3 Steve Vai Licks From 1988

[@frederickthompson8686]

This guy is a real "professor" of guitar lore and playing styles -- in addition to being a gifted player. Thanks, mate. A cut above the usual KZbin guitar plodders.

[@joefuller9160]

I agree with that 👍

[@danriley5848]

Great lesson Dave, I have been playing guitar for about 40 years now and your videos always have something to offer which is awesome. 👍🏻✌🏻

[@kickbaktube]

When Blue Powder was released on a floppy 45rpm vinyl that was free in a guitar magazine I learnt it by ear and doing that taught me a whole heap of subtle techniques.

[@spookybaba]

That's a great tune.

[@chrississon5954]

That's impressive. I got that same vinyl from a magazine. They called them Soundpages I think. I just sat with my mouth agape. No way I was learning it. But there is a single note in that song he holds for a few seconds, and he includes some subtle varying vibrato during the note which I always thought was amazing...to give that much attention to a single note.

[@tallpaul1020]

Great lesson Dave!!! The funniest thing is Vai makes it look so easy and he looks like he's really having fun. Just an awesome player 🎸

[@tammymiller506]

love your passion for showing others your talents

[@andrewmsmith1969]

That stacked 5th pattern appears in loads of places through Vai’s history. Awesome lesson, 🙏

[@SteveBello]

He will always be one of the masters of guitar. Period.

[@damonstewart70]

What separates you from other KZbinrs is that you go beyond the notes. I was talking on another KZbin channel I think it was levi clay whom I love where someone wanted a marshall Harrison tab. True he's fast but to bend strings and shake em is what TRUE ROCK GUITAR is about. Dude your intonation is spot on even when overbending. You are basically the modern guitarist ARCHETYPE being that you have a firm grasp on many different styles and applying fundamental yet essential principle to them. Please start a BAND so I can purchase you music

[@CBolt17]

He does have a Band Camp. He makes instrumental music

[@josephkunath4173]

I agree 💯 his facial expressions says it all. He's smiling as he shares the information. You can tell he absolutely loves what he does. Great player as well.

[@PawpawJamz]

Indeed

[@hazor777]

I love the fact that David doesn’t spend time editing and jazzing up the content - just a good thumbnail and a lesson with value NOT that the other YT guitar channels who do spend more time on their videos are lacking , I love them too. It’s just simplified , here

[@sergedenovo2389]

I heard somewhere that YOUR vibrato or bending is uniquely your own. It’s like a finger print. Yeah, Dave is good.

[@peteytwofinger]

saw SV perform the inviolate tour and OMG was that incredible . i have seen a LOT of the top touring guitar gods but nothing could have prepared me for that . incredible .

[@sergedenovo2389]

Heya dude! I’m not that old but Im amazed by how many young kids wear wear DOORS or Zeppelin or Hendrix tshirts from Target, without ever hearing a single song from those bands! …Or how about dudes complaining about how playing hurts their fingers. My fingers were splitting from dry Chicago winters and I would not DARE complain about it online. …When the high e goes in cut, splitting your finger further, does not feel good! 😂 Thanks, Dave. Merry Christmas, to you and yours, from Chicago, bro!

[@petevb2987]

Thanks so much for this video. You really know how to get the flavours and stylings just right. That last lick/ riff is a monster and it’s not all that’s fast. Bloody awesome.

[@ToddGillespie1977]

Can I just thank you for playing so many styles with so many players with completely different tones and doing it on an old digital combo amp that is usually on the same setting instead of having a bunch of heads behind you that you aren’t really using but instead running through some $3500 space station modeling unit? You showed me that there are no excuses. I don’t need a million dollars to play very signature sounding Vai licks now because this gave me the confidence. You are the real deal, brother

[@mike42441]

The Skyscraper album is incredible and one of my favorites! I didn't know about the stage locations that allow for more sustain, but that makes sense now that you mention it. Very interesting video! Love the blurry Vai slides !!

[@bestboy897]

love that jem in the thumbnail

[@duaneraymond4252]

This guy is one of the best on KZbin, full stop.

[@MyGuitartime]

I think it's crazy that you said you didn't jump right over to Steve Vai becuase it felt like betrayal to Eddie! I felt the same way! At the time Eddie was king and when David Lee Roth released his first solo album I felt like he was forming a super group to oversize VH. So when I listened to Steve the first time I was like Holy crap David L. Found someone who was playing crazier stuff than Eddie and I almost didn't want to listen...because I had this faithfulness to Eddie! But I too slowly discovered Steve's playing and fell in love with it. Great video!

