Steve Vais Words II

Little Black Dots / Martian Love Secrets

U.R. That
by Steve Vai

(Part 1 of 7, originally published February 1989).

Uniqueness. Individuality. These are traits that ambitious musicians aspire to. When these qualities are
recognized in others, trends are set and fashions are established. Everyone has the ability to be unique,
because no two personalities are exactly the same.

Individuality is developed by the mind. The first step is to believe that we're unique, and that if it's not blatantly
apparent in our art form (music, taste, or whatever), it can be developed. In this series, I will take an
unorthodox approach to helping you develop your own personal style and expression. Some of the methods
may seem a little 'out there', but stick with it.

I will not be dealing much with music theory, finger exercises, and 'hot licks'. You can get all that stuff from a
billion other sources. I don't frown on those things at all; on the contrary, a certain prerequisite is always
helpful. But uniqueness is not always a reflection of what you know or how fast you can play. I believe that
individuality is defined, for the most part, by how well you exercise your imagination with the proper blend of
emotion and physical, technical, and mental ability. It sounds like a lot, but what it really boils down to is 'just
playing'.

To make the best use of these columns, I feel it's important to have a good amount of theory and chops under
your belt. It's not absolutely necessary, but you will find it beneficial. Although these columns deal more with
discipline of the mind than of the fingers, you should be well educated in the following:

SCALES:

All major scales and modes and the theory behind how they relate to each other; Pentatonics; Melodic and
harmonic minor scales; Whole-tone and diminished scales. You should know these scales in every position on
the neck, and also starting from the low E string and climbing to the highest available note. You should have
the sound of these scales memorized. Practice them with melodic patterns based on seconds, thirds, fourths
etc.

CHORDS:

Know how chord scales work. Know at least 5 ways to play every major, minor, major 7th, minor 7th, and
other chords. Know how to identify a chord by its notes. Memorize the sound of these chords.

THEORY AND IMPROVISATION:

Know every note on the guitar 'cold'. Memorize the circle of fifths and know basic harmonic theory. Understand
the basics of improvising over chord changes.

READING AND WRITING:

Understand basic music reading and notation. Be able to read down a song just given the chord chart and
melody. Know how to read tablature, and how to read and write chord tablature. Be able to write an idea down
in manuscript form (in other words, be able to notate a melody). You should also develop technical exercises to
help you in areas in which you feel you lack ability (such as arpeggios, double-picking, hammers, and two-
handed playing).

This is all basic stuff. It's been covered in enough books and columns to sink a battleship, so I will spare you
these things in this series. You can find this information in any music store or library with a music section, or
ask a teacher.

While a thorough understanding of all these basic theory points is very useful, it's not a necessity, because
music is an art form. No one has the right to say, "Our noise is better than their noise". It's totally relative.
However, if you are a connoisseur of fine theory, here's a list of some books that I found very helpful when I
was a student:

Ted Greene's "Chord Chemistry"

(Dale Zdenek, dist. by Columbia Pictures Pub., 15800 NW 48th Ave, Miami FL 33014).
All of the Bill Levitt Berklee series books
(Berklee Guitar Series, dist. by G. Schirmer, 886 3rd Ave., New York NY 10022)
A good fake book.
Nicholas Slonimsky's "Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns"
(dist. by G. Schirmer, 886 3rd Ave., New York NY 10022)
"Rhythms 1 & 2" by Gary Chaffe.
Violin or saxophone books for reading practice.
Gardner Reed's "Music Notation"
(dist. by Crescendo, 48-50 Melrose St., Boston, MA)

[Most or all of these books are available from amazon.com.]

...and of course, all columns appearing in "Guitar Player" magazine. These preliminary music theory concerns
may take some people a while to sort out, so save those columns!

Remember, our approach will be more mental, emotional, and imaginative than theoretical. Our goal is to
develop the individuality in your guitar playing. And as in any avenue of study, attitude is the most important
element.

