Guthrie Govan playing à la Steve Vai

[felphero]

holy shit this is so godamn much like steve haha

[capoman1]

Like it more than Vai, sorry.

[PegghiThePig]

That was "really Vai"

[TheGodlessGuitarist]

the Vai favoured lydian mode

[romfordmobbsy]

You know, I love Steve Vai, and GG cannot ever record something that changed the world (of guitar). Stevie did it twice (Flex-able and Passion and Warfare). I can't comment about GG but I will say this, Steve has, by his own admission, had a terrible injury to his right hand/forearm within the last few years, and that's why he plays so much more legato than he used to. Just saying because it's enlightening... Love to all you guitarists...

[MusicByAngels]

@romfordmobbsy Calm down, man. Get off your buttplug.

[romfordmobbsy]

@MusicByAngels I can't, it's stuck

[tripletth]

@romfordmobbsy "Steve has, by his own admission, had a terrible injury to his right hand/forearm within the last few years"

Do you have a source to back up that claim? I can't seem to find anything about it...

[romfordmobbsy]

@tripletth my source was Steve himself, during a seminar he gave in Melbourne last year. He was, I think, talking about positivity (he did little playing during the seminar, it was very much a self-help type vibe - practice hard, believe in yourself etc.) and he mentioned how a nurse in South America (I think) had messed up an IV/cannula in some way and now he is unable to pick as fast as before. He quickly changed the subject though, almost like it was a secret...

[dallettbowers]

amazing!!!

[Saxby8six]

I would love to see Vai or Govan at a Jam band Festival like xxxxxx or a smaller word of mouth festival. Them up with Warren Haynes and Derek trucks or taken it to another level with Phish or wide spread would be sick.

[awfulguitarplucker]

Step 1: Go Lydian

Step 2: Play Legato at every single occasion

Step 3: add some wha and some half-pinched harmonics

THERE YOU HAVE YOUR HOME-MADE STEVE VAI!

[tas9195]

@awfulguitarplucker can you show us an example. It is not what you do It is what you do with it and steve is a master at using his skills. anyone can play the lydian scale with a little practice and pull off legato runs but to do it in a musical sense is a whole other ballgame.

[HDONKEY1]

@awfulguitarplucker You nailed that one. Totally agree.

[ZJohnnyBGood]

@awfulguitarplucker You forgot the whammy bar abuse and the pomposeus overallness :)

[awfulguitarplucker]

Guithrie would smash the Vai outta Steve

[lightnessss]

Steve's music is very... buddhistic

[superawesomegrapes]

Angel vivaldi, buckethead and guthrie should have their own G3

[ABshookme]

@superawesomegrapes Why not make 3G festivals for the finest shredders in all countries in the whole world :-)

[DeathBringer769]

Sounds VERY similar to Vai. Good job Guthrie.

[2mnygtrz]

I think he should be given more respect. G3 has included guys like Andy Timmons and they are doing a tour with Steve Lukather.  Steve is a good guy and guitarist but I dont think he is G3 material. Guthrie would be a kool addition.

[RYoung3D]

@2mnygtrz Vai defines G3 material

[MetalGod21AEK]

@2mnygtrz steve lukather is an awsome guitarist and fully inspired...no less than any of the G3 guitarists imo just that peace :)

[piccicacca]

@2mnygtrz im not sure if there'll be a G3 with guthrie though.. guthrie's busy with The Aristocrats and his solo album..

[antimatter07]

@2mnygtrz G3 is all about money.. fame = more fans more money.. good marketing logic..

[andreghouse]

@2mnygtrz Oh okay! So Steve must have held a gun to their head and said take me on tour else I'll bust a cap in your ass. They would have invited him to come on board. Steve Lukather has played on more hit records (as a guitarist) than just about anyone else over the past 30 years. So yes, as you say, he is a good guy and guitarist, but he most certainly is G3 material.

[2mnygtrz]

@andreghouse Look at what happened when Eric J. played with G3. He is simply awesome but when they were jamming together on a few songs, Eric had a bit of difficulty keeping up. They weren't playing to his style. The other guys play seamlessly all the time. On the other hand, when Eric played with the Hendrix tour he fit perfectly. They are running out of marquis players to invite to G3 but Luke will do fine I'm sure. They just need to jam songs that fit Lukes style.

