Make sure to check out Guitar Super System guitarsupersystem.com for a full breakdown of some of the techniques I used in this lesson. Also, comment and let me know which guitarist I should break down the habits of next!
Mind Rot Choose 2 notes (best effect is achieved if they're one note apart), alter between the two notes without any sense of rhythm or key and whatnot. Keep in mind that you should bend the higher note on every 4th hit for maximum impact so you blow the crowd's minds. Don't try and be all creative and put lydian scales into this, because that's too complicated for people to understand (this is not progressive hiphop). Just keep it simple.
I wrote to him years ago before he was `famous` Left Overs era. And he wrote me back a hand-written letter. Pretty awesome. I still have it tucked in the sleeve on said album (EP).Saw him live with Zappa back in the day. Also when he was famous on his own solo thing.What I remember most about that solo show was, 1) the sound sucked, maybe because of the acoustics of the venue and where I was seated, but 2), when I noticed who was on keyboard. Tony MacAlpine. OMFG!! I am the biggest fan of Tony ever. My favorite of all time neo-classical shredder. Maximum Security is a total masterpiece. Edge of Insanity is awesome too but, Max. Sec is the shit in my book.
I saw Steve last week at the Orbit Room in Grand Rapids..All I can say is that he is still on it "Passion and Warfare 25th" anniversary show....Played for almost 3 hours..I was amazed..he played some Zappa on his 2nd oncore!
This series is such a smart idea and really well put together. I hope it becomes more popular! A video on Al Di Meola's habits would be very interesting...
This would be aweome! I wanted habits of: Buckethead, Alexi Laiho, Andy James, Russ Parish..There were so many players with great phrasing to choose from.
One of the coolest and most informative instructional videos I have ever seen! I've been playing and teaching Rock Guitar for over 35 years and loved how you broke this down into "go to ideas" that can immediately improve anyone's playing! Rock on!!!
Thanks for an awesome video. You nailed Vai’s style and tone perfectly. I always wondered how Vai does that string bending melody at 3:40 and now I know
0:40 to 1:05, spot on. Once, I said something similar to my teacher, back when we first met and first talked about what I wanted to learn. He was so surprised hearing that from a 14 year-old kid, he just started laughing. I've been browsing through your videos for about a week and I have to tip my hat to you. I won't comment on your tone and playing, others have done it and they are all right. Keep up the great job you're doing and wish you the best Oh, I just have to say that your Tshirt IS wild, almost blew my screen away, lol!
I think if you made a series of videos like this I would pay ungodly amounts of money for it. i've always wanted a series about the habits and signature moves of players rather than exact licks they use in songs its so much more informative and better for developing my own style. This is a really really amazing video thank you so much for making it.
"It's kind of like going to a buffet. You wanna pick out a little sample of this, sample of that, see what you like and then build your own meal in the end. - These lines made my day. To cite Steve Vai: "Maybe you'll take some inspiration from how I do it, make it your own and even go a step further. That's how I did it, and how it always will be" (it was something like that). I like the idea of taking some of your heroes tendencies and incorporate them into your own playing, maybe even develope it further to get your own voice on the instrument. (Actually I was just repeating what you said, but I especially liked this).
Frest99 3 or 4 finger chromatic atonal tapping. sometimes delay with palm muting ala Paul Gilbert. a lot of scale runs and arpeggiated chords for ballads
It sounds like you got the tone just right... hit the nail on the head with the techniques, a lot of the licks you did play, sounded like the song "I know you're here" that he played live in G3
Steve did a video demonstration on "Freak Show Excess" that should explain the source of the odd resolving bends, so search for that. The octave trick is great, and you can't go wrong with octaves, even chromatically, so I feel it shows how simplified ornamentation of a line can add so much to another simple idea. Ornamentation is a theme that seems to reveal itself here, which is of course nothing new in itself, but the way he does it in modern music is unique. Thanks for another great video! Within the space of two -- and I'd say even one -- vid (s) you have inspired me to examine the nuances of my favorite players. I'm a drummer by the way, but I'm getting back to guitar for home recording and you're helping with ideas, some that I have already formed but needed some additional insight on. Just as an aside; I don't know Steve, but I'd like to think his Italian grandmother would call it, "reducing the sauce", when he finds the lowest common denominator like the octave to go to. I think mine would have. There is beauty in simplicity and Fibonacci agreed. :) Love the shirt effect ~ PS!