Have you ever heard the phrase "I am that"? I believe it means that you are what you think you are. The way
you perceive yourself is what you will ultimately become. The problem is that many of us aren't always aware
of how we perceive ourselves. This gets into realms of psychology that probably exceed our comprehension, but
I believe it's possible to give yourself a conscious message that will incorporate itself into your psyche and
lifestyle. Here's a simple example: Imagine that you're trying to kick a bad personal habit of some sort. If you
tell yourself over and over all of the reasons for doing so (even if you don't quite believe them), you'll
eventually find that you really dislike the habit and sincerely want to quit. The same phenomenon can be
applied to any goal. It's sort of self-hypnosis, or self-induced brainwashing. (Wash the dirty part, though).

I believe it's a law of nature that every person is different, with a unique capacity for self-expression. As a
result, we all have the ability to be unique in the way we express ourselves musically. A lot of people don't
believe this, and find themselves copying others and sounding like someone else. They end up frustrated with
themselves because they feel they can't "slack up" with the competition. But how can you compete with
individuality? The only one you're competing with is yourself. When you can identify with your individuality and
accept and respect it, peace of mind comes in. The first falsehood to shoot down is the fear or belief that you
lack uniqueness.

So this month's first lesson (besides memorizing all the theory and such outlined earlier) is to realize there is a
total uniqueness and individuality about yourself, and that it will make itself more and more apparent each day.
You must believe it. Dwell on it every day, and it will become part of your thinking. You will be what you think
you are. "I am that".

But remember, it's important to keep your ego in check. It's easy to get carried away with yourself, and that's
guaranteed fire damage to the soul. If you're unique, then everyone else is, too. You must appreciate and
respect the uniqueness of others. Think about this every day even without reading or studying a word or
note of music and you will feel your "uniqueness muscle" getting stronger.

Even though this month's "sermon" doesn't have hands-on guitar playing in it, I believe it's the most valuable
advice I can give anybody.
 Musical Meditation
by Steve Vai

(Part 2 of 7, originally published March 1989).

When you concentrate on a given situation wholeheartedly, you'll get the best results. The key is single-
pointedness of mind. This holds true for any pursuit; a bricklayer who concentrates on the work at hand covers
every detail and gets the job done quicker and better. When you read a book with your mind fully focused, your
comprehension and retention are vastly improved.

Here's a musical example: I was transcribing music for Frank Zappa, doing everything from guitar and drum
solos to orchestral scores and lead sheets. The work was quite intensive, and I found myself spending 10 or 12
hours a day listening to just one minute of music. I was concentrating so intently that I felt dazed whenever I
stopped for a moment, but I achieved unprecedented results. I discovered new forms of written notation,
greatly developed my ears, and transcribed some of the most rhythmically complex musical situations ever
recorded all by sheer single-pointedness of mind.

Mind control of this sort is a meditation. People meditate all the time without realizing it; watching TV is a
meditation, in a sense. When many people hear the word "meditation", they relate it to spiritual realms.
"Stilling the mind" is probably the highest form of meditation. That is, keeping one's mind from erroneous
thoughts and focusing on the divine (or whatever path you're on). We get the best results when we meditate on
a subject, but alas, meditation is not easy. The mind loves to wander, and these intrusions keep you from the
precious results you seek.

Now what on the face of God's beautiful blue earth does all of this have to do with learning to play the guitar?

When you meditate on something, you're forced to look at it from many different angles, including some you've
probably never thought of. You're forced to reach down into the depths of your identity and individuality.
Consequently, your results will be uniquely yours. That's what we seek as musicians: to light that tiny flare (or
bonfire) of originality and individuality.

The following exercise will help you develop your musical meditation skills. Take one isolated musical idea, such
as a single chord or riff. For our example, let's take vibrato. Vibrato is a very expressive technique, and can say
a thousand different things when properly used (or misused). Sit with your guitar and a clock, and vibrate a
note for one hour. Sounds simple, but here's the catch...

Never deviate from holding that note.

