Steve Vai playing the Hydra guitar

[guitarlover]

Technique is not music l, hence my comparison with a complicated circus act.
To be honest I just don't hear music in the playing of Mr Vai. Bluntly said : he just annoys me.
But as already said this is also a matter of personal taste.... Nothing wrong with someone who does like this.

 

[zulu]

That's a firm stance, refusing to call it music lol. But, it's true that we artists, as a group, are brutally judgemental. It's part of having a passion for your own material, I guess.

 

[guitarlover]

It may be my lack of knowledge ;--). And to be honest my guitar skills are very limited . (But I enjoy playing so much.) One could say even Dylan is a prodigy compared to me, looking from the perspective of technique. Haha... So let's not take my opinions too seriously but I just don't like the musi... euhm... noise Mr. Vai is producing .

 

[zulu]

I only listen to Vai with Zappa. He is one of an elite group that can play this way on paper.
His own music isn't my cup of tea.
Technique isn't music and this may be a good example, but all the greats have great technique.

 

[GAD]

Technique is not music l, hence my comparison with a complicated circus act.
To be honest I just don't hear music in the playing of Mr Vai. Bluntly said : he just annoys me.
But as already said this is also a matter of personal taste.... Nothing wrong with someone who does like this.

So then, what is music?

 

[guitarlover]

If only there was a simple definition ;-)

 

[davismanLV]

Vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. So in that case beauty is in the ear of the beholder. Music is such a passionate expression of feelings that I doubt that everyone could ever agree what it is exactly. People are just putting in their OPINION of what makes music GOOD to THEM. So not everyone will agree.

 

[zulu]

I don't mean to sound high and mighty. I have a weird but intense hatred of certain music. Def Leppard. I love to say terrible things about them and I would shove a baby to turn the channel.

 

[fronobulax]

We have been down the "what is music?" and the "is what performer X does music or not?" paths before. My recollection, unsupported by any searches, is that if someone really, really dislikes an artist and someone else enjoys the artist, the question "is it music?" gets trotted out as a way of vindicating the (usually negative) assessment.

 

[awagner]

So then, what is music?

Ask John Cage.

 

[guitarlover]

For me music contains always something that makes it more than just the sum of what it is composed of. What that "something" is, is hard to say and of course subjective as hell : beauty
ugliness, happiness, sadness, catching attention ,admiration, ...

I just cannot find this "something" in the piece that is shown at the top of this thread. Sure this guy can "tap"some notes very fast but for me there is nothing more. Of course for someone else this may wel be the case...

 

[Nuuska]

Be it Steve Vai or any other person w fantastic skills - I can admire the skill even though the "output" - or result leaves me cold. On the other hand - I have heard many musicians w even less technical skills than I may have produce fantastic music. Then naturally there are people who produce fantastic music w fantastic skills and lousy losers w no skills and nothing musically intersting that they deliver.

Fortunately - all this still leave enough - and much more - to be enjoyed - just pick the ones you like - leave the rest be.

As of this video - I watched it - musically not interesting at all - technically a truly WOW ! - visually . . . why do they all have to twist their face and body that way and do all the other 40 years old arm-swing things . . .

But for those who like that - I hope he produces more of it.

 

[walrus]

Vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. So in that case beauty is in the ear of the beholder. Music is such a passionate expression of feelings that I doubt that everyone could ever agree what it is exactly. People are just putting in their OPINION of what makes music GOOD to THEM. So not everyone will agree.

This.

And "passion" is a great word. That's why certain people get so defensive about the artists they love.

He's not my cup of tea, either, but this Hydra stuff shows that Vai still has interest in doing new things. He may still be shredding, but he's shredding on the Hydra! It's a cool video!

walrus

 

[Midnight Toker]

If only there was a simple definition ;-)

I've always described Music as...organized audible tones that stir emotion in the human spirit! Simple as that. All purely subjective and purely dependent on the individual listener. I for one am not a fan of most folk or country. But I'd never dare not call it music. Some people love that death metal stuff w/ that sounds like the Cookie Monster singing w/ a mouth full of gravel. Definitely not for me...but it's still music! Vai is certainly capable of creating some really sweet melodic stuff. And he is constantly pushing new boundaries in his playing. I guess it comes down to a generational gap. My father who was born in the 20's was a serious classical aficionado. He could have taught graduate courses on the subject. But, he also saw zero value in Dylan, The Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Zep, or most of anything I was into. It was ALL noise to him. Only time I ever perked his ears w/ music coming from my bedroom was w/ ELP's Pictures At An Exhibition. That he understood. He didn't like it, but at least he sensed a slight connection.

Here's an original tune Vai presented on his 60th birthday in 2020. Utilizing an all new multi finger bending method no one had ever seen before. No shredding here. Just painstaking labor to get to his own demand for perfection. I like it!!


and here's another video of an online guitar teacher explaining what's going on and how it floored him to witness this new technique.


Just that pic he shows of Vai's finger tips looking like they were worn to the nubs from practicing that stuff over and over and over. Mad respect! That's pure passion....which according to my definition, deems it 100% grade A...Music!

 

[5thumbs]

I've always described Music as...organized audible tones that stir emotion in the human spirit! Simple as that. All purely subjective and purely dependent on the individual listener.

I like that.

 

[walrus]

That is otherworldly playing. "Joint shifting"!? Great little tune, too.

walrus

 

[Midnight Toker]

I like that.

and sometimes...disorganized can also fit the description.

 

[fronobulax]

I've always described Music as...organized audible tones that stir emotion in the human spirit!

That just pushes some of the disputes into the definition of "organized"

Organized according to what?

 

[Midnight Toker]

That just pushes some of the disputes into the definition of "organized"

Organized according to what?

Look up one post above yours.

 

[MacGuild]

Steve Vai explaining the Hydra project to Tyler Larson ("Music is Win"), about 40-minutes long.



Steve Vai breaks down the hardest thing he's ever played.

Posted on YouTube, April 18th.