My favorite guitar player, for sure. Vai's melodic sense, attitude, and flawless technique makes his music just mesmerizing for me to listen to. He may be the reason why Lydian is my favorite mode of the major scale. :)
The "ascending 5th" run is an add9 arpeggio. The quick bends are grace notes, which he does with a lot of exotic scales (see Alive in an Ultra World). He drones the low E with the octave chords in Lydian/Mixolydian. Also, pinched harmonics sliding DOWN to notes.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and for always beginning your tutorials with an emphasis on absorbing the knowledge without become a clone, very well done.
Here in Brazil we have a very talented guitar player whose name is Patrick Souza. He had already played with Vai. Check out the way he plays. I think he broke the "Vai code". Congrats for the lesson!
I love this, it's a very informative video and just what you need to break out of the ol blues run soloing. my analogy is "It's like Godzilla crying, purposefully!" lol!! Beautiful!
There are two things that I am absolutely positive about under the sun: One is that I am going to close my eyes one day, never to open'em again, the second is that I am never EVER going to reach Steve Vai's level of mastery! Therefore, worrying that playing a few licks of his is going to make me sound like him is simply rubish. Please keep'em coming!
I actually loved this video. I have been struggling on things like this after almost 40 years of playing rock guitar in bands. I learned the modes years ago and forgot them. You have refreshed my vocabulary on guitar in this one video! Thank you, subscribed and in your debt. Please show some of your original music.
There are two things under Jah's sun, that I am absolutely positive about: One is that, one day my eyes are going to be closed, never to be opened again, number two is: I am never, I mean EVER going to reach Steve Vai's level of guitar mastery. Therefore, worry that learning a couple of his licks is going to make me sound like him, is simply rubbish! So, please keep'em comin!!!
great vid! i agree with you regarding the source of his exotic influence when you described the little bends. notice that he incorporates this technique regularly in his playing ever since he did "freak show excess", which was influenced by traditional bulgarian wedding music.
too a lot of these comments are a waste. You're doing what most people can't do....keep up the GREAT work! Please show us the rig as well, it would be quite informative as well. Thx very much
Steve Vai is amazing. His music feels alive and it speaks. it's like passing judgement on a homeless guy as just being a bum, then you actually talk to him and find out he was a millionaire and gave up all of his money to explore the fine intricacy of the world. eccentric.
Wow, this is a GREAT lesson! You should definitely start a "Habits of" series- I'd watch them all! What are you using for and amp here? AxeFX? I have to say- I think your tone is quite a bit better then Vai's own tone!
Awesome video, just want to mention that on Vai's website he has some real good lessons written down. Not saying this video is bad, the string bending just reminded me he has a whole thing on bending to different intervals from the root note of the scale, just shit like that helps with the little but hard techniques he does.
Well done! Great approach to distill out a few tactics. I was real into Satch back in the Surfin' days but never dove into Vai too much. (did learn the beautiful Ladies Night in Buffalo solo though). Just starting to learn a bit more about Vai now... Am surprised at what a great person he seems to be too. Anyway, thank-you.
What does everybody mean with: Good luck? He isn't demonstrating the speed or something. He's demonstrating the habits, the little things like slides and note choice etc.
Not very difficult, sweep pick A minor and diminished arpeggio's, play scale runs with Phrygian or harmonic minor, sequencing 16th note patterns, and now you have malmsteens entire back catalogue
![TEEDEE TADA - DIAMOND NARAKORN X LEGO LYKN [Special Dance Performance]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QgtZedFeumA/mqdefault.jpg)
Make sure to check out Guitar Super System guitarsupersystem.com for a full breakdown of some of the techniques I used in this lesson. Also, comment and let me know which guitarist I should break down the habits of next!
Music is Win Habits of Daron Malakian
Satch, of course. And Gilmour. And Hendrix. Oh boy, I can go on all day....
Music is Win Habits of Marty Friedman, Nuno Bettencourt or Richie Kotzen would be great to see. Love your stuff!
Billy Gibbons and Carlos Santana. Looking for guitar heroes with a signature sound ;)
Music is Win hello sir what is your guitar model?
Man that t-shirt is killing me!
Shirt's definitely active, likely requiring 3x 9volt batteries
It’s a real bother
The first 30 seconds was amazing!
can you do a habits of lil Wayne please?
Thanks I needed a good laugh !!!!!
raping women, robbing liquor stores, being on welfare?
