“Everybody was going crazy about Yngwie Malmsteen... Joe Satriani told me, ‘That’s fine, but don’t get too into him’”: Alex Skolnick explains why he was warned off sounding like the neoclassical maestro
The Testament guitarist says he learned more than just techniques from his A-list teacher
Alex Skolnick has revealed that his former guitar teacher, Joe Satriani, once warned him off trying to sound too much like Yngwie Malmsteen.
The Testament guitarist famously studied under Satch when the latter was a (somewhat revered) teacher at Berklee in the early-’80s.
Now, in a new interview with our pals at Guitar Player, Skolnick says the principles the electric guitar master taught him were not solely limited to technique.
“I remember when I was taking lessons from Joe Satriani,” Skolnick begins.
“At the time, everybody was going crazy about Yngwie Malmsteen, and I liked what he was doing, too. Joe kind of told me, ‘That’s fine, but don’t get too into him. Don’t try to sound like him, because in a few years there will be somebody else who’s the hot guy.’”
As Skolnick relates, Satriani’s wise words were not intended as a slight on Malmsteen. Indeed, Satch has nothing against Malmsteen – as proved when the two virtuosos joined forces on the 2003 G3 tour.
Instead, his intention was to point out a more general truism of guitar playing – that you can only do you. That said, the advice proved more pertinent than even Satriani expected.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
“It’s funny,” notes Skolnick. “Because a few years later Joe was the guy everybody was talking about. People were learning everything on Surfing With the Alien, but I tried to keep my distance, because I remembered what Joe had told me.
“It was kind of funny, really. Joe was a great teacher and a huge influence on me, but I knew I shouldn’t try to sound like him. He was doing his thing, but it wasn’t supposed to be my thing.”
Head to Guitar Player to read Skolnick’s full interview, where he shares his top five tips for guitarists.
In the meantime, if you’re in the mood for some jaw-dropping fretboard theatrics from Skolnick’s old tutor, then good news! Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson are reuniting for a G3 reunion tour next year.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Matt is Features Editor for GuitarWorld.com. Before that he spent 10 years as a freelance music journalist, interviewing artists for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.
“I used an SG Junior and it would never stay in tune. Felix had this old beat-up Junior and said, ‘Try this thing,’ and I never gave it back’”: Leslie West on giving his Gibson Les Paul Junior to Pete Townshend after tracking three songs with The Who
“We’d be on the phone and he goes, ‘It’s too metal. I gotta get it on pop radio! Use the small amp, not so much distortion’”: Steve Lukather on how Quincy Jones saved Michael Jackson’s Beat It from becoming a metal track