[@suzannecoholic1467]

great licks!

[@endincite4149]

Fwiw I believe that "note for an hour" tip is reproduced in his Vaideology book; somewhat more accessible today.

[@peterbaker3878]

Dave your teachings are Awesome man and I really Thank You for taking the time to share your passion with other Guitar enthusiasts like myself! You Rock 👊🏻👊🏻

[@piperofsimms]

Wishing you a Happy New Year David. Thx for your great content. Always a pleasure to see your lessons.

[@backtoshallabal6662]

i love his work on feed my frankenstein!

[@jerkerjansson386]

Another great and inspiring lesson, Dave! Thank you. You rock!

[@itsianwood]

Really AWESOME! Thanks!

[@joebalusikiii5811]

It always bugs me when Vai haters say he doesn't play with "feel". I call b.s. Thanks for this great look at some of Vai's small, yet powerful methods to generate just some of his "feel".

[@ToddGillespie1977]

I’ve been angry at those people for at least 30 years 😂. Thank you for saying that

[@spookybaba]

Thanks, again, for a great tutorial. I've always loved Steve on Zappa's Moggio from The Man From Utopia, amongst very many other things he played.

[@benher973]

There's very few good Teachers on youtube and you are definitely one of them.

[@ignacioinder]

Great era from SV ... kudos for this video!

[@josefplager]

Your lessons are one of the best!

[@PawpawJamz]

Awesome. Always look forward to your videos.

[@NeilTurnbull007]

That signature lick 'slip n slide' type thing Steve does (11:37) reminds me of the start of his solo to the song Western Vacation ,a solo which I think this is so melodic and really gives the song a load of extra character-one of my favs.

[@keithcourneyea1609]

Pure gold!

[@josephkunath4173]

Very cool man I still enjoy the videos. I hope you had a great Christmas.

[@awguitarroom8033]

Man that last lick is nuts. Really cool stuff. I've said it a hundred times this is the best guitar channel on KZbin hands down

[@abnzg]

love your work dave

[@piperofsimms]

Another awesome lesson Dave. Thank you !

[@josephkunath4173]

Your channel is my favorite. I can already play well I just like hearing your informative knowledge.

[@BrianClem]

Inspiring video! Thank you

[@JoeR203]

More Vito Bratta!!! 🙂

[@CGDGCD]

I remember the Guitar Player Martian Love Secrets columns when I was in high school as well. I too tried to meditate on a single note and also did not get to an hour lol. I'm new to your channel and really enjoy your lessons. The perfect mix of playing, theory, and story telling in my humble opinion.

[@vancedean9699]

Great job again. I have one of the original Lock Ness green Jems.

[@Taldaran]

Besides finger vibrato, a good trick if you have a trem is to use the bar (like your finger vibrato example) to reinforce feedback. Trem springs in the guitar may also mechanically ring like a reverb tank in an amp and support the note as well as effect settings like delay and reverb that will regenerate it. Steve's ultimate solution to various stages where there is no sweet spot is the sustainer. Also, that slip and slide intervallic note was used by Guthrie Govan in the beginning of "Through the Flower". I love your channel and always look forward to new videos! Thanks!

[@anthonydavella8350]

Package your stuff on a DVD and I would buy. Quickly becoming my fave, Happy Holidays

[@Jasonfurrofficial]

Awesome as always, Dave! I remember The Alien Love Secrets article and wishing I hadn't misplaced the magazine. Luckily, Vai had them all on his website! Those were the first lessons I put in my personal teaching manual! That was around the year 2000 or 2001

[@romansingleton8831]

great video as usual man! ...when people say Vai has no feel...well, those people are musically vacant

[@rockrollresale2668]

Best example of a held note in an guitar solo is in Spinal Taps Christmas with the Devil. Great tune too..

[@EarthAltar]

Steve Vai really knows his theory inside and out. I think that's the edge he had over Eddie. Both are awesome, but where Eddie would have to flesh it out or "look for it", Steve would just go for it knowing where every sound on the neck exists. The pro being that you gain precision. The con being that you lose the spontaneity Eddie had.

[@TMoody]

I put Eat Em And Smile up there with Van Halen 1. Awesome job Dave.

[@jimkon1479]

I've used this video to up my guitar game and it feels like I'm exploring the depths of what my guitar can do. Thanks. Lately, I've been getting into the Obsessed and was wondering if you could do a video on Scott "Wino" Weinrich.

