Steve Vai breaks down the hardest thing he's ever played

[@MusicisWin]

This was such an honor and a blast. I hope you enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Introduction 1:50 - The origin of the Hydra 4:00 - How is the Hydra held up? 5:01 - Breaking down "The Teeth of the Hydra" 15:58 - How to beat frustration 18:50 - The hardest thing Steve has ever done 23:10 - Controlling psychological time 24:39 - How much does the Hydra weigh? 27:39 - Will the Hydra be played on tour? 28:44 - Breaking down every piece of the Hydra 30:05 - The signal path 31:56 - The melodic aspects of the Hydra 35:35 - Steve's motivational halftime speech

[@Rektrishun]

21:38 - I cannot believe you let this go.

[@tooldaniellateralus9298]

One of your best videos so far.....thanks.

[@DevilAndSons]

Brilliant stuff. Your music video breakdown of teeth of the hydra was great, and this is the perfect follow up.

[@clipsmasterproductions7479]

@@Rektrishun IDK, he probably didn’t want to intrude. But still…

[@guitargeek-bynavinnashranp5310]

You deserve for what you do. Hat's off for your awesome contents. I really find out and learn things from your contents, thanks man for all this amazing and real music scenario to the world.

[@ODAALx]

Imagine being told by Steve Vai that you're doing great work in the name of guitar music. What a compliment, well done Tyler.

[@jamesclerk815]

Imagine putting a spring noise over Steve Vai saying something about his ... hydra?

[@patrickodell7654]

Imagine

[@SergioLazaroMartinez]

It amazed me how Tyler kept it together, I would have definitely burst into tears

[@felipez7113]

"I Wanted to play a song with one hand to impress people". why don't you actually worry about making a good song? With a band, melody, riffs and someone singing a good lyric? I don't give a damn how many solos you make, or how many hands you use to do it. There is more guitar in the Sex Pistols album than there is in all Steve Vai's career.

[@SergioLazaroMartinez]

@@felipez7113 imagine honestly thinking that's true 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@xavierrazzaque8802]

Steve Vai seems like such a good guy, and his guitar playing is crazy. Just started watching and I'm hooked. Edit: I didn't know he was a flat-earther until reading the comments, I don't pay much attention to him in the media (I only listen to his playing) and he's not my idol. I made the comment late at night when I was half-asleep working on a school assignment - not expecting much of a reaction. Could you adults stop arguing over whether one guy is humble or not.

[@xodiaq]

Legit! He starts off with huge compliments to Tyler, and within 3 minutes he’s saying how Batio can do stuff he can’t. For all that Vai can do, I wouldn’t have expected sincere humility in that skill set!

[@crossroads900]

@@xodiaq Totally agree. Always loved Vai's playing (how could you not) and in all the things I've ever watched him on, always wondered what kind of guy he was...holy shit! what a humble and open down to earth guy...blown away about how cool he is carrying that kind of talent and sought after skill, figured he would be more like a lot of the others in the business. I'm a super fan now after watching him and who would you rather listen to advice from than a seasoned pro like this...wow! thanks KZbin, thanks Tyler, and thanks of course Steve Vai for such great info! Music Is Win! 🤟😛

[@wammons007]

@@crossroads900 well said

[@chrisking6695]

He's a crazy person. In a podcast he talked about esoteric nonsense and said the evidence for a flat earth is irrefutable. The podcast is called Player's pick. He's absolutely idiotic.

[@crossroads900]

@@chrisking6695 Im not looking for his advice on the ways of the world, I've got that...his musical advice is irrefutable! so I give a shit about some podcast, thanks

[@aaronlee4769]

Wow, Steve Vai breaking down this song on your channel. How will you ever top this?!? This so so awesome. Thank you. My hats off to you and Steve.

[@user-dj9iu2et3r]

No need to think of it that way! I’m sure he’ll just keep doing things he thinks are awesome.

