Eight Steps to Becoming a Legendary Hair Metal Guitarist
Want to become a legendary hair metal guitarist? Just follow these eight simple steps.
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06. Learn How to Play the Synth
I know, this is a guide to becoming an ‘80s guitarist. The funny thing is, most songs from the genre contain light synth work. If your song must have a keyboard hook, you want to be the guy playing it. It’s called taking one for the team.
I know you’d rather be shredding a hole in your fretboard, but if you don’t tickle the acrylic keys, your lead singer will step up to the challenge. The last thing everyone needs is to add more self-entitlement to his “I am this band” ego.
07. All Headstocks Must Look Like Deadly Weapons
Some say '80s headstocks were used to scare off stalkers in the crowd. Others say they were meant to remind the lead singer to sleep with one eye open. A few even allege they made it easy to quickly chop up lines in the dressing room. Regardless of the actual reason, to be a true hair metal guitarist, you’ll need to use razor-sharp headstocks that are strong enough to cut through flesh.

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tal4jesus
February 15, 2013 at 2:10pm
Hair Metal returning is like a NIGHTMARE!! Sure, there were some awesome guitar players, but the majority, (not all) of the music SUCKED!
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danhalen67
October 29, 2012 at 5:22pm
In essence, this slightly mocking sensibility to an exciting form of guitar playing can be summed in three words: Wall of Sound. Uh fyi, it's exciting to hear and watch and it's hard to do.. Further, while every popular money-making music form gets copied and then recopied into a sad form, one should give the essence of this great guitar form some respect. First let me point out that the gargantuan growth in the guitar sales, guitar popularity, Guitar World Magazine and magazine sales is due primarily to this style of exciting guitar playing and the fantastic musicians who brought it to the masses. I know this was for 'laughs' but I hope this does not cause you to loose readers and members who voted in the top 100 guitar players of all time (top 10 shows 4 shredders from that era). Maybe Guitar World needs to not be so hypocritical like that and be thankful for these guys. My god do your homework.
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FretboardMagician
February 15, 2013 at 2:44pm
Yea it's unfortunate that the clownish style gets in the way of recognizing some of the best guitar players in history. And really, long hair, an outlandish sense of style in stage clothes - isn't that the hallmark of every rock guitar hero from the 60's - 80's and beyond? Yes some of them took the make up and hairspray to extremes, but EVH always looked cool onstage, as did Randy Rhoads, or what's so different about Yngwie's look from Blackmores? Not much...
And talking down on the trappings of the genre like pinch harmonics, or tapping - give me a break. It's well recognized and established rock guitar vocabulary, still being utilized today. It isn't simply an anachronistic cliche ONLY associated with the 80's. It can be if you suck at it,or are small-minded, but barring that.....
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RonZabrocki
October 26, 2012 at 12:52pm
The funniest thing I remember was being in my studio and 4 out 5 of the guys had hair club for men systems on and we were all dressed like clowns and more hairspray than my mother discussing PAGANNINI solos! Go figure!
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ardiril
July 31, 2012 at 9:21pm
#9. Write a 'how to' column for Guitar World. Rehash the pentatonic scale for the umpteenth time.