+Thatyoutubeguy oh jeses crust!
No ,he just sucks at guitar and drinks too much cough syrup.
Mind Rot Choose 2 notes (best effect is achieved if they're one note apart), alter between the two notes without any sense of rhythm or key and whatnot. Keep in mind that you should bend the higher note on every 4th hit for maximum impact so you blow the crowd's minds. Don't try and be all creative and put lydian scales into this, because that's too complicated for people to understand (this is not progressive hiphop). Just keep it simple.
Can you teach some of the faces he pulls?
On it: th-cam.com/video/uUolzw50FaY/w-d-xo.html
Lance Flanagan That cannot be taught, it can only be felt. ^_^
I wrote to him years ago before he was `famous` Left Overs era. And he wrote me back a hand-written letter. Pretty awesome. I still have it tucked in the sleeve on said album (EP).Saw him live with Zappa back in the day. Also when he was famous on his own solo thing.What I remember most about that solo show was, 1) the sound sucked, maybe because of the acoustics of the venue and where I was seated, but 2), when I noticed who was on keyboard. Tony MacAlpine. OMFG!! I am the biggest fan of Tony ever. My favorite of all time neo-classical shredder. Maximum Security is a total masterpiece. Edge of Insanity is awesome too but, Max. Sec is the shit in my book.
Cool story man, I'd treasure that note forever! BTW, Chromaticity is one of my favorite albums.
I saw Steve last week at the Orbit Room in Grand Rapids..All I can say is that he is still on it "Passion and Warfare 25th" anniversary show....Played for almost 3 hours..I was amazed..he played some Zappa on his 2nd oncore!
This series is such a smart idea and really well put together. I hope it becomes more popular! A video on Al Di Meola's habits would be very interesting...
You're a great teacher. You really get into the details about what's going on. Thanks
Habits of Paul Gilbert!
rickdtrick Insane alternate picking
Light-speed picking, string skipping, tap slides and the faces. Don't forget the headphones
power drill
Not picking everything but sounding like it 🤘
Do you intend to make a serie "Habits of..."? It was a great ideia!
I think I just might ;)
Would love to see "Habits of Eric Johnson" :)
This would be aweome!
I wanted habits of:
Buckethead, Alexi Laiho, Andy James, Russ Parish..There were so many players with great phrasing to choose from.
habits of angel vivaldi
I`d love to see habits of james hetfield
One of the coolest and most informative instructional videos I have ever seen! I've been playing and teaching Rock Guitar for over 35 years and loved how you broke this down into "go to ideas" that can immediately improve anyone's playing! Rock on!!!
I like the style of lesson, good job. It's not "play this", it's "here's an idea, now go use it originally"
Saw Vai in concert two days ago, still phenomenal
Listening to Steve Vai for years I can say it really does sound like him. Great job!
Awesome video dude. Maybe habits of Marty Friedman??
love marty's playing
Hell yeah! Marty followed me on Instagram yesterday, gonna shit myself...
good idea...maybe i'll do that video... i've been studying friedman (at an obsseision level) for a little more than 3 years.
Vai has such a unique mistical style, i love it
I love Vai's whammy techniques!
Thanks for an awesome video. You nailed Vai’s style and tone perfectly. I always wondered how Vai does that string bending melody at 3:40 and now I know
0:40 to 1:05, spot on. Once, I said something similar to my teacher, back when we first met and first talked about what I wanted to learn. He was so surprised hearing that from a 14 year-old kid, he just started laughing.
I've been browsing through your videos for about a week and I have to tip my hat to you. I won't comment on your tone and playing, others have done it and they are all right. Keep up the great job you're doing and wish you the best
Oh, I just have to say that your Tshirt IS wild, almost blew my screen away, lol!
I got cancer from the tshirt.
Great video though.
LMAO!!!!
I literally came down to the comments to make fun of his shirt 3seconds in.
Lord Kalvin LMAO
Tyler, these are some of the best guitar videos on TH-cam. Keep it up
I think if you made a series of videos like this I would pay ungodly amounts of money for it. i've always wanted a series about the habits and signature moves of players rather than exact licks they use in songs its so much more informative and better for developing my own style. This is a really really amazing video thank you so much for making it.
Me too 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
"It's kind of like going to a buffet. You wanna pick out a little sample of this, sample of that, see what you like and then build your own meal in the end. - These lines made my day.
