Max Cavalera (Soulfly) interview about his guitar style (pt.1 of 2)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly, Nailbomb and legendary Sepultura speaks about composing, playing heavy riffs and staying simple, with your influences intact but not dominant. He also explains the incident from the old Sepultura days that made him get rid of the two high strings ever since.
1st part of a two part interview.
Not really a technique to die for but more of a lesson in simplicity in music ideas (meaning being heavy and addictive without sounding like Dream Theater).

The 2nd part of the interview is at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74ISJqCppgc (yes, I know the quality is bad but it's the best there was - no comments on that please).

And please keep your comments meaningful. "Max is God" etc. are obviously not.

And to all those people who say that he can't really play the guitar... just see (no, I mean SEE, not just hear) what he used to play until Chaos AD. He is a brilliant rhythm guitarist, it's just that by his own choice he now plays the absolute basics (which, of course, provokes all the relevant comments).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Max
• Cavalera
• guitar
• lesson
• Soulfly
• Sepultura
• heavy
• riffs
• rock

[MrThreescoops]

Anyone who wants to learn the guitar! Learn off a person who can play the guitar and not a complete dick. He's too back to the primitive.

[bloodySunday77]

@MrThreescoops (a) It's more than obvious you missed his point completely. (b) Who told you that this is a lesson?

[bloodySunday77]

@webbtje First off, this isn't a "lesson" but merely one man's view of the importance of simplicity in music ideas - I was the one that gave the title of "lesson" and I will change that right away (not that a smart person would have any difficulty understanding that).

Secondly, I'm sure he's heartbroken by your thoughtful and smart comments, and considering giving up his music career and taking up fishing instead.

[marquinho69emeio]

Max é do BRASIL Porraaaaaaa.

Santo André-SP Brasil.

%%%%((MRQ))%%%%

Marquinhos.

[K3NxRaiNsxBl00d]

for practice he said to play along to whatever you like i play SOULFLY and i did find my own style check out my songs on my page

[DemonDays1993]

Think he's got a good style for rhythm and vocals. Need to keep it simple when you're singing too unless you're particularly talented but there's no need for guitar wankery for a song to be a good song.

[Hadicius]

what is the tunning?

[carbombcasey]

RYTHYM .....no solos....rythym...if it aint broke dont fix....

[bloodySunday77]

@NotNamedJones Yes, I understand. Personally, I just see it as some kind of trivia. And he is the first to admit he only plays the basics. However, the old stuff (Schizophrenia, Beneath, Arise and Chaos AD) have rhythm playing that is very good, and not just basic... Plus, he is a songwriter after all, and I also see this as a mental note on simplicity and doing whatever you can to serve the song, which doesn't have to be technically challenging to please the listener.

[NotNamedJones]

@bloodySunday77 even someone like Max who is relatively limited in his playing, would be good enough to not be so sloppy as to randomly strike the high strings when you're playing riffs on the lower strings. just my thoughts.

[NotNamedJones]

@bloodySunday77 generally never go past the 12th fret, but they're not requesting short guitars with just 12 frets. other arguments like string buzz and minimizing the amount of times higher strings are struck are pointless as well because, first of all, his guitars are well made and probably intonated correctly, therefore wouldn't buzz (low strings can buzz and have dead spots as well), it also stands to reason that someone who is a professional musician,

[NotNamedJones]

@bloodySunday77 nah, its more of an intellectual limitation thing, but its over your head, but don't worry about it. for the record, I don't dislike Max as I quite like most of Sepultura's music, and thats what lead me to this video in the 1st place. Its just that his 4 string bit is really a lame gimmick, as anyone who actually plays guitar would know that this would add absolutely nothing to their playing, therefore is pointless to do. I mean, there are excellent lead players that...

[bloodySunday77]

@NotNamedJones Why, is it a fashion detail? It must be something like twenty years since I wore velcro for the last time.

[NotNamedJones]

@bloodySunday77 somehow, I get the feeling that you have velc-ro instead of shoelaces....