Among countless virtuosos, Joe Satriani became one of the leading guitar voices in the 1980’s. Back then there was a new wave of amazing rock guitar players. From bands to solo projects, the music scene saw an unprecedented surge in guitar talent. All of sudden, everyone was inspired to take the instrument to new technical heights. In that environment, Joe Satriani managed to stand out and reach millions with an instrumental rock concept.
Like many guitar players, he has been influenced by Jimi Hendrix, in music style and also by understanding the importance of a consistent image, which he has nurtured very successfully.
Joe Satriani earned a reputation as a guitar instructor in California, where he moved in 1978. However, it wasn’t until 8 years later that he released his first album: "Not of This Earth", in 1986. This album had a moderate reception. But then it was followed by the big success of "Surfing with the Alien" in 1987. In my opinion, one of the best albums in modern guitar and Satriani’s best.
The following years saw the release of "Flying in a Blue Dream" in 1989 and "The Extremist" in 1992, both achieving mainstream success, especially The Extremist. At this point, Satriani already had earned the respect and admiration of the guitar community around the world.
Even if you think you are not familiar with Joe Satriani’s music, most likely you’ve heard his work many times. His instrumental rock music has been part of several mainstream events such as sports and advertising campaigns. As a musician, his impact goes beyond that as he is one of the main influences in the rock sound of the 1980’s and early 1990’s.
In some regard, I think he hasn’t received the full recognition he deserves as he is mostly known in the guitar community. Joe Satriani’s music is a powerful and enjoyable display of guitar taken to great levels.
Guitar Style
Joe Satriani’s style is designed to make guitar shine. Therefore, it uses all available resources to make his playing sound as fast as possible. His results are achieved mostly in his left hand by making an extensive use of legato (both hammer-on and pull-offs) and two-hand hammering techniques. On the left hand, he likes to stretch it to reach notes that are very far from each other in the same string, mostly using legato to play them. This is a resource you can find in his phrasing very often. Although these techniques sound impressive at first, it is achievable for any good guitar player with some practice. I recommend reading available material on the subject.
His right hand technique is based on conventional picking. He has good control of his right hand, but his fast sound is rarely achieved by picking every single note in his scales or by doing sweep picking. The left hand does most of the work, unless he does some of his trademark two-hand hammering passages where the right hand does half of the string tapping.
Joe Satriani makes extensive use of the whammy bar in his guitar, which is essential to understanding his sound. Another distinctive feature of his playing is the use of pick harmonics, which are used to increase the octave of a note by triggering an harmonic when attacking the string between the pick and the thumb. Sometimes he triggers the harmonics with his left hand in the area above the picks, off the fret board. This technique, combined with the whammy bar and the Digitech Whammy pedal can produce unusually high-pitched phrases, which are very common in his songs. To sound like this, you need the right equipment (a guitar with Floyd Rose, a Whammy pedal and a distortion with high sustain) and the ability to produce harmonics.
Overall, his guitar style is based on precision and efficiency. His guitars are very light and are designed to play fast. When listening to Joe Satriani’s technical approach, you won’t hear the natural finger strength of someone like, let’s say, Stevie Ray Vaughan. When looking at him play, you’ll notice he is one of those guitar players that make very difficult things look "easy" by playing efficiently.
I know some of his most loyal fans will disagree, but from a technical point of view, I wouldn’t consider him a natural virtuoso. In the case of Joe Satriani, he is a great example of what can be achieved with dedication and love for the instrument. His greatest talent is found from a musical point of view. In his best albums, the compositions are exceptional as well as his innovation. Without doubt, he is one of the most influential guitar players in modern guitar music.
Joe Satriani’s main guitars are his Ibanez JS1000 and JS1200 signature models, which are great for fast playing since they are ergonomically designed for it. The signature models feature two DiMarzio humbuckers, which provide a nice sustain, essential for modern rock music. Even though I’ve tried its clean sound, which is great, this is still a better buy for a rock musician.