To cite Steve Vai: "Maybe you'll take some inspiration from how I do it, make it your own and even go a step further. That's how I did it, and how it always will be" (it was something like that).
I like the idea of taking some of your heroes tendencies and incorporate them into your own playing, maybe even develope it further to get your own voice on the instrument.
(Actually I was just repeating what you said, but I especially liked this).
Habits of Buckethead
some really weird avant garde shit then some extremely emotional amazingness with shredding
Frest99 3 or 4 finger chromatic atonal tapping. sometimes delay with palm muting ala Paul Gilbert.
a lot of scale runs and arpeggiated chords for ballads
Frest99 check out Pebber Brown's channel. He was his teacher
dont have feel and play 10000 notes per second.
yes agreed
Alex Lifeson was deep into that Lydian mode in early Rush.
Saw him live recently, amazing.
do one with Eric Johnson
awesome vai tone! spot on vai habits too! keep em coming!
I dare you to do habit of... Shawn Lane.
That...would be tough. To say the least lol.
well.. one example of that is his way of grouping the scales into groups of five! :)
It sounds like you got the tone just right... hit the nail on the head with the techniques, a lot of the licks you did play, sounded like the song "I know you're here" that he played live in G3
The 'habits of' videos are awesome bro. Thank you
Steve did a video demonstration on "Freak Show Excess" that should explain the source of the odd resolving bends, so search for that.
The octave trick is great, and you can't go wrong with octaves, even chromatically, so I feel it shows how simplified ornamentation of a line can add so much to another simple idea. Ornamentation is a theme that seems to reveal itself here, which is of course nothing new in itself, but the way he does it in modern music is unique.
Thanks for another great video! Within the space of two -- and I'd say even one -- vid (s) you have inspired me to examine the nuances of my favorite players. I'm a drummer by the way, but I'm getting back to guitar for home recording and you're helping with ideas, some that I have already formed but needed some additional insight on.
Just as an aside; I don't know Steve, but I'd like to think his Italian grandmother would call it, "reducing the sauce", when he finds the lowest common denominator like the octave to go to. I think mine would have. There is beauty in simplicity and Fibonacci agreed. :)
Love the shirt effect ~ PS!
Excellent Vai interpretation, thanks!
Great playing man , love the shirt .
I love Steve Vai. Great video!
Wow
alot of comments here about the gear and his shirt rather than the actual content!.
wake up folks
People are dopes.
*Sick soloing at the beginning: Instant like*
Keep it up!!
Beautiful tone!
My favorite guitar player, for sure. Vai's melodic sense, attitude, and flawless technique makes his music just mesmerizing for me to listen to. He may be the reason why Lydian is my favorite mode of the major scale. :)
The "ascending 5th" run is an add9 arpeggio. The quick bends are grace notes, which he does with a lot of exotic scales (see Alive in an Ultra World). He drones the low E with the octave chords in Lydian/Mixolydian. Also, pinched harmonics sliding DOWN to notes.
im seeing him live november 9th. really excited.
Great video Tyler! One of my favorites..
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and for always beginning your tutorials with an emphasis on absorbing the knowledge without become a clone, very well done.
Here in Brazil we have a very talented guitar player whose name is Patrick Souza. He had already played with Vai. Check out the way he plays. I think he broke the "Vai code". Congrats for the lesson!
Damn, that really does sound like Vai
blacksileighty2 Except Steve Vai uses an Ibanez
Obviously the effects matter a bit more than the guitar!
What a freaking brilliant lesson! I'm already sounding like Steve! o7
I love this, it's a very informative video and just what you need to break out of the ol blues run soloing. my analogy is "It's like Godzilla crying, purposefully!" lol!! Beautiful!
There are two things that I am absolutely positive about under the sun: One is that I am going to close my eyes one day, never to open'em again, the second is that I am never EVER going to reach Steve Vai's level of mastery! Therefore, worrying that playing a few licks of his is going to make me sound like him is simply rubish. Please keep'em coming!
This is refreshing! Love your approach to this- awesome dude.
Very Nice! Making Vai available to mere mortals is really cool.
I totally agree with what you said in the beginning.
almost everything you showed is on the intro song in the G3 Denver concert. Cool vid, dude. Take care
I actually loved this video. I have been struggling on things like this after almost 40 years of playing rock guitar in bands. I learned the modes years ago and forgot them. You have refreshed my vocabulary on guitar in this one video! Thank you, subscribed and in your debt. Please show some of your original music.
this is one of my favorite ones of the habits of..