Pick it as many times as you like. Try many different vibrato approaches (fast, slow, soulful, mellifluous, etc).

Most important, don't let your mind wander. When you find yourself thinking of anything other than vibrato
(and you will, probably in the first few seconds), pull your mind back to the note. Your mind will wander off into
thoughts such as "Am I doing this right?", then "Boy, what a waste of time this is!" Eventually, you'll find
yourself thinking about your friends, your financial situation, what you did yesterday, what you're going to do
tomorrow, and of course, "Let's eat!" This is the hard part. Just keep pulling your mind back to vibrating that
note. It's a discipline worth working on.

Eventually, you'll exhaust all conventional vibrato approaches, all the ways you saw someone else do it. Then
(if you have the discipline to continue), your mind will enter private realms and you will reach deeper into your
own uniqueness for different ideas.

You may have to start practicing this technique little by little, doing it for just five or ten minutes. Try timing
yourself. Ultimately, you'll find that when it comes time to "just play", you'll use these vibratos with great ease,
and you will discover something different in your playing.
You can practice this exercise with any riff, solo, or chord change. Just keep your mind on it and constantly
analyze your performance. It can become very soulful. You might, for example, take just two notes any two
and play them for an hour without straying from them. Try any approach; stretch them, use different picking
styles, play hard or soft, make the notes long or short, or vibrate them.

One of the great things you'll gain from this type of practicing is authority. When you play something, you'll feel
confident about pulling it off with flying colors.

But most important, you'll gain discipline. Great results require discipline, and meditation is a discipline. But if
you are really into this, it won't seem like a discipline, but a pleasure. But there's one thing for sure: Nothing
you read in a column can teach you anything. You just have to do it!
 Emulating a State of Experience
by Steve Vai

(Part 3 of 7, originally published April 1989).

The more you are able to identify and express your inner personality, the more respect you will give the
instrument of expression your guitar. If you start identifying more with your different states of mind, you will
have new insights into your playing. Your music will take on different characteristics: playful, sad, perverse,
pure, or whatever. Guitar playing, after all, is a very personal thing.

If you ever feel you're just meandering on guitar, or bogged down, here's an exercise that will help improve
your rapport with your instrument. Think of the last few days, and break them down into a series of individual
events. Pick one event and play it back in your head a few times. Your emotions will probably change as you
feel that state of mind again. Now construct a musical situation that reflects that state of mind. It could be a
chord, a progression, a lick, a melody, a sound effect, a whole sonata, or just a single note.

If you are thoroughly saturated in that state of mind, your playing will reflect it. This is where the magic power
of music comes in. Take, for example, a simple chord: a construction of notes being struck, strummed, plucked
or hacked a certain way can represent a state of mind. Start by imagining the type of chord you think best suits
the state of mind you've hypnotized yourself into. Once you hear that chord in your head, try constructing it on
your guitar. If you feel you're losing sight of your goal, replay the event in your head and imagine the sound of
the chord again. When you think you have a harmonic structure that represents your state of mind, play it over
and over, keeping your mind fixed on the event you're emulating (as we did in Martian Love Secrets Part 2).
Your playing approach, and maybe even the chord itself, may change to suit the mental environment more
precisely.

Next, try stringing a few chords together to help represent your state of mind. They can be simple or complex,
familiar or unusual. There's a chord progression performance to match every human experience that ever was
or ever will be. With that in mind, you're not likely to run out of ideas.

Now try playing a riff, single note, or melody that reflects the events in your mind. When you find something
satisfactory, keep repeating it as the event runs through your head. Remember, finding a tempo and groove for
your state of mind is important it's one of the biggest factors of expression. We all know how different
grooves make us move and feel different ways.

Eventually you'll find yourself changing what you're playing a bit, in order to better match your state of mind.
The bridge between what you're playing and what you're thinking will get smaller and smaller until it feels as
though you and your instrument are one. It's very special when this happens. It takes work, discipline,
concentration and patience, but sometimes it happens when you don't even realize it (and it's important not to
get strung out if it doesn't happen).