For live performances, he is known to use mainly his signature amplifier Peavey JSX Head powering 2 Peavey JSX 412 Speaker Cabinets. He would use Marshall amps as well, mainly in the studio. An amp that can support high sustain is essential in Joe Satriani’s equipment line-up.
Joe Satriani’s sound relies heavily on effects. In addition to having a high sustain guitar and amp, the following pedals are essential:
DigiTech Whammy. Widely used by Satriani. Whenever you hear his ultra high pitched sound, it is with the help of this pedal plus the Floyd Rose tremolo bar in his guitar. In addition, he triggers harmonics with the pick, which bring the pitch even higher to get that signature sound. The Whammy pedal also has the option to add harmonies, so it is not restricted to an octave only.
Wah (Dunlop 535QC Crybaby, Vox). He uses several wah pedals, but these two are his better known ones. He places them at the traditional spot at end of the effects chain (not like Jimi Hendrix, at the beginning of it)
Fulltone UltimateOctave. This pedal performs a similar task than the Digitech Whammy, as it is used to add an Octave up. It provides the ability to add a distinctive bright sound eliminating the mids and also it can be used as a Fuzz pedal.
Boss DS-1. This orange pedal is one of the most popular distortions in the world. Used widely by guitar players from all styles, it is a very versatile piece of equipment that delivers a full distortion sound, but it also responds great a lower gains. This pedal is essential to Joe Satriani’s nice sustain.
Chandler Digital Delay (two of them in the loop), or Boss DD-2. One at 500 MS, the other at 700 MS. Connecting two delays at different speeds in the same loop creates a distinct "echo" effect. It requires some experimentation, but it is a trick worth trying. Boss CE-2 Chorus pedal. Similar to its predecessor CE-1, which has the same circuitry as in the Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120 amp (probably the best chorus in the market), the CE-2 has a boost to mid frequencies. Boss stopped making these pedals in 1990 and now they are very desirable pieces of equipment. I like the full and warm sound they give. He is known to use the Groove Tubes Fat Finger Guitar Sustainer. I’ve tried this interesting little device and it helps boost the presence of the guitar sound. It’s worth trying at the music store to see if this is for you.
Vox recently released the Satchurator distortion pedal, which is built to Joe Satriani’s specifications. He’s been using several prototypes of this pedal live, which has been put in the market just at the time this article is being written (August, 2008).
Emulating Joe Satriani’s tone could be a challenging task, but with the use of this equipment it is possible to get quite close. As many other guitarists who rely on guitar effects, he is constantly experimenting and uses different configurations, especially in studio material.
Album Highlights
Surfing with the Alien set a very high standard on what a solo rock guitar album should be. It is an original, powerful work with the best balance of technique, sound and excellent song writing. It’s one of those albums where it’s hard to pick a favourite song, since they’re all excellent.
From the power and freshness of Surfing with the Alien to the intensity building and dynamics of Circles, or the musicality of Always With Me, Always with You, the groove of Satch Boogie, the arpeggio tapping in Midnight, or the way he schools everyone on how to use the whammy bar in Ice 9. In a way, they all found their way into becoming guitar classics. One of my favourite guitar albums ever.
In The Extremist, Joe Satriani confirms his status as one of the greatest solo rock guitar players. From songs like Cryin’ to Summer Song or The Extremist, he shows us his great guitar playing. Even though this album doesn’t match the mastery of Surfing with the Alien, it is still a great rock guitar album.
These are my favourite Joe Satriani’s tracks. There are songs from different albums. Some are slow, others are a little heavier. I think they give a good overview of what Joe Satriani’s music is about. Enjoy!
Videos
Satch Boogie. This is a great Satriani song featured in Surfing with the Alien. It’s a great blend of more traditional blues-rock patterns and modern sounds. In the bridge, he plays some great tapping passages and it shows his trademark use of the whammy bar. I like the tasteful intensity of this tune. This video is featured in the DVD Joe Satriani - Live In San Francisco.
Ice 9. Another song featured in Surfing with the Alien, this is a great example of Joe Satriani’s sound.
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