Steve Vai Meet Matteo Mancuso, the young player who’s light years ahead of us all When it comes to improvisation, Italy’s fingerstyle fusion maestro Matteo Mancuso is leaving the best players in the world in the dust Steve Vai was too shy to tell his friends he was learning guitar. Here's how they found out The virtuoso chose a typically flamboyant way to break the news to everyone Adrian Belew on the initial challenges of teaming up with Robert Fripp in King Crimson The guitarist recently opened up to GP about his early struggles adapting to Fripp’s playing style, with Steve Vai facing similar challenges tackling his parts for the Beat tour Latest Steve Vai “It’s just one note, but it took my entire life to get to the point to where I could do that one note”: Steve Vai regarded this solo as his “ultimate achievement of phrasing on the guitar” By Jackson Maxwell published 4 April 24 No, it's not For the Love of God “I Write Very Emotional Music, and Most of the Time It’s Pretty Angry”: Nita Strauss Drops Her Unapologetically Shred Sophomore Album, ‘The Call of the Void’ By Joe Bosso published 27 September 23 The reigning queen of shred metal riffs on stress, solos and the importance of heeding Yngwie With a Surprising History Dating Back to the 1940s, Carvin Later Achieved Kudos With Endorsements by Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth and Joe Walsh By Dave Hunter published 20 September 23 Launched as a post-WWII startup, the firm grew into a guitar gear giant, one catalog sale at a time Tap Into the Barre Chord Magic of Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson Using This Five-Minute Lesson By Shane Theriot published 1 August 23 Use your finger like a mobile capo, revoice power chords, and create beautiful dissonance with these simple tips Develop Amazing Fretboard Skills Using These Simple Tips From Some of the Best Players in the Business By Dale Turner published 10 July 23 Steve Vai, Mark Tremonti, Joe Bonamassa, Mike Stern, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Alex Skolnick, Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson offer these easy-to-follow exercises that will help you become a better guitarist Watch Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson’s Knockout “Going Down” Performance By Christopher Scapelliti published 3 July 23 Video This incredible clip featuring the classic G3 lineup is a lesson in electric guitar virtuosity Video “I Could Never Play Like Him”: Steve Vai Talks Jimmy Page, Brian May and Jimi Hendrix By Mark McStea published 23 May 23 In this insightful interview, the guitarist reveals his “biggest influences” and “favorite rock song in history” “’Any Means Necessary’ Is My Philosophy”: Forget Analog Versus Digital – Steve Vai Had the Final Word in 1990 By Mark McStea published 18 May 23 How the shred master made the best of both worlds on his breakthrough sophomore album, ‘Passion and Warfare’ “I Actually Thought It Might Well Be a Dismal Failure”: Steve Vai Discusses the Making of His Groundbreaking Shred Album, ‘Passion and Warfare’ By Mark McStea published 16 May 23 “Steven, I think you’re wrong about that,” said David Coverdale. “This is a brilliant record, and you’re going to be very surprised at the reaction” Steve Vai’s Practice Rig for Sale on Reverb By Rod Brakes published 16 March 23 This rare collection includes an Ibanez JEM7V-WH and a Fender Stratocaster signed by Steve Vai, Tosin Abasi, Nuno Bettencourt, Zakk Wylde, and Yngwie Malmsteen 1 2 3 4 5 6 Archives Get The Pick NewsletterAll the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors LATEST ARTICLES1Roland Orzabal reveals how a chance guitar riff resulted in the Tears for Fears monster hit “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”2Jimi Hendrix shares his struggles with guitar in a 1968 Guitar Player interview3John Mayer reveals signature Ernie Ball string set with a unique gauge combination 4Steve Stevens: The 10 Albums That Made Me a Guitarist5"The words just popped into my head!" Guitarist Mars Bonfire reveals the strange story behind “heavy metal thunder” and Steppenwolf's “Born to Be Wild”
“It’s just one note, but it took my entire life to get to the point to where I could do that one note”: Steve Vai regarded this solo as his “ultimate achievement of phrasing on the guitar” By Jackson Maxwell published 4 April 24 No, it's not For the Love of God
“I Write Very Emotional Music, and Most of the Time It’s Pretty Angry”: Nita Strauss Drops Her Unapologetically Shred Sophomore Album, ‘The Call of the Void’ By Joe Bosso published 27 September 23 The reigning queen of shred metal riffs on stress, solos and the importance of heeding Yngwie
With a Surprising History Dating Back to the 1940s, Carvin Later Achieved Kudos With Endorsements by Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth and Joe Walsh By Dave Hunter published 20 September 23 Launched as a post-WWII startup, the firm grew into a guitar gear giant, one catalog sale at a time
Tap Into the Barre Chord Magic of Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson Using This Five-Minute Lesson By Shane Theriot published 1 August 23 Use your finger like a mobile capo, revoice power chords, and create beautiful dissonance with these simple tips
Develop Amazing Fretboard Skills Using These Simple Tips From Some of the Best Players in the Business By Dale Turner published 10 July 23 Steve Vai, Mark Tremonti, Joe Bonamassa, Mike Stern, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Alex Skolnick, Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson offer these easy-to-follow exercises that will help you become a better guitarist
Watch Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson’s Knockout “Going Down” Performance By Christopher Scapelliti published 3 July 23 Video This incredible clip featuring the classic G3 lineup is a lesson in electric guitar virtuosity
“I Could Never Play Like Him”: Steve Vai Talks Jimmy Page, Brian May and Jimi Hendrix By Mark McStea published 23 May 23 In this insightful interview, the guitarist reveals his “biggest influences” and “favorite rock song in history”
“’Any Means Necessary’ Is My Philosophy”: Forget Analog Versus Digital – Steve Vai Had the Final Word in 1990 By Mark McStea published 18 May 23 How the shred master made the best of both worlds on his breakthrough sophomore album, ‘Passion and Warfare’
“I Actually Thought It Might Well Be a Dismal Failure”: Steve Vai Discusses the Making of His Groundbreaking Shred Album, ‘Passion and Warfare’ By Mark McStea published 16 May 23 “Steven, I think you’re wrong about that,” said David Coverdale. “This is a brilliant record, and you’re going to be very surprised at the reaction”
Steve Vai’s Practice Rig for Sale on Reverb By Rod Brakes published 16 March 23 This rare collection includes an Ibanez JEM7V-WH and a Fender Stratocaster signed by Steve Vai, Tosin Abasi, Nuno Bettencourt, Zakk Wylde, and Yngwie Malmsteen
