Steve Vai on the sound of Vai/Gash LP: “Everything I play, in mind, I derive from the blues scale”
“It just might not sound that way when you hear it against all those weird chords.”
Image: Mariano Regidor/Redferns
Steve Vai has shared how the blues has influenced his playing style while discussing the sound of his new record Vai/Gash.
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Speaking to Guitar World about the record, Vai described the sound as “a lot of blues-rock” in that it was “rock derived from the blues scale”. However, his connection with the scale runs deeper than just one album, as he explained, “But everything I play, in mind, I derive from the blues scale. It just might not sound that way when you hear it against all those weird chords.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Vai also shared why he wanted Vai/Gash to be a “no bullshit” record, crediting his experiences with biker gangs such as Hells Angels and The Breed for inspiring the record. “I pictured big songs that would make people put their fists in the air,” Vai said, adding, “And, actually, this is a great way for guitar players to experiment – you imagine it, then get yourself out of the way and just start doing it.”
In other recent Vai news, it appears the guitarist will feature on English musician Jacob Collier’s upcoming album Djesse, Vol 4, following their collaboration on the 2019 track Do You Feel Love from Collier’s Djesse, Vol 2 album. No release date has been announced for Collier’s Djesse, Vol 4 as of the time of writing, and the tracklist and guest features on the album are still unknown.