Steve Vai

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Steve Vai

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Biography

Carle Place, New York, United States (1960 – present)

Steven Siro Vai (born June 6, 1960 in Carle Place, New York, United States) is a Grammy Award winning guitarist, composer and record producer.

When growing up, the young Vai became interested in rock giants such as Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, Alice Cooper (guitarist Glen Buxton), and Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page), leading him to take up the guitar. Prior to attending Berklee College of Music, Steve frequently jammed with his teacher Joe Satriani and played in numerous local bands. He has acknowledged the influence of many guitarists, including Jeff Beck, fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth and, of course, Zappa.

Steve’s career was launched by his fascination with Zappa’s music. A persistent rumour at Berklee tells how Steve would skip classes, spending time in the school’s library transcribing Zappa’s works by ear. Steve mailed transcriptions of Zappa’s guitar solos to him, and after meeting Vai for the first time Zappa was so impressed with the abilities of the young musician, he hired him to transcribe his seemingly endless array of experimental symphonic rock. In these formative stages of his career, Vai’s talent was showcased on such songs as “Moggio” and “Stevie’s Spanking”.

While employed by Zappa, Vai would at times tour with Zappa’s band and engage in a friendly competition with the audience, wherein audience members could bring in musical scores and see if Vai could sight-read them on the spot; Steve Vai is also known to have perfect pitch. Zappa referred to Steve as his “little Italian virtuoso”; he was listed in liner notes as “stunt guitarist”. Steve’s transcription skills can be seen in ‘The Frank Zappa Guitar Book’, a collection of transcribed solos released in 1983.
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  • niQboy

    @roseace: Satriani taught Vai how to play guitar, not how to act on stage. Besides, Zappa was a much more bigger influence on Vai guitar and music wise than Satriani ever was. Being cocksure and flamboyant is who Vai is and it reflects on his music. If you criticize a player because of his facial expression you're missing the point.

    12 Jun 6:51pm Reply

  • Endrue

    Happy birthday Steve!

    6 Jun 8:09pm Reply

  • EduRocker12

    Liberty Is So Pretty

    2 Jun 10:18pm Reply

  • guyraddudeman

    vv Yup

    25 May 2:53pm Reply

  • telmosah

    PRE-ROCK band from Porto, Portugal: www.scortonsilverarrow.bandcamp.com

    23 May 11:58pm Reply

  • dr_bun

    the comment below is retarded

    14 May 3:02pm Reply

  • Roseace

    I don't get how this guy, being Joe Satriani's student has turned into such a cocky guitar player. It's not about the looks or the faces, it's about the music, and no, making idiotic faces doesn't make the music emotional.

    10 May 6:10pm Reply

  • Buckstabu

    Sprzedam dwa bilety na koncert Steve'a Vaia we Wrocławiu 12 Czerwca

    1 May 10:30am Reply

  • BoobyNoobie

    The youtube video of "Tender Surrender" is an orgasm of a guitar player, and the guitar itself.

    14 Apr 11:27am Reply

  • peterbg

    Vai is one of the musicians you listen to as a teen and think "Wow, what a genius." Then you listen to him again as an adult you think "Wow, did a grown man really write this trash?"

    22 Mar 2:25pm Reply

  • momdadpawlyk

    great tune

    28 Feb 8:26am Reply

  • mattmacneil

    the worst

    15 Feb 8:16pm Reply

  • JapkoReloaded

    Boring

    8 Feb 6:31pm Reply

  • ComePickMeUp999

    New interview from Vai, talks about his FOUR upcoming albums :) :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gSVZKHkVYc&feature=youtu.be

    15 Jan 1:16pm Reply

  • DennisRicley

    king

    9 Dec 2012 Reply

  • mhecht18

    Steve Vai is killing it on the electric guitar in his cover of Highway to Hell with 2 Cellos

    8 Dec 2012 Reply

  • lep_istes

    coma back again in istanbul :)

    6 Nov 2012 Reply

  • alan_xD

    The Crying Machine!

    3 Nov 2012 Reply

  • a_s_kor

    Tender Surrender

    24 Oct 2012 Reply

  • niQboy

    Just saw him last night. Man, what a brilliant performer and showman. If you have a chance to see this tour live, don't miss it. It wasn't just a guitar virtuoso gig, it was more like a show or a cabaret. Steve invited people from the audience to participate and involved the band members in all sort of funny stuff. Steve even argued with a talking skull on stage, it was hilarious. Of course, Steve's performance was immaculate and he played all of the best songs and Beverly McCellan also joined to sing John the Revelator from the new album. Saying that it was a good gig is really an understatement. It's a must see.

    24 Oct 2012 Reply
    • All 831 shouts

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