMO) and therefore it is easier for me to identify with.

Vai has got it right in my book. He is the most well rehearsed guitarist I have ever heard - I used to think that didn't count for much except a lack of imagination but this guy can recreate everything he has committed to tape/cd etc to the most minute detail. He really is the master. I have nothing but total and utter respect for him.

Vai 20+ years in the business at the highest level. He is a real musician. It is his life. Saying he has no feel is niave and pointless.

SRV is the greatest guitarist and you cannot argue that. like i said, BB king plays from his soul. everything he plays means something. same with SRV. Vai is over rated. vai just plays fast. its like he's talkin loud and sayin nothin.

[vanhalenrock]

Originally Posted by Vince

Steve Vai is a great technical guitarist, thats true, ill give him that much. But Steve does not have any musical feel. He knows how to play guitar but he doesn't know how to play music. He's fun to watch for 2 minutes, then he gets boring cause its the same thing all over again, speed, speed, speed, speed, speed.........Boring. Take someone like BB.king. He's a great guitarist. HE plays slow but he plays from the heart, and thats what music ia all about.

I can't respect you're opinion sorry you're being completely ignorant, you may not know it but subconsciously u feel that if a play plays slowly then they have feel which isn't true. most old blues players played so slowly and "from the heart" cause they really didn't have much versatility in there playing and they made the notes they knew.


If you listen to steve vai properly and not just one of his G3 sets, buy and listen to some of his albums, dont make these snap judgements from hearing a couple of songs. you willl realise that the guy puts feel into every single note he plays. listen to some interviews, theres a Great interview with steve on the net called an evening with steve vai, you hear about his outlook on music and how everything he plays is about triggering human emotions and making people feel something. i've heard alot of people reffer to steves music as a bit "wierd" it's because it's different and hes allways trying new ways and sounds techniques to put what he feels into his music.


If you wanna talk about players with feel how can someone with no sense of technicality or theory. the instrument express those emotions that are beyond comprehension?. not knowing the theory of the instrument you play is puting urself at a real disadvantage when it comes to playing with feel.

I've heard so many people like you, who go on about speed etc, i once said vai just likes to play fast *blasphemy* when i first heard him. Listen to the guys music, understand him, steve vai isn't you're regular musician, he's a real musician a guy who writes straight from the heart and is full of creativity and originality. if u ask me Steve Vai is up there along with Hendrix & Eddie no doubts at all. I know music ain't about speed or any of that shit, but neither is steve vai.

Albums you should hear to get real sense of his music.

Flexable ( if u like zappa you'll love this)

ALL of Passion & Warfare

All of Fire Garden ( also go on the site and check the little /stories/poems he has wrote for the Fire Garden Songs)

[axeshredder]

Originally Posted by Satchmo72

I dont like Vai's stuff AS MUCH as Satriani's because Vai is really more experimental than Satch and in doing that, becomes less melodic.

Yes, Vai has some melodic songs and I like those but he is too experimental for me. Spent too long with Zappa which isn't a bad thing because he has total control of his guitar, just not melodic enough for me.

Sex and Religion is one of my favorite albums because of that, every song has a hook and great staight up guitar on it.

Vai rocks live though, no matter what he is doing!!!!

i AGREE ALOT WITH THIS COMMENT....STEVE HAS COMPOSING TALENTS LIKE BEETHOVEN...LOL....DONT SHOOT ME FOR THAT BUT HE HAS A VERY INTELLIGENT MUSICAL MIND THAT CANT BE GRASPED BY MANY

[vanhalenrock]

Originally Posted by Vince

SRV is the greatest guitarist and you cannot argue that. like i said, BB king plays from his soul. everything he plays means something. same with SRV. Vai is over rated. vai just plays fast. its like he's talkin loud and sayin nothin.

Yes we can argue that, and i will argue that.
SRV is good but he aint everybodys cup of tea. From what i've seen from your posts you are a really ignorant person who doesn't know too much. and you're posts are pretty pointless

You're Wrong. There are lots of Blues guitarists that can play fast but some just chose not to. Lightin Hopkins plays fast andplays from the heart, thats just a bonus.