Steve Vai CBS Interview - A Man and His Guitar

"Steve opens up about his love for playing guitar and why he thinks everyone should learn to play an instrument".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Steve
• Vai
• Interview
• CBS.com

[EstevanMusic]

My hands are the same size as a 10 year old... I'm 17.

I wish I had Vai size hands.

[LightningStrat]

@EstevanMusic

That shouldn't limit you very much. Two classical guitarists (and classical guitars are harder to play than electric as the necks are bigger), Xuefei Yang, and Li Jie (esp. when she was younger) have small hands, yet there seems to be no limit to what they could play. Django Reinhard had two fingers available for the most part on his fret hand, yet what he did was incredible. Then there's the guy who played with his feet as he had no arms. Where there's a will, there's a way!

[yobhsiFehT]

@EstevanMusic

I feel your pain - and I'm 25! lol Frankly, it *is* limiting; that's just physics. We lose leverage on the string, coming around the neck, etc. But it's just another hurdle. When you first started playing, I'm sure switching from a standard G chord to a standard C chord was pretty difficult. Easier now, tho, I bet;)

So the poster is wrong to imply that it's not a problem - basically EVERYTHING is harder! - but he's very right in reminding that where there's a will, there's a way:)

[LightningStrat]

@yobhsiFehT

I didn't mean it wasn't a problem. I said it shouldn't limit him very much. For those artists intensely driven, the last thing they will do is give up on finding solutions. They will go to extremes to achieve what they feel they must. I would think those artists I mentioned alone are awe-inspiring enough. The artist is willing to achieve his goal no matter the cost. He could invent a device, aspire to advanced flexibility or technique or choose another medium of expression.

[LightningStrat]

For such an artist, the desire is such that it would eclipse the value of what would normally be considered 'significantly limiting'. These are people who break conventions and go to extremes to achieve their ideals. However, not everyone is so lucky to be so uniquely driven.

In this particular case, I also speak from personal experience from having small hands myself. Only considerable limitations it's given me is in playing some barre shapes on classical guitar, which I'm able to get by.

[yobhsiFehT]

@LightningStrat

I'm not really arguing; we're basically on the same page~shrug~ Being honest about something being difficult doesn't cancel out one's "drive."

[LightningStrat]

@yobhsiFehT

But I know from personal experience it doesn't make it particularly difficult. And the point was by how much it limits you. My point about the "drive" was that those driven people often see the possibilities that most do not.

Can you think of ways in which it can prevent one from playing what they want? This is the crux.

How can we be on the same page if you thought I was wrong?

[alexyboy1514]

i love u Steve

[FastRedPonyCar]

@EstevanMusic If Michael "Vienna sausage fingers" Romeo can play, anyone can!

[TheMrnova11]

I can honestly empathize and agree with everything steve says in this video...

[anirban747]

Brief and short but absolutely to the point!

[willweagraff]

THANKS MAN

[Shawn3129]

hands are a big part of guitar but look at guys like Victor Wooten(on bass) and Shawn Lane. Not big hands at all. You don't need to be able to palm a basketball to play..... there's so much else involved besides the size of your hands.

[SavageDutchman]

@EstevanMusic Listen to Django Reinhardt and take into account that his chordhand only had 2 useable fingers.

[projectmasta]

pause at 1:46 for an orgasm face :D

[neurocosm]

Wow. this is the first time I've heard him speak. Or talk about anything. What a shame... he seems like a pretty cool dude.

[MrTtunes]

He is a charismatic dude.

[MikeToddOnline]

@EstevanMusic Michael Romeo has small hands. It won't stop you from alternate picking super fast with synchronization and you can find new ways of getting around the neck fast and covering lots of ground without the big stretches. Mike can play nearly as well as Yngwie with tiny little mits for hands