Whenever you play these chords, they will mean a lot more to you than the thoughtless meandering you were
previously doing. Put it all together in a piece of music and it will be very powerful.

A word of caution, however: When choosing a past, present or future event to focus on, choose a variety of
emotional states. It doesn't always have to be a strong emotion such as sadness, anger, frustration, happiness
or joy; it could be just a thought or impression. Some people dwell very heavily on the negative events in their
lives. If you do this too often, your playing will reflect frustrated, twisted, anxiety-ridden emotions and you will
attract those sorts of people to your life. On the other hand, if you emulate a wide variety of events, you will
look forward to playing your beautiful instrument and people will perceive your visions.

You probably experience thousands of states of mind each day, more than there are adjectives to describe.
Let's say you didn't eat for eight hours and someone handed you a nice, cold, ripe apple, then CHOMP! You
might experience many states of mind in these few moments: hunger, the thought of what to eat, your feelings
towards the person before and after they gave you the apple (colored by your hunger), the thought, "Yes,
that's right; that apple is history, babe!", the biting of the apple and the taste sensation, choking and coughing
and spewing out the apple because you were too hungry to chew it properly, or the embarrassment of having
predigested apple all over the shirt of the person who gave it to you I don't know!

But these are all legitimate feelings to draw from. You can apply any of these states of mind to this exercise.
For example, I have the perfect chord for spitting out the apple:

This technique can help you through difficult times in your life, and people will identify with it. It is very
powerful in its suggestions, and this is where the magic of music comes in again. The intensity of that power
comes from you. When you send out that strong state of mind, you will move people. In what direction you
move them is entirely up to you. Remember, your instrument is only wire and wood. You have to choose what
kind of sorcerer you will be. Caution is advised. Listen to your heart, and you will play from the heart.
 The Physical
by Steve Vai

(Part 4 of 7, originally published May 1989).

Your face reveals much about your personality. When people talk, they use their faces, as well as their voices.
Sometimes the true meaning of what they are trying to communicate (or not communicate) is visible in their
face and body language.

Body language is an important part of expressing yourself. Just try getting through a conversation while
keeping a stone-cold, straight-faced appearance no laughing, hand gestures, or body movement, just lips.
You'll see that it's much harder to express yourself.

The way your body moves reflects your true personality. When someone plays an instrument, facial and body
language play important expressive roles. Some people hardly move at all when they play. This doesn't
necessarily mean they're not expressing themselves, not that what they're playing doesn't mean anything
some people simply emanate expression from their very being. This, too, can be cultivated with the proper
attitude.

Sometimes when you play, you hit a note or chord, and your facial and body expressions contort to match the
audio expression. When this happens, it gives you a certain sense of freedom and accomplishment, and it's
very entertaining for an audience.

Here's an exercise to help you use your body expressively. First, tape record a musical situation a jam
session, let's say, or a series of chord changes with an overdubbed solo. Listen back and choose a particular
section a chord change, or a riff that you like. Listen to it several times, and picture the music as an actual
"little person" (looking like you, presumably, or a familiar figure like Gumby). If the little person were the riff,
what would his body and face look like? How would he contort himself to give viewers the impression of audible
sound? (This could be quite amusing....)

Now go back and listen to the tape again. Listen to the passage you selected over and over, but as you picture
the body language of the little person, emulate it with your face and body. You'll feel the notes more, and this
will translate into your playing.

Here's another exercise: While you're jamming, choose a lick and cycle it over and over. While you do this,
think of the point you're trying to get across; then think of how what you're hearing makes you feel. Let the
sound express itself in a certain body movement. The movement might consist of throwing your head back, or
blinking an eye, or a little pelvic thrust, or rolling on the floor in a convulsive frenzy while humping your guitar
in an erotic extravaganza with your eyes rolling back in your head while your nostrils flare and large red veins
bulge from your neck but please be careful. (I think I know that riff, by the way).