[@gr8tnowwhat]

Vai will be 100 years old and still telling people about ideas in his head that he's working on. A guy that can do the impossible on a regular basis...just amazing talent.

[@ricardoalvarez8403]

My GOD every time I listen to Steve Vai speak, I just find myself smiling. What a guy, what a soul, what a player.

[@YashG]

Receiving compliments from Steve Vai, he is blessed🙂👌👍💐

[@johnnymossville]

My favorite thing about the Hydra is that the song is just amazing in it's own right. It's a wonderful song even if you take out the next level playing. Steve really got it right. I think I've listened to the song 10x already, but don't want to overplay it to wreck the experience. Great work Steve, Definitely some of your best, in my opinion.

[@hesch-tag]

Well said. If it hadn't been a great song it would have been showing off for the wrong reasons. This is Steve doing something because he heard and envisioned it this way and he knew the song was worth it.

[@andreaiachini7517]

I absolutely agree. The way he plays it and the video are outstanding and for sure an added value. But I felt in love with the song since the trailer release, where we could hear it for the first time. And we could only imagine how Steve played it actually on the instrument.

[@fordmanfinis]

So rare to hear such a great guitarists speak in a clear dialect.

[@V1z10n]

?

[@patrickodell7654]

Because we all listen to guitar players because they speak well….

[@fiztaqt2343]

Yeah usually a guitarist's speech passes through a bunch of effects... But these guys have really dialed in the perfect speaking tone.

[@fordmanfinis]

The majority of musicians I listen to have partied too hard

[@patrickodell7654]

@@fordmanfinis partied Some party forever

[@Datimdavis2900]

Steven is an amazing guy. Met him in 2000 and enjoyed the 3 minutes he spent with me. He certainly respects you Tyler! Great interview.

[@joshmuz9018]

3 mins is all you need to know how amazing someone is. You can marry a woman after 3 mins with her

[@andrewbecker3700]

I appreciate how Steve tries to impress on Tyler, and anyone who can grasp the concept, of rewarding yourself for the small hurdles you clear first, before trying to move forward right away in an attempt to get it ALL perfect

[@comment.highlighted]

Wow. That Steve Vai intro compliment must feel great 😊 Edit: Steve Vai is such a Beast on stage, but humble in real life. Living Legend

[@donanders2110]

You know you are winning at music, when Steve Vai thanks you for what you do!!!!!!

[@amandaweatherford3392]

24 minutes in, and finally someone talks about the whole reason that i play guitar. I experienced this around 16 years old, a pick flew out of my picking hand and i caught it in my fretting hand. It was amazing, and at the time, we recorded all of our practices that we had, cuz my drummers dad was amazing. it landed in my hand and i looked around in disbelief. record everthing

[@Rosterized]

Its wonderful to hear Steve talking about guitar tech, you would expect a lot of guitarists from the era he started in to kinda stick to the basics and the stuff they started with but he seems to have really kept up with all of the guitar tech development over the years

[@chrismuratore4451]

Steves advice for celebrating the little wins is perfect for when you are first approaching tremolo. Celebrate every success. But keep pushing.

[@GrunthosTFlatulent]

Philosopher, life coach, motivational speaker and a decent guitar player too. Thanks Steve for bringing us the music and thanks Tyler for allowing the man to share his vision with us.

[@DavidJDiehl]

Saw Vai live at the House of Blues in Orlando way back in 2009. He actually took the time to talk to us after the show. It's so cool when your hero turns out to be a super cool dude.

[@get1rocstartim5]

Steve Vai is a true gentleman. He always treats everyone with true respect. His guitar playing is Mind Blowing and yet he stays humble. I truly believe and can obviously see he has the mastery like no one before him. NO ONE. His guitar playing is Cosmic. From another world. Word. Every little accomplishment is cause for celebration.

[@michaelstorms47]

Steve Vai admits he can bend time like a wizard and names Tyler as his apprentice! Congratulations Mr. Tyler! Excellent interview, thank you brother! 🤟😎🤟

[@dlmyrs]

Tyler’s smiling the entire time. Amazing dialogue and insights from Steve. Thank you, Tyler. And congrats on getting this interview.