[Totofan09]

@2mnygtrz Lukather is simply the best guitarist ever lived.

[Totofan09]

@Totofan09 But I don't like Govan. He is a virtuoso but to me his melodies (because we all know that music has to strike due to the melody and harmony) are very bad...

[2mnygtrz]

@Totofan09  He has his moments.

[guitar789]

@2mnygtrz guthrie doesnt get invitaion for the same reason MAB doest. cause they would own vai and satch and make them look retired

[2mnygtrz]

@guitar789 I would agree with that.

[dougiscool77]

I have heard around that the only reason guthrie govan has not done G3 is because joe and steve think he is to good, and will make them look bad...lol, but then again, they let yngwie do G3!!

[Hardysamnin]

@dougiscool77 All bullshit, the truth is, Guthrie has one album, and that is why he will never be part of G3. Joe and Steve are two of his most vocal supporters. They fully admit he is the bollocks.

[calshafer2]

@Hardysamnin John Petrucci only has one studio album and he's been on more G3s than any other guest.

[Hardysamnin]

@calshafer2 Just echoing Satriani's response in an interview when questioned about Guthrie appearing on the G3 tour.

[calshafer2]

@Hardysamnin " They often have ideas of their own as to who to put on a show, so, it’s always a little give and take between art and commerce. If an artist like Guthrie, who is amazing by the way, could sell 80 thousand CD’s then the promoters would line up to book him. But, without radio, TV, and ticket or CD sales to go on, the promoters will be afraid to get involved. It’s the same for all musicians, not just guitarists. " From an interview with Joe. If Guthrie was popular..

[112358miau]

@dougiscool77 Yngwie did one G3. He was all the time jerking off, over hendrix songs.... I really love some of Yngwie's work but that one looked like 2 big musicians and a 15 year old kid fighting with them

[Zuluman7String]

Sick! Guthrie is the man!

[JacobSijsma]

Also those that would say Guthrie doesn't have his own sound, just stupid trolls man. Not even worth bothering, trust me.

[xNeonShade]

@JacobSijsma And also I saw Paul Gilbert on your thing as well, he's one of my all time favourite guitarists, so brownie points from me there lmao

[xNeonShade]

Suhr > Fender. And on a different note, I'm not being funny but Guthrie blows Steve Vai out of the water with both musical knowledge and skill (obviously I'm not saying Steve Vai's bad) and Guthrie's done the same "style" as numerous other people.. So at the people saying he has to copy Steve Vai to sound good- either: you're a Vai fanboy, you've got a completely closed mind, or you know nothing about music aha

[JacobSijsma]

@xNeonShade And you are obviously a Guthrie fanboy. The both of them blow you out of the water anyway.

[xNeonShade]

@JacobSijsma Obviously, hence why they're big guitarists and I'm not? They blow you out of the water too though, not being as good as someone like Guthrie or Vai isn't something to be ashamed of? But I'm not a fanboy of anything, I'm not even hating on Vai I think he's great and he does innovative things and it's cool to listen to, it's just that there's people on the comments saying he has to "copy other people to sound good" and that he needs to get his own sound, don't you disagree?

[MichaelGrah]

@xNeonShade Sure, maybe according to a bedroom musician with no credibility.

[xNeonShade]

@MichaelGrah Wow haha, I find it hilarious that I checked your videos and the only one you've got of you is in a bedroom or some such room, playing a mindnumbingly easy song with shitty tone? What makes you think that you have more credibility than me? If you're gonna give a reason at least back it up, like I already said I'm not even trying to hate on Vai, I'm not deaf, I know they're both good, but saying I have no credibility because I think Govan has his own sound is pathetic and ignorant.

[JacobSijsma]

@xNeonShade Just putting it out there; It was never a sport, there's little use for comparing the two. If it was though, Guthrie's not even remotely in the same ballpark.

[xNeonShade]

@JacobSijsma I completely agree with that haha, and here's where opinions come in I guess, I mean blues fusion kind of stuff is the stuff that I love to hear in guitar, like Alex Hutchings and whatever, so each to their own really, by the way, that classical guitar video on your channel, did you make that?

[JacobSijsma]

@xNeonShade yea its kinda random huh.