[@davidnoy3964]

That last lick is absolutely weird. Great stuff

[@StefanGBucher]

Skyscraper is an amazing album! Those two brought out the best in each other. Thank you so much for these deep dives! If you ever did The Chords of Skyscraper, I’d be first in line for practice!

[@domgibus5886]

you are impressive and talented !!!!!

[@bksweet6331]

Love it ❤️

[@patmayer7222]

Yes,,,,,,,,he also incorporated the sustainiac,,,,and E-Bow........he had all the toys back then,,,I saw him with Zappa,,,1981.....his Playing was stellar,,,with a strat!!!...but with tools on his amp side,,,,,when he grabbed an Ibanez,,it took off,,,,,his,,,( now we run,live),,,is one of his most hot rodded sustained notes on vid,,,,watch it please....,,,,,,thank you for this lesson,,,...........land o' lakes,wi.....( now where's my guitar ?)..🎼🎼🎶🎶

[@LateNightLessons]

The Sustainiac was invented in 1987, Vai wasn't using one yet in 1988.

[@DK-ys9yn]

Great stuff!! Just what I wanted after picking up the Ibanez Pia recently

[@jonbon7219]

What color?

[@Yupppi]

One thing you should try and learn when hitting that single note is picking so that you create a sort of ghost wolf harmonic note while still retaining the original note. I think Dimebag used to flirt with that edge where the note turns into artificial harmonic, but not quite yet. And then picking a note and touching the natural harmonic octave. It's useful for faking feedback. And you can also change that into tapping the harmonic like Van Halen did, that's a cool sound on its own. But definitely practice the overbends like Gilmour likes them, just to have that something extra special in your sleeve. But just hitting that note and playing around with the pick angle is in my opinion one of the most important things to do as a beginner and why not as an experienced player as well. You have so ingrained technique at that point that you sometimes forget what you're naturally doing. Like slanting the pick to a tight angle for sharp attack and raspy tone, or making it in line with the string for bluesy and chunky tone. Or in a different angle for sweep movement. You'll find some tricks you forgot or stopped doing, or do without thinking. The bendy tapping lick is that stuff I really enjoy by Vai and that I always get totally confused about when I hear something like it and try to understand what's going on. Or other unorthodox bends that get doubled by a regular note, or sound like they're doubled. For example towards the end in Ratt's Shame Shame Shame. That single song alone has some other cool bends and licks worth a whole lesson pretty much. DeMartini's style is just really cool and sometimes confusing.

[@christian-van-e]

Listen to a live Parisienne Walkways solo by Gary Moore if you want to hear the longest sustained note ever😊

[@GuitarGodsUnite]

What strat model do you use? Always have enjoyed it Or if anyone else in the comments know please tell me thx

[@rockrollresale2668]

Adrian Belew is the most expressive animal sound maker I've heard.

[@6120orange]

Great stuff. Agreed on the ‘trifecta’. PS Am I the only one who always holds out hope you appear with the guitar from the thumbnail?

[@jeffscharfbccanada3054]

Like his crazy bend in hot dog and a shake.

[@Callmenobody174]

What year did Fernandes guitars release their sustainer kit?

[@LateNightLessons]

The original Sustainiac was invented in 1987, Vai wasn't using one yet in 1988.

[@davekiddie4467]

This is where a little higher action comes in handy, you need room for the string to sing.

[@guitarabuser567]

di they have sustaniac pickups in those days

[@LateNightLessons]

The Sustainiac was invented in 1987, but Vai wasn't using one yet in 1988.

[@WeareSouledOut]

great job, thanks !!

[@chriscampbell9191]

Not a Vai fan, really, but this was in interesting vid. Shows his innovative approach. Very musical, too. Especially got a lot out of the hammer on / slide riff thing that went up the neck. It's one of those things that many guitarists could probably adapt into their playing somewhere. Great tone out of your rig, too, by the way. Peace.

[@philheath9854]

How long does Gary Moore hold that note on "Parisienne Walkways" Live ?

[@chrishandley]

Cool lesson, when did Steve start using the Fernandes sustainer pickup? Did he have one in the late eighties? I think I remember in the Whitesnake performance at Monsters of rock he sustained a note then let his guitar rise up on wires whilst the note continued, always the showman! Edit: it sounds like the note is looped plus the guitar strap is on the strings as it rises!

[@LateNightLessons]

The Sustainiac was invented in 1987, but Vai wasn't using one yet in 1988. By Whitesnake he was using one.