[@mister_syre]

Klaus Schulze, a pioneer of innovative and challenging music in his own field, just passed away at 74. We must remember to appreciate the talent, creativity and virtuosity of those artists we hold dear while they're still sharing their art. Steve Vai is indeed a pioneer, an innovator and a virtuoso getting all my respect while he's alive and still delivering challenging art.

[@CodyCleggMusic]

Honestly this was the most interesting guitar discussion I've listened to in ages. There was so much nuanced discussion of the compositional and technique choices (and tradeoffs) that we have to make when writing. So fascinating to hear that whole discussion in the context of a wild instrument that truly does deserve its own deep explanation. Great stuff.

[@bardknight]

There's probably nothing better than having Steve Vai tell you how good you are doing for the guitar community and exclusively breaking down his song on your channel.

[@EvanSilvia]

My gosh what a complete honor, I'd be tripping over every word if I got to interview Steve Vai. Congratulations.

[@LoudGuitarSounds]

Could you imagine trying to promote online guitar lessons, then a couple years later you’re chillin with Steve Vai. That’s a huge accomplishment!

[@andyharman3022]

Vai's been a world-class guitarist for 40 years. It's a marvel that he isn't resting on that, and is challenging himself to "get better". Inventing a new instrument and composing a piece of music for it is a master's fusion of his art and science. And he's got more ideas for composing on the Hydra. This ain't over.

[@michaelaguilar7771]

Great interview, loved how you didn't step all over the guest & let him talk... a lot of interviewers don't get that. I bet Frank would be amazed and proud of his "Little Italian Prodigy".

[@LucOggel]

His little Italian virtuoso, actually ;) great interview indeed, although sometimes I felt like Tyler interrupted him on moments that Steve was about to say something really interesting. I hate when that happens, haha

[@austerityclause]

Musically speaking, Steve Vai has always been the biggest freak in the room. Now he's 3. I love it! Thanks for this content. It's great to hear him break this insanity down.

[@mtth6758]

I love how up to date with technology Stev keeps up man. Guy really just embraced the way music has changed while still playyng the music he’s always been known for. What a talent.

[@Richieguy10]

"Steve's motivational halftime speech"... It's interesting that so many greats in many wildly differing fields all basically explain this the same way. Absolutely brilliant interview Tyler, thank you 🙂❤

[@bluesignmusic6020]

I saw once Steve Vai in a concert playing live the 3neck heart guitar. The way he was playing it was absolutely incredible.

[@realbigsquid]

Wow! It's awesome to hear Steve talk about getting frustrated trying to learn a lick. It's easy to assume that it's just magic. This is epic

[@suprchickn7745]

Steve's ability to illuminate the creative process is one of his greatest gifts besides his astonishing skills and work ethic. You do amazing work also, Tyler. Glad to be a longtime subscriber!

[@markvador6667]

Stuning interview from one of the greatest guitarist of this century. Teeth of the hydra is a mesmerising piece of music. Great interview. Thanks a lot

[@stevesnuffer]

Tyler, first off amazing interview with Vai and so cool he gave this insight to you!! Second, I was wondering at 25:46 You state something about your "entire impotence"....that and the banter about holding the hydra up "below the belt" made for a thoroughly amusing watch and Zappa would have approved!! Keep doing what you do brother 🤘

[@AceOfRock]

That final thought really inspired me. Thanks Steve Vai!!

[@danielstuart3270]

That was an amazing interview. Steve always seems like a guy you'd just want to hang out with. Such a well spoken person and you can tell he really has a passion for what he's doing. Thanks Tyler for doing this.

