Kirk Hammett: Joe Satriani "Kicked My Ass"

A couple of weeks ago, on Vancouver radio station CFOX, Metallica's Kirk Hammett spoke fairly candidly about his experience taking guitar lessons with Joe Satriani.

"It was actually very poignant," Hammett said of his first lesson with Satriani. "His first lesson to me was, 'Learn your lesson. Don't waste your time, don't waste my time. I expect you to know everything that I gave you in a week's time.' I was, like, 'This guy is serious.' But you know what? I did it, and he kicked my ass."

"But after a while, I was taking two lessons a week from him. I became so thirsty for what he had to offer me, I was just, like, 'Bring it on! It's all making sense. I wanna learn more.'"

Hammett then discussed Satriani as a player, saying "Ever since I first met him, he's always played incredibly—with all the sounds and all the bar stuff and tapping and crazy licks that no one's ever played, and still probably never plays. I mean, he's just such a unique individual as a musician."

You can watch the full interview—where Hammett touches on a wide range of subjects—below.