[@chrishandley]

@@LateNightLessons 👍🏼🙂

[@permanentwaves4621]

I bought the Guitar Player Magazine issue that included The Attitude Song in it on a "sound page", when I was 15. It came with the tabs, but I just wasnt ready at that point to pick it off. Honestly Vai disappeared for me for a long time after Dream Theater debut themselves and I started following John Petrucci and then Paul Gilbert after he started his solo career.. But here lately Ive been revisiting Vai as 51 yr old guitar player, and Im kinda pissed at myself for not including him as much as I should've. I likely would have been waaaaay better than the point Im at now.

[@runifli]

Have anyone the link to the bootleg for that show? Thanks

[@ianedmonds9191]

I had the same influences plus Al Di Meola and then John McGlaughlin. I was 17 when I got into the last two. I liked the music but felt like I was into something deeply uncool... Al Di Meola Casino is still a very special album to me. lol Glad I persisted. Luv and Peace.

[@DetroitWrecker666]

I can hear the Sustain pedal kicking in as Vai is holding the note. Hey, that's what effects are for!

[@LateNightLessons]

Vai didn't use a sustain pedal and the Sustainiac wasn't invented until 1987. Vai used one eventually, but he wasn't in 1988. That was pure sustain/feedback the old-fashioned way.

[@DetroitWrecker666]

@@LateNightLessons interesting... It's sounds like the volume is coming up. Like in the Boss Cs3

[@stevej_in_20815]

@@DetroitWrecker666 it's the X marks the spot as David said - they'll map out the places to stand at sound check, and with everything cranked at stadium levels it rivals Nigel Tufnel's 59!

[@dorianponcela9680]

Great video!!!

[@chrisellenback6210]

Reminds me of Hendrix "Machine Gun"

[@OnlyShred]

Playing with feel - Shawn lane next

[@tchaddrats9874]

I"m pretty sure Vai used a Sustainiac pickup at times.

[@steve-ovetev-o2302]

Via incorporated a sustainer on his guitar.

[@LateNightLessons]

The Sustainiac was invented in 1987, and while Vai did eventually use one - he wasn't using one in 1988. Just a heads up!

[@b.scottfarthingsworth]

His Blue Powder solo on the Whitesnake tour, Vai held a not [no sustainor], for like a minute or two. I heard it in my face at Jones Beach Theater NY. it was mindblowing. But Sykes played his riffs better.

[@sgrimm7346]

Alien love secrets.

[@me.roderick]

Brewski.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💪🎸

[@rogermoore1233]

Sustainiac as well...

[@LateNightLessons]

That came later - the Sustainiac was invented in 1987 and Vai wasn't using one yet in 1988.

[@nickmonahan877]

I don't know if anyone else mentioned this, but his thumb is like Gene Simmons tongue over the fret board!

[@JuddOakes]

luckily theres a sustainiaic now for that lol

[@JuddOakes]

when i here the 5th thing it reminds me of lydian. and the whole lydian chromatic concept.

[@scottmartin5492]

There's another great example of that bend-then-tap move in the main theme of David Torn's "spell breaks with the weather": kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6LJp5iorbllnLM

[@scottmartin5492]

He's maybe a little out of your usual run of players, but I'd *love* to see you break down three of Torn's licks from this album, or his series of mid-90s CMP albums generally.

[@jonnybeck6723]

Don't forget 'bark like a fish' and spank like my baby (!)

[@TravisIlapit]

Vai also uses a sustainer pick up in his guitars to give him that long sustain

[@knightfall9394]

Vai wasnt using a sustainer in the late 80s (which is when the video clips are from) and didnt get that into his guitars till at least ‘99 or the early 2000s

[@janezmihevc5190]

Mike lyntz from Riot would be nice to have episode band Riot

[@knightfall9394]

why not mark if you’re gonna request riot

[@tommcgahon7464]

Gary Moore did it better and longer than Vai’s 12 seconds

[@davidsmith6976]

Vai,Iam sure you know ,as do many others uses a sustainer pick up[Satriani,Moore,etc.] so this is always impressive ,but its also not "skill".

[@LateNightLessons]

The Sustainiac was invented in 1987, Vai wasn't using one yet in 1988.

[@willemvandenoever9702]

And bla and bla and blablabla…

[@gatitomestre]

I your speak too much

[@tomatkinson6996]

Your a cool guy but you talk too too much. Just play with minimal dialog