[@caspersashes]

Fuckin love Stevie Vai, brilliant man! Haven't always loved his songs, but he is a tremendous human being and a brilliant example of a true guitar entrepreneur 🙌 hats off to you sir always

[@Jaageful]

This is the magic of guitar world. There are guitarists like Steve Vai, who doesn't settle in his old ways, but evolve. Then we have outlets like Music is a win. What a great time to be alive and play guitar. Take it from older dude. 40 years ago i had vinyls or casettes to learn from. Now you have endless possibilities to learn guitar. This interview is one of those miracles. Thank you guys.

[@samdamusicnerd9838]

It's cool how chill vai is, congrats on having him on your channel man!

[@HandOfMetal]

I remember when I first time saw pictures of the Hydra I thought "there's no way he's actually going to play that thing for minutes". As it turns out I was baaadly wrong. I'll never underestimate Steve Vai's abilities anymore.

[@abfranklin8492]

Great job, Tyler. Steve Vai is so down to earth. What an inspiration.

[@zakkmylde1712]

I love how far Tyler and the channel have come, the content was always great but to see him develop relationships with legends like Steve and Paul over the years was amazing. Idk if Tyler is living THE dream but he is definitely living A dream (at least what I would consider a dream) at points now.

[@emmanueldhueppe9230]

Getting a compliment by Steve Vai is like the final boss of guitar playing ! As a hungry guitar player , i hope to be worthy of that one day ..

[@danielespinosaaninat2196]

Great Interview ! Steve is such a humble, wise and funny person.😁

[@tylerfoss1130]

One of the most enjoyable Vai interviews. You both had a great talk, I had a great listen. Thankyou

[@mlinderict]

I've loved the two times I've seen Steve live, and never tire of hearing him speak. Very similar to listening to and reading Frank. Always deep, informative, and inspiring. Thank you both!

[@bloodhoundsoldier7445]

absolutely legendary, congratulations man

[@JR0d117]

This is such a great experience it's like you're learning Steve's personality that much more. He's truly a good person let alone an amazing guitarist. That button on his guitar is one of his Alien Love Secrets. ;) lol. Thanks for the great content Tyler. Keep shreddin!

[@thebrokeguitarist]

Steve is one of the most amazing guitarists around. It was a huge honor to meet him several years ago.

[@LungMing23]

Wow you really have climbed to the top man! Vai breaking down his craziest song ever on your channel! Thanks Tyler and Steve for this. Hydra still blowing my mind!

[@baldbearded9601]

Love to see the relationship you guys are developing! One of your idols is a fan of what you do and clearly respects you.. Happy for you man!

[@siamakzia6695]

I'm 30 and I have never seen an electric guitar up close and I have very convincing reasons why. But my passion to listen and think about great songs - mostly including only rock songs and everything that has guitar in itself - has kept me alive. I'm living in an 80 million population country where almost every thing that can give you joy is prohibited...and I'm pretty sure just a few people have listened to this in my home country. Why? Simply just because :)... and that kinda gives me a feeling of uniqueness and that's f**king marvellous. Guess which country I live in(?!)

[@jbtheamericandriver1217]

Thank u 4 this interview n getting Steve to open up n share the processes in his thoughts n his actions. After watching this interview, I understand why he is the legend that he is.

[@MittensOnly]

You're 2 for 2 on having conversations with Steve Vai and him spitting straight wisdom mid conversation Incredibly inspiring stuff

[@null7481]

Steve make's me happy, I always loved his work ,but hearing him feels he really is a passionate guy who just loves what he do. Thanks to you Tyler to share these videos to us !

[@get1rocstartim5]

Great Interview

[@nathanlodder1006]

Vai is awesome, and so are you my fine guy! We all appreciate what you do for the guitar community! Love this friggen channel, Cheers

[@biorythmicshifter]

Amazing to see a man at his age that has accomplished so much determined to keep growing as an artist, musician and person regardless of the physical obstacles…a true inspiration.

[@rocknflip66]

16:04 “here’s a great way to circumnavigate frustration” so inspirational!