[xNeonShade]

@JacobSijsma I like it, the chords go well together :)

[MichaelGrah]

@xNeonShade All I was saying is that anyone can make broad meaningless statements from behind a keyboard. Myself included ;). And if you are referring to my video with the strat in it thats a video my brother uploaded to show me his tone on a police song but I could upload a video if you really wanted to rip on MY playing because it seems like that is your hobby... PS: its hard to take anything you say seriously with a name like xNeonShade.

[xNeonShade]

@MichaelGrah Fair enough, and no yet again I'll say, I'm not ripping on anyone, I just didn't understand how I could be told I'm a bedroom musician by someone who was clearly a bedroom musician.. And I know don't worry, the account's from when I was in year 6, keep meaning to make a new one but forgetting, thanks for reminding me though I'll do it now lmao

[MichaelGrah]

@xNeonShade Haha dont worry about me i was just being an asshole...I just dont like seeing my favourite guitar brand and guitarist (fender and vai, yeahp im going to get flamed a fuckload for this but I have my reasons) whole legacy belittled just to prove your point that you like guthrie and suhr. No hard feelings at all, im just one of those people whose way too mad to be on the internet and takes everything too personally :P. Peace.

[xNeonShade]

@MichaelGrah Fair enough man haha, everyone has their own choice and preference when it comes to things like that :) 

[locochupacerebros]

fuck.... now I want a shur :(

[Thespeakerofmanytru8]

"Guthrie Govan playing à la Steve Vai"...........that would be tasteless, unrestrained over the top fretboard athletics scale driven wankery.

[stuartibanez]

sounds a lot like vai

[amithabajan2]

@EffayHue you sir, have no musical taste.

[UpDownStroke]

Es un sordo.

[Maiodidi]

Very high level, but Steve Vai is more a band player! He played with Whitesnake,

David Lee Roth Band,Alcatraz ,Frank Zappa and many more.He is already on tour. This is what I'm missing from Guthrie Govan I want to see him live playing not in the net.Maybe he come some day to Germany .To say where is better Steve Vai or Guthrie Govan ?

They two are very big guitarmasters !!

[FishStik5ive]

@Maiodidi Have you heard of Guthrie's newest project? He's teamed up with Marco Minnemann and Bryan Bellar to from The Aristocrats. They're currently touring in the United States but they'll be heading off to Europe in Spring 2012. Give their album a listen, too. It's incredible stuff!

[Maiodidi]

@FishStik5ive Thanks for your information I hope I see him soon, he is amazing !

[mistertelecaster]

Guthrie you are a great player... but ... er .... well.....don't bother trying to emulate Mr. Via.....cos... ....... he's out there on his own.........like... Django ... Christian .... Pass ....Martino......Carlton ...Freddie King....Albert Collins....Al de Meola.... Vicente Amigo ...... and the great Paco De Lucia...and lets not forget Mr. McLaughlin.....oh! there are so many!!....I have no doubt that you can come up with something uniquely you!!...certainly you have have the gift!

[funnyguy1321]

@mistertelecaster I am going to assume you have no idea who Guthrie Govan is. Lol This is from an old magazine article. Guthrie Clearly has his own unique sound. He is also so good that he an emulate just about any guitarist he wants.

[TheDancingSaxophone]

@mistertelecaster WAY too many periods. 

[antimatter07]

lets see govan play in the style of noob morello..

[EffayHue]

I'd rather listen to the old theme from batman :-)

[stoofbuis]

guthrie is a fantastic player,...but Vai is Vai and there is only one player who sounds like him,..that's him.

[nikitofin]

whats the problem with steve vai? ASSHOLES!!

[Antayn]

Amazing.. Guthrie is better at playing steve vai than himself oO

[Sk8SaM47]

1:52 now that is one nice ballsack

[kinhaepavao]

hahahahahaha, Guthirie's dream is to play like Steve Vai, however, will never play...

Steve Vai -> MONSTER

[LanceSaunders]

@kinhaepavao Guthrie's a fucking beast. Via is a fucking beast. Let's leave it at that.

[kinhaepavao]

@LanceSaunders hahahahaha , Vai is masterclass teacher, =)

[DTM1864]

@LanceSaunders Couldn't agree more, let's everybody leave it at that and realize that C.C. Deville of Poison would crush them both.