Your food analogy on developing ur style- could not agree more. Subscribed
Dude, I've been playing Vai tunes for years and didn't peg it like this. Guess I was too busy trying not to mess it up. Nice interpretation.
Awesome lesson!! thank you for sharing this
Great insight on Steve Vai guitar techniques he's also just a great bloke I think
your guitar is just so beautiful and gorgeous.
could you make habits of Jason Becker?
There are two things under Jah's sun, that I am absolutely positive about: One is that, one day my eyes are going to be closed, never to be opened again, number two is: I am never, I mean EVER going to reach Steve Vai's level of guitar mastery. Therefore, worry that learning a couple of his licks is going to make me sound like him, is simply rubbish! So, please keep'em comin!!!
Beautiful guitar.
great lesson! great playing!
Do a habits of Buckethead video
That T-shirt has a cool effect on camera!
Thank's for the video!
what an exceptionally fantastic video... the rest are great but this like...nailed it...
habits of guthrie govan... good luck lol
If you want to watch a complete train wreck then I can make that video. LOL.
Are you sure you want to put yourself into a deep depression attempting this?
he did a masterclass at my uni the other day amazing!!!
Theres not enough server space on youtube
Habits of GG: Be amazing all the time.
habits of synister gates would be a great video too!
Excellent lesson
The octaves sound really beautiful in bass.
Nailed it man
great vid! i agree with you regarding the source of his exotic influence when you described the little bends. notice that he incorporates this technique regularly in his playing ever since he did "freak show excess", which was influenced by traditional bulgarian wedding music.
too a lot of these comments are a waste. You're doing what most people can't do....keep up the GREAT work! Please show us the rig as well, it would be quite informative as well. Thx very much
Steve Vai is amazing. His music feels alive and it speaks. it's like passing judgement on a homeless guy as just being a bum, then you actually talk to him and find out he was a millionaire and gave up all of his money to explore the fine intricacy of the world. eccentric.
Habits of Charlie Sheen?
John Appleseed lol
Already did? “Music is WIN”!!!!!!!!!!!
drinking ???
Man youre videos are awesome good job
I was too distracted by the shirt to listen to the lesson lol. XD
sounds great!
very nice lesson indeed!
you should make this into a series
Wow, this is a GREAT lesson! You should definitely start a "Habits of" series- I'd watch them all! What are you using for and amp here? AxeFX? I have to say- I think your tone is quite a bit better then Vai's own tone!
YO BROTHER GREAT JOB!!
Love that shirt!
Sweet tone!
outstanding... awesome shirt!
This was very enjoyable. Cool video
Awesome video, just want to mention that on Vai's website he has some real good lessons written down. Not saying this video is bad, the string bending just reminded me he has a whole thing on bending to different intervals from the root note of the scale, just shit like that helps with the little but hard techniques he does.
Dude i love what you do ❤❤❤
how do you keep up with this pace of video publishings ? do you ever sleep ?
I'll sleep when I'm dead.
Music is Win dont go to bed too soon then ! keep up the good work ;)
Music is Win if I had the PRS's and amp you do I wouldn't sleep either..
Great lesson.
Well done! Great approach to distill out a few tactics. I was real into Satch back in the Surfin' days but never dove into Vai too much. (did learn the beautiful Ladies Night in Buffalo solo though). Just starting to learn a bit more about Vai now... Am surprised at what a great person he seems to be too. Anyway, thank-you.
Your shirt is fabulous.
Nice one!! some good advice , and good knowledge!!
Andy James tips would be awesome!!
I think you're a really good guitar player, I would love to see some original music some time!
please make this a series
Great video this one ☝️ is my fav
this is awesome tutorial, thank you!
Habits of Yngwie Malmstein, good luck
lmao
What does everybody mean with: Good luck? He isn't demonstrating the speed or something. He's demonstrating the habits, the little things like slides and note choice etc.
+Sebastian Xxx yea but speed is one of his habits without speed who would know that it was yngwie
Not very difficult, sweep pick A minor and diminished arpeggio's, play scale runs with Phrygian or harmonic minor, sequencing 16th note patterns, and now you have malmsteens entire back catalogue
Clinical when you look past the whiddly whiddly, you'll see that he has a very distinctive vibrato and effortless right hand picking.
Subbed great channel you are the guy in the Rick Graham videos they are funny as hell !!! Great channel man !!!