Another exercise is one that I stumbled on when I was about 12 years old. Take a familiar piece of music, such
as a favorite solo section. As you listen to it, let your face contort and express the music. The first piece I
remember doing this with was "Midnight", a great Jimi Hendrix song that appears on 'War Heroes'. Try this
technique with your own playing let your face express what's coming out of your speakers. This is great fun,
and very entertaining. The more animated you allow yourself to be, the more the music seems to come alive.

True, it takes a certain lack of inhibition to use this technique live, but hey, what do you care, right? I don't
suggest you use these body language techniques ALL the time. But in the never-ending struggle to be original,
you must search the depths of your soul, and these techniques may help.
 The Physical, Part Two
by Steve Vai

(Part 5 of 7, originally published June 1989).

Music evokes certain emotions in people. A familiar melody can remind you of whole periods in your life. When
I hear 'Led Zeppelin II', Jimi Hendrixs 'Are You Experienced?' or even some old Motown song, the music brings
my consciousness back to a time in my life when that music was popular. When we experience this
phenomenon, we may actually feel the way we did at the most memorable time we heard the song.

When I was a teenager, for example, someone in my town threw a party almost every weekend. I would make
my way to the stereo and put on a copy of 'Led Zeppelin II'. (I always carried the cassette, in case they didnt
have the album). When Heartbreaker came on, my friends would clear a spot on the table or the floor and ask
me to air guitar the solo. Of course, Id act reluctant at first, but I was a ham even then, so Id start jumping
around and flailing like a wild animal. Everyone got a kick out of it, especially me. (This was back in the days
when Apple Ripple wine, at $1.25 a bottle, was all the rage --- you remember, right?)

Well, to this day, when I hear those familiar songs, Im right back there again, smelling scents of the time, and
feeling 15, ready to blow up the proverbial bridge, to GET IT! I actually feel the same sensations I felt then. For
me, this proves the great inherent power of music.

In this series of articles, weve been trying to develop our playing so that it has our own identity. We must find
personal thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations and bring them to fruition through your music. Remember,
you have uniqueness --- you just need to dig for it. The deeper you dig, the more you will uncover.

Translating feelings and sensations into sound is a unique approach, and the same sensation may mean
something different to each person. I know what a bump on the head or a tickle to the feet means to me, but it
may have a different meaning for someone else. I perceive things through my senses, and my perceptions are
colored by my disposition and view of the world. The way I emulate these things on my instrument is a
reflection of how I view the original sensation, how I synthesize it through my imagination (which is unique, like
yours), and how I execute it with my technical apparatus (flesh and bones) and coordination expertise (chops)
--- phew!

Lets try examining some physical sensations, with an eye towards expressing through our instruments. Grab
your guitar, and lets go.

There are millions of possible physical sensations; lets take just one, and try to come up with a lick or chord
that simulates it. Take the simple sensation of the wind hitting your face. Go out to the wind, if available, and
expose your face to it (or your naked body, if you like). Picture the sound that best represents how the wind
makes you feel. It may be a chord, a song, an effect, or whatever, but think in terms of expressing it on your
guitar. The way you feel about the wind will be colored by variables like the temperature, your surroundings,
your state of mind, and so forth. Heres a chord that I came up with:
You can ornament your idea with different effects, various strumming approaches, superimposing a melody, or
whatever. Or you can string together a chain of these sensations to make a song. If you come up with just one
new idea from this technique, it will have been worth your time.

Here are some other physical sensations you can experiment with:

a sneeze
a tickle
pulling hair from your head
an ice-cold shower, or a nice warm one
a burn
a kiss (four different kinds)
jumping into water from 4 (or 20)
running as fast as you can for 40 minutes
a feather on the belly button
an ice cube down your shirt
waiting on line at the Department Of Motor Vehicles
a somersault
spinning until you fall down
and of course, an orgasm (just turn on any Prince record for a blow-by-blow expression of this one).

Your suggestions for relatively safe physical sensations are encouraged.

