Joe Satriani

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Joe Satriani, a master of the Lydian mode, onstage in London, circa 2012

“That embodies the attitude of shred, and if you don’t put that into your performance, it’s a sin”: Joe Satriani names the Neil Young solo that shreds – despite only featuring one note

By Phil Weller published

Satch has pinpointed the importance of attitude over technique when it comes to being a standout shredder

Joe Satriani and Eddie Van Halen

“Fingers are crossed that once I start playing Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love, it'll be like, ‘I'm here, I'm in the zone’”: Joe Satriani is working with 3rd Power on the ultimate '86 era Van Halen amp

By Phil Weller published

As Satriani prepares for this summer's Best of All Worlds tour with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, the guitarist has opened up on his preparation, which includes the building of a brand new amp and a deep dive into the technicalities of EVH's playing

Joe Satriani (left) and Steve Vai perform onstage at The Magnolia in El Cajon, California on February 7, 2024

“Connecting with Joe on this track is perhaps the most rewarding musical collaboration I’ve ever engaged in”: Joe Satriani and Steve Vai reveal their first ever collaborative song – a track 50 years in the making

By Phil Weller published

The Sea of Emotion is the first of a three-part musical journey that features just about everything a guitar lover could dream of

Joe Satriani (left) and Steve Vai perform onstage at the Limelight in Chicago, Illinois on June 27, 1987

“I remember my first lesson with Joe. I had a guitar and a set of strings. I’d never really played. I didn’t know how to tune or string it”: Steve Vai and Joe Satriani discuss the evolution of guitar playing, and what they taught each other

By Alan di Perna published

In 1990, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani sat down for an extensive discussion with Guitar World, during which they joked that – when they were older – they would record a song called The Sea of Emotion. Now, more than three decades later, that premonition has come true

Steve Vai and Joe Satriani

“My face has melted”: Steve Vai and Joe Satriani cover Metallica’s Enter Sandman during opening Satch/Vai Tour show – and give their first-ever collaborative single its live debut

By Matt Owen published

After their own solo sets, the two virtuosos shared the stage to perform The Sea of Emotions, Pt. 1, and the Kinks' You Really Got Me – before wrapping things up with a wah-drenched cover of the Metallica classic

Bryan Beller

“Both Joe and Guthrie play a mean, funky rhythm guitar on a song like Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. That counts for more than you think”: Bass supremo Bryan Beller reveals what it’s like to play with Joe Satriani and Guthrie Govan

By Alison Richter published

The prolific bassist explains why Satch’s music isn’t as simple as it seems, while it’s a case of keeping up with Govan’s high-speed improv… but the pair do share a certain funkiness

Richie Kotzen, Joe Satriani and Nuno Bettencourt on the 2024 Monsters of Rock cruise

”A jaw-droppingly Shredrageous performance”: Joe Satriani, Richie Kotzen and Nuno Bettencourt showcase their most outrageous licks for a standout rendition of Jeff Beck favorite, Going Down

By Matt Owen published

The three virtuosos were onboard this year's Monsters of Rock Cruise, which played host to the all-star jam

Steve Vai Joe Satriani

“The approach and innovation had me locked”: Steve Vai names his favorite Joe Satriani song – an underrated deep cut that features radical Auto-Tuned solos

By Phil Weller published

Speaking ahead of their upcoming co-headline tour, the two virtuosos shared their favorite songs from one another's repertoire, with Vai’s pick harking back to one of the pair's earliest memories together

Dante Frisiello and Steve Vai

“You don’t have to shred, play fusion or reinvent guitar technique”: Steve Vai’s co-guitarist watched every night of the G3 reunion tour – this is what he thinks makes a virtuoso

By Matt Owen published

Dante Frisiello watched Steve Vai, Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani night in, night out, during the recent G3 tour – and it's helped him develop his own definition of what it means to be a virtuoso

Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai performing at a 2024 G3 concert

“It sounds like a bunch of 18-year-old kids having fun. There’s something to be said about that energy”: Eric Johnson reveals a G3 live album from the 2024 reunion tour with Steve Vai and Joe Satriani is in the works

By Matt Owen published

The three virtuosos are currently wading through live recordings from their recent tour as they look to compile a new record to celebrate the OG G3 reunion