[LanceSaunders]

@DTM1864 trolololol

[DTM1864]

@LanceSaunders See, we think a like.

[slashy04]

@kinhaepavao how did you get the idea that it's guthrie's dream is to sound like vai...

[SevenStringShredHead]

guthrie deserves to be as famous as vai

[endrizo]

@SevenStringShredHead you can say that again

[micanut48]

@SevenStringShredHead Vai is famous because he is Vai. Govan is not famous because he clearly ain't Vai... Should've but ain't.... He ain't famous because he AIN'T GOOD ENOUGH! (In case you don't get it, start using your brain) Your comment is like empty suit politician - just to say something without really saying anything.... But it might make a few brainless, empty heads agree with you. Direct insult would be much more acceptable than crying like this.

[SevenStringShredHead]

@micanut48 guthrie is easily one of the best guitar players to ever touch the instrument, i have no idea what i did to deserve your middle school insults and misdirected anger, grow up

[clintusmaximus]

@SevenStringShredHead hes good but hes no steve vai

[SevenStringShredHead]

@clintusmaximus based on what criteria?

[nwtrucker38]

@clintusmaximus Your right dude, Guthries on a different planet!!

[DistortedV12]

Woa I had no idea he could do that.

[luxHROCK87]

bel pezzo .)

[gnrcr]

Vai shat bricks.

[AlterBridgeTremonti]

steve vai is shit, guthrie forever

[kinhaepavao]

@AlterBridgeTremonti

You shit and talk shit.

[topdog2328]

guthrie should do G3

[fenderbender92]

@topdog2328 If Guthrie did G3 there'd be no use for G3! Guthrie's the whole package.

[jckbac9]

@topdog2328 by himself, naturally.

[bomdelux]

@topdog2328 Guthrie could do a G3 on his own.

[ahpollyolly]

Have GG and SV ever played on stage together..? Or colaborated in anyway..?

[CoolVIguy]

Yeah.. if someone played this for me, I would swear it was Vai, no doubt lol

[PhilosopherOnWeed]

This just sounds like Windows to the Soul :/ just a bit of a rip off.

[rockinghell91]

i wonder if via himself has seen this?

[dvmarcilio]

This sounds exactly like Vai. I'm still looking for something Guthrie can't do. Amazing as always.

[rockostas]

if any great guitarist happens to die, guthrie can continue their career simply by making new albums on their behalf and playing exactly like them.. nobody will notice a difference xD

[TomMoranoHimself]

I loooooove this, yeah-Steve playing Guthrie's style would be something cool to see haha

[KuraiX]

I can't picture Guthrie playing this... damn! XD I wish this was a video!

[roxinouchet]

Steve Vai is indeed an inspiration for him, has many other musician he may like !

[ZakkaZ666]

This is a bit misleading... While this is clearly inspired by Vai's playing, Guthrie just calls it "Lydian Improvisation" in his book. He's not saying "I'm going to mimic Vai" or something like that.

[i0tub0]

@ZakkaZ666 In the Guitar Techniques magazine where I found it (~10 years ago), there was a column called something like "Playing in the style of...": that month, it was "in the style of Steve Vai" (I clearly remember there were pictures of Vai and some suggestions by Guthrie on how to play like Vai). Maybe, the book you are talking about is a collection of earlier Guthrie's works as columnist on several guitar magazines and it didn't mention it was a demo to mimic Steve Vai

[ZakkaZ666]

@i0tub0 Sorry I didn't know about that :)

[cocoflunchy]

@ZakkaZ666 In his book "Creative Guitar 1", this is what he says about it :

"This one is a long, dreamy vamp in E Lydian, so you can experiment with all your modal scale shapes! The demo solo owes more than a little to Steve Vai's playing. [...] It's what you play that matters, not how fast you play it. I only crammed that many notes in here as a tip to Mr Vai, who is pretty much the patron saint of the Lydian mode."

[liamzuid]

@ZakkaZ666 I have the book and in the section where he explains the backing tracks he also appologises for sounding too much like Vai.