[@celparadise3726]

I feel like there's a lot of great stuff going on with guitar players these days. Maybe it's me slowly getting better at this whole thing and being more perceptive ... but I feel like there's a lot of new stuff out there in what felt like arrested development for the longest time. It's great to see players like Steve come out and blow EVERYBODY's mind where before he seemed like one of those 80s maestros of old who didn't have anything new to offer. It's inspiring ... I wanna be like that when I get older. And also you, Tyler ... I watched one of your jams during my work break today and caught myself saying "nice" and being inspired to pick up my guitar time and again. Let's all just keep going. It's a great place we're in, even though standards are getting ridiculous, but that's just who we are.

[@kurtm6345]

It's always a treat to see interviews with Steve Vai.

[@ziggy4465]

OMG! What an amazing interview! I’ve been following Steve’s music since the middle 1980s. It started with the David Lee Roth Band, branched out in Zappa, his solo stuff, his studio stuff with PIL, the album with Whitesnake, and then back to his solo stuff again. What an amazing musician, what an amazing showman, and all around a great guy. I met him very briefly at Focus II guitars back in the late 80s. It was more of “sorry, excuse me” moment, he was leaving the store as I entered and I literally bumped into him. It wasn’t until I went to pay for my picks that I realized…that was Steve Vai! It was a guitar shop in the late 80s, lots of guys were copying his look and really, what are the odds of bumping into Steve Vai on a Saturday afternoon in Patchogue, NY? Like most of the musicians I know, while he does like to show off his talent, always humble to the fact that people show up and listen to his creations. Thanks for sharing this with all of us. Keep rockin’🤘🏻

[@richardhunt809]

Wonderful interview! Steve is so amazing and full of wisdom and insight.

[@allamericancooking]

What an awesome interview, I can only pretend to imagine what an amazing experience this was to chat with such an iconic guitarist and delve into his mind, particularly with this instrument and this composition. Well done!

[@modelcitizen1977]

Steve is such a purposeful guitar player. Every little bend and touch and note is meticulously thought out. I prefer the Trey Anastasio approach of trying to think about what you’re playing as little as possible and just let your training and your ear guide you, but when Vai is firing on all cylinders (and he has been for the last two years.) he makes his presence felt. This is legendary stuff.

[@demitriosofficial]

I went to one of his shows yesterday and he played the hydra... all i have to say is that i haven't seen a better musical performance in my life! He played that thing so perfectly that it sounded like having playback🤣

[@mdspman000]

Steve Vai is a great guitar player but what is really clear from listening to his music and interviews is that how good he is at composing. He creates a vision for what he wants to hear and methodically goes through all the step needed to figure out each piece of the puzzle to get the final song. It's really amazing to hear how much thought and effort went into to planning each part.

[@coreyyates3385]

Steve Vai has always been incredibly inspiring but now he's on a whole new level with his own writing and playing. Thanks for showcasing this song, the both of yous!

[@radrenegade6824]

Been wishing this collab would happen... GG'S Tyler!

[@WiserInTime]

Steve Vai is in his early 60s. What other musician is doing mind blowing never before seen technical wizardry at that age? Not many. This is the kind of stuff I'd expect a young hot-shot guitarist to be doing (like when EVH first came on the scene blowing minds with "Eruption").

[@1234drums]

Seeing you together is just pure awesomeness.

[@danriley5848]

Great interview , man I could listen to Steve all day long he always has interesting ideas to offer and a great philosophy. ✌

[@wineghost317]

GREAT VIDEO! So amazing. I watch Steve on his channel, and his chats are great. And I’m totally in agreement with his “hyper-present”. When you get in that zone, you absolutely can do anything.

[@gnote6850]

what a great interview, Steve is the best, a great guitarist, composer, artist. Thanks

[@hollylewis5302]

Freaking AWESOME interview! Thank you both! 🤘

[@30_second_guitar]

Vai seams like the most humble person ever. He play like whole band on one guitar and acts so casual about it. Its just awesome. He is this one guy who teach beginner and don't act like he is better then him, his just act like guy who remember when he starts and enjoy it

[@IDGAF_PLUS]

My first rock concert was in 86 when DLR was touring his 1st solo album with Vai and Sheehan. I was front and center and it changed my life watching those absolute masters.