G3 2024 guest guitarists

“Saying it was an honor to be up there is a wildly drastic understatement”: Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai have wrapped up the G3 2024 tour – here are the biggest guest guitarists who joined them along the way

By Matt Owen published

Progressive pioneers, heavy rock royalty and even Satch's son took to the stage with the G3 trailblazers at various points across the hotly anticipated tour

Eric Johnson performs at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California on February 3, 2024

“Steve Vai and Joe Satriani’s setups are amazing examples of streamlined innovation. But with my maple neck Strat, it would be hard to do what they’re doing”: Eric Johnson on G3, profilers, and the custom pedal he “might actually put on the market”

By Andrew Daly published

Reunited with old friends for a new run of shows, Johnson still swears by his custom Strat and pedal – and rejects the idea that Joe Bonamassa owes him an apology

G3 Toue 2024

“Sounds better than ever!”: Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai shred classics and jam Crossroads as the OG G3 lineup reunites for the first time in nearly 3 decades – and now fan footage has surfaced

By Phil Weller published

It’s the first time the trio has embarked on a joint G3 jaunt since 2000 – and the opening show in Tucson proved to be quite the curtain-raiser

Steve Vai

“I couldn’t play the Hydra and I was in a lot of pain. Then things shifted into gear. I felt like I’d reached another dimension of performing”: Steve Vai on his Inviolate tour struggles, upcoming G3 reunion and first-ever music with Joe Satriani

By Andrew Daly published

With his longest-ever road trip and most rewarding Vai Academy camp behind him, the virtuoso teases what to expect from the upcoming G3 and Satch/Vai tours – and gives Satch some advice on tackling Eddie Van Halen’s guitar parts

Joe Satriani

“I wanna hear that mythical sound”: Joe Satriani has been struggling to nail Eddie Van Halen’s tone – so he’s having a special amp built for the Best of All Worlds tour

By Matt Owen published

Satch has called upon 3rd Power Amplification to replicate the tones of Van Halen's modded Marshalls from 1986, which will form the foundation of his EVH-inspired sound

Steve Vai and Eddie Van Halen

“Do not try to play them like Edward – because you can’t”: Steve Vai says this is the secret to nailing Eddie Van Halen’s guitar parts in front of a live audience

By Matt Parker published

Vai has been considering his experiences winning the hearts and minds of Van Halen fans back in the ’80s – as his friend Joe Satriani gets ready to do the same this summer

Joe Satriani and Eddie Van Halen

“I had no idea he was coming. I was like, ‘This is the last song that I wanted to play’”: Joe Satriani recalls his first and only meeting with Eddie Van Halen – a surprise visit when he was tackling a tricky track in the studio

By Matt Owen published

Satch was busy piecing together The Extremist and laboring over the jangly, 12-string sounds of a challenging song – then Eddie Van Halen walked in

Eddie Van Halen and Joe Satriani

“He just could not be contained. That was what was so beautiful... If you’ve been tasked with the job of imitating him, it’s like, ‘Well, which moment?’” Joe Satriani says the biggest challenge in covering Eddie Van Halen is pinning him down

By Matt Parker published

The virtuoso has been sharing his thoughts on how to tackle covering one of the world's greatest guitarists – and how to find the sweet spot in EVH's rigs

Give your guitar the ultimate tonal upgrade this Black Friday with 25% off all DiMarzio pickups at Sweetwater

Don’t buy a new guitar this Black Friday – give your existing one a tonal upgrade with 25% off all DiMarzio pickups

By Daryl Robertson published

Humbuckers, single-coils, straps, switches, pots, guitar cables, patch cables, you name it – Sweetwater's DiMarzio sale has it

Joe Satriani performs at SiriusXM Studios in Los Angeles on November 14, 2023

“It’s one thing to listen, but when you play these songs, you go, ‘It’s no wonder Eddie had so much fun playing this’”: Tackling Van Halen, reforming G3, recording with Steve Vai – Joe Satriani is gearing up for his biggest year yet

By Andrew Daly published

He’s the godfather of shred, but over four decades into his career, Joe Satriani is busier than ever. He explains why he’s playing catch-up after avoiding Van Halen songs in the ‘80s, what his “intentionally excessive” collaborations with Vai have in store, and the biggest struggles he’s facing in covering “the greatest guitar player of all time”