[racerx3065]

@ZakkaZ666 'a la' is in the style of, not trying to be steve vai

[dharmonic]

@ZakkaZ666 simply because mature guitarists approach each other with great respect, but we are still arguing whether Guthrie is better than Vai, i bet if Steve was watching this, he would appreciate it, Yet, i'm sure that Guthrie will start his jam saying 'the amazing mr. vai is in the house'

talented people knows where talent is, when they find it, they salut it

[hzm011]

@ZakkaZ666 No way, this sounds very impressive and skillfull, and it also sounds like the best Steve Vai impression ever

[Chandlorexia]

It would have been cool if he played with the whammy a little more, but that was fucking awesome to sum up Steve Vai in a 2 minute jam

[Beethaizaa]

ยะไปเรื่อยแต้แมงหมูนิ

[matrixx29]

@Beethaizaa

John L so frivolously New Pork?

[Walvid]

And for all you folks who are now saying Vai sucks...

I can play nearly identical copies of Jimi Hendrix solo's.

And I'm pretty sure Jimi Hendrix is still one of the best. And one hundred times as famous as me.

Ok... one million times.

[chavTorturer]

@Walvid u listen to jimi, u play jimi, but u will never hear or feel jimi

[Walvid]

He absolutely nailed it!

It's nice to hear such an talented guitar player pay hommage to one of his influences.

[Kraeezeu]

incredible....exacly vai

[rudicci]

Amazing! :) :) 

[melodymaker631]

This guy should give Steve Vai lessons haha

[Leadista08]

mistake in 1:07 -1:14, a good copy though.

[devax1986]

Not bad at all, although I still prefer to listen to Vai play Vai hehe.

[TheHornet79]

This song is on his Creative Guitar book. Book helped me so much!

[roccckkerrr]

@TheHornet79 which one? i have both and don't recall it!

[TheHornet79]

@roccckkerrr Its the first book. If the CD is included its called Lydian Improvisation (Demo 7)

[MrSlowhand12]

that was scary.....

[fingerboy18]

The only reason I knew it was Guthrie was because there was no mistakes :)

[MuhammadSweepmez]

lets see Steve play Govan now hahaha

[LeoLovesNature]

@MuhammadSweepmez he cant, he sucks :S

[scottfree6]

@LeoLovesNature stop!

[TheBeatlesCom]

@LeoLovesNature Steve vai sucks? And you're better?

[LeoLovesNature]

@TheBeatlesCom yeah

[TheBeatlesCom]

@LeoLovesNature Alright, post me a video. let me see.

[TheLydianRocks]

@MuhammadSweepmez you underestimate someone who helped pave the way for guthrie, Do you really think he couldn't if given the time to learn a track? :d

[MuhammadSweepmez]

@TheLydianRocks im just playing bro, i love both Vai and Govan. Govan is just more skilled techniquely in my opinion. He rarely makes a mistake, and when he does, it's a usually a day that I go without taking a shit. That's a fucking rare occasion my friend.

[TheBothanist]

@MuhammadSweepmez Im pretty sure he could...

[TheTurcu]

@MuhammadSweepmez That will never happen :)) !

[fxduarte]

@MuhammadSweepmez And you doubt he can't, right? Pfff... You're prolly a Justin Bieber fan.

[SevenCircles]

@MuhammadSweepmez

Steve would never try to play like someone else. Listen to Vai playing Le Corde De Feu by Nodaira a bootleg that you can google, if you want to hear him play in a different style.

[PLimaFerro]

@MuhammadSweepmez Good!!hahahhaha!



[verbotenco]

@MuhammadSweepmez I am afraid it would be hard for him to mimic Guthrie cause of lack of distinct style of Guthrie. Guthrie maybe technically ahead, but Vai is unique, totally.

[TheOtherShelly]

@verbotenco It's just my opinion, but I think Vai has a less distinctive sound than Guthrie. Vai sounds like a great rock shredder, and Guthrie sounds like the music in Guthrie Govan's head. I'm referring to their compositions, not improv over jam tracks. Vai is more famous because he focuses on his image plays a lot of diatonic notes that are easy to listen to. As a final point, people should be aware that Guthrie's "thing" is not mimicry, he was just paid by guitar techniques magazine to do it

[CescoGuitar]

Guthrie CHAMELEON Govan



[tastefulphrasing]

Had I not know this was guthrie, I totally would have thought steve vai... Amazing. .

[hldemi]

This guy is a godlike

[Drahcir1961]

Great Perfomance !