[@mikaashton2152]

Great interview, Steve Vai is amazing love his philosophy in general.

[@wyovids]

Great interview Tyler! You did great at letting him talk and not interupting constantly, something we see way too much these days. You have my respect! Thank you Steve for sharing! This is historically important and a gem

[@Spluurj1776]

Steve Vai is a genius guitarist. Every project he was on was gold.

[@e.nicolasASL]

Bro I remember when you where at like 15K and I subscribed. Crazy to see how far you’ve gotten. A one on one with vai. Keep it up 🔥🔥

[@jamfactory4119]

Hearing the thought process of master Vai lets us all know that we are in fact, not at all deluded but rather far more in touch with reality than the majority of the world would have us believe. There is a fine line between genius and insanity.... we're way past that line into genius. Thank you.

[@SebaProgre]

Thank you Tyler! All the questions I had about the hydra were answered in this video!!

[@charlieboy1999]

Thanks 4 posting, revealing the Hydra's secrets was a great thing!

[@seanchandler9335]

Wow that was so cool going through the whole song with Steve what is an honor great job Tyler super interesting👍🏻🎸

[@GrahamsYouTube]

Not just a great channel and content of guitar, but your interviewing skills and how you interact with people, you let them tell us, great job

[@sajisguitar]

Such a genius!! He is not just a guitarist, but he has a great interest in Indian stringed instruments too, like Sitar, Sarod , mandolin, Veena etc. Love you Steve ❣️

[@PeterByker]

The high praise is well-earned. Thanks to both of you absolute BOSSES.

[@russellchapman5991]

man its been such a joy to watch well rather hear Steve come into his own (since becoming a "solo" act and not just in a "band") and just bend boundaries..its super cool that he sat down with you to break this song down..and everytime i watch Steve do any kind of interview or whatever man he just inspires me to play my guitar and create something beautiful from my inner uncolored place you know no boundries of metal rock etc.,. just be and take chances and push myself...im glad there is a Steve, and that Steve is who he is especially nowadays ,and doing his podcasts and youtube stuff ..so thanks Tyler for this vid..and i really appreciate your channel always a good watch...looking forward to your album

[@Jaden48108]

You'll never hear this song on radio. The radio is too small of a platform and its audience too musically inept to appreciate. They want to hear soppy rhyming lyrics inside relatively simple musical arrangements as opposed to the mastery of Steve Vai. By the way, when time stands still you are in the zone. You become breathless. Paramahansa Yogananda said many times that breathlessness is deathlessness. I've only experienced it one time at a Yoga retreat called Ananda. It's a state of ecstasy. A state of pure bliss.

[@schism6600]

This has to be the best interview I have seen in a long time !

[@wylloukgd]

That was an amazing video, Steve Vai is a legend!

[@johnk7093]

when Steve said you were doing great work for the guitar music.... wow, can't get any better than that... ohh, wait.. then to be the first to talk to him about his masterpiece... very well done.

[@BaltimoreRockGuitar]

Amazing interview! Listening to Steve is incredibly inspiring.

[@cosmiccomedy7394]

I love that you guys are homies...that's gotta be so damn cool. Great video Tyler, thanks mate.

[@davidefelicetti]

This is Guitar History. Right now. Steve Vai you made possible the impossible. Innovating a world that was sleeping since ages. Simply amazing.

[@SenseTheWhiskey]

Steve always has incredibly useful insights and advice, not just for creatives but for life in general. It's always a treat to listen to him expound on how he views life.

[@jacobsmith1877]

I love how he needed shoulder surgery, but his primary concern was not being able to pull off this incredible artistic feat. There is no other guitarist that intentionally challenges himself and forces growth like Steve Vai