Influences - Joe Satriani
August 14th, 2006
This is the third installment of my Influences series, detailing the guitarists who, in no particular order, have either influenced my playing style, listening taste, or are just kick ass in their own right. I take a stylistic break from trash metal and tackle the one person I wish influenced me more: Joe Satriani.
Joe Satriani
Widely recognized as one of the most technically gifted guitarists of his era, Joe Satriani was the first virtuoso to achieve commercial success purely by being one. I first got into Joe Satriani when I heard my mentor, Boboy, playing Cryin’, off the album “The Extremist”, which was a departure from his shredding ways. It is probably Satriani’s most well known track, even if most people don’t know that it’s a Satriani song. I’ve heard it played anywhere from the smooth jazz radio stations to debuts to weddings. It’s popularity comes with good reason: Cryin’ is perhaps the perfect title, not just from the crying-like bends, but the overall mood of the piece. It’s melancholy. It’s infinite sadness. It’s our emo song. So I asked him to teach it to me. Typical of Boboy, he laughed. Hard. And I just watched.
Years later, I’d come to regret not pressing him harder. If there’s one aspect of my playing that I’ve almost totally neglected, it’s legatto playing, a style that is something of a trademark of Joe Satriani. The reason for my not exploring legattos, or hammer-ons and pull-offs, more, lies in the fact that, up until three years ago, my guitar had really crappy pickups and a warped neck. As a result, any attempt I’d make at playing legatto would just sound choppy. Granted this could’ve been overcome with practice, but I was getting the results I wanted (for the most part) with my stacatto playing (that is, picking every note) so I never bothered. Well, up until now anyway, as I’ve pretty much slept every night with a sore left hand trying to make up for lost time.
Why
Why, off the album “The Extremist”, has always been one of my favorite Joe Satriani songs, particularly with the dynamic the title has with how the song sounds: that is, while the title asks a question, the melody, tempo and arrangement are insistent, almost demanding. It also illustrates clearly Satriani’s use of certain theme licks that are echoed throughout the piece in sometimes subtle, often obvious variations. All that, and it’s relatively easy to play, and a neat sounding song to boot 
This is more a jam than a serious attempt to reproduce the song (aren’t they all? :P) The entirety of the song is played in the Em-C-D progression; fairly common, but Satriani gives it his own twist that is, well, just beautiful.
Always With Me, Always With You (Partial)
I haven’t jammed to this song in a while, and it felt good just trying to transcribe it again. I’m playing it until the progression shifts into that weird Bm chord shape that I’m having trouble positioning my fingers with, short and stubby that they are
2 Responses to “Influences - Joe Satriani”
September 14th, 2006 at 2:37 am
I love Satriani!!! Check this out: http://www.theradreport.com/2006/09/13/air-guitar-is-cool-but-these-guys-are-maniacs/
July 27th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
All great songs you mentioned there. Here’s some background info on them, if you’re interested:
Cryin’
Why
Always With Me, Always With You