But in any case, you must truly examine the sensation, letting no detail elude you, and keeping your initial
impressions of how the sensations would translate into sound. Getting absorbed in the details is important. The
more you get it, the more inspired your results will be.
 Mind Pictures
by Steve Vai

(Part 6 of 7, originally published July 1989).

Sometimes we play things that just come out, and we don't know why. I believe it's divine inspiration. It's
possible to simply take these things at face value, but instead, let's try to pin some "pictures" on these
flirtations with divinity.

Pick up your instrument and play one chord. Try to invent one that you've never played before. (It's simpler
than it seems just out your fingers in places you've never put them before, or detune a string or two.) Now
strum the chord any way you like, and record it. As you listen back to your recording, let the chord "speak" to
you. Allow the sound of the chord to evoke a scene in your mind perhaps something familiar, maybe an
experience in your life. Let your imagination run off for a while. You may start out with a mere impression, and
end up with a whole story. Finally, write down whatever it was that you visualized. (When we were 16 or 17,
my friend Joe Despagni and I used to do this extensively. We'd sit with a guitar, and one of us would strum a
chord. We'd describe to each other the pictures it would conjure up in our minds far-out and liquid).

This is an exercise of the imagination, and it should be taken to extremes. Don't stop with just one chord.
Listen to something that you've written in the past, or a popular song that you like. As you do, let your
imagination go off on tangents. As you search for that special theme or melody, you may draw from mental
pictures of an actual past event, a future one, or some totally off-the-wall scenario. After a while, you'll see how
this procedure affects your playing.

The following exercises may lead you to discoveries that you could not have attained any other way:

Think of a person who is very close to you, or maybe even yourself. Construct a song in a standard form
(AABA, or whatever), and have each section reflect a personality trait of that person. You'll probably have to
start out by defining how you view these different aspects of your subject's personality. (This exercise may
sound offbeat, but hey, what am I here for?)

Try exaggerating your playing. If you think that a passage calls for a chord to be struck hard, smash it to
pieces. If you need something fast and aggressive, be as furious as possible more furious than you ever
thought yourself capable of being. (But keep it clean and accurate, unless the part demands something else.) If
a passage calls for subtlety, you yourself must be in a very subtle frame of mind. This approach is useful with
dynamics especially band dynamics because dynamics are most effective when they are exaggerated.

Think of the familiar expression markings you encounter when reading a piece of music (adagio, legato, and
so on). You can actually apply any adjective to a piece of music. Take a random word from the dictionary, and
apply it to a riff, song, chord change, or soloing approach (and don't forget to use the exaggeration technique).

Whatever you do, GET CARRIED AWAY! (But don't hurt yourself, or anyone else for that matter).
 In Closing
by Steve Vai

(Part 7 of 7, originally published August 1989).

If you've been following these articles, you've probably noticed that my approach is rather unorthodox. Oh well,
I trust you can find information on all the technicalities of music and performance in a host of publications. I
hope that what I've said has inspired you to delve into your imagination, heart, and soul. If any of these articles
inspires you to create an original or personal sound on your instrument, it will have been a success for me. But
what it all boils down to is you and your attitude.

Attitude is probably the most important ingredient in any form of education or progressive evolution. Always
keep your attitude in check. It's not easy, because you must first figure out what a healthy attitude is. I can't
tell you, nor can any book, because everyone is on their own path. But I firmly believe that in our hearts we
know the answers to the questions that we ask ourselves. A healthy attitude makes it easier to appreciate the
works and teachings of others, and a healthy attitude will reflect itself in your own performance and self-
esteem in fact, a good attitude is the main ingredient. Don't ever take for granted the power of human
morality.

I've seen many great musicians especially while attending Berklee College of Music whose technical
abilities far overpowered mine. But some of them lacked a healthy attitude about their music and themselves.
I'm not saying that you should be an egomaniac, but if you don't appreciate what you're capable of doing, how
can you expect others to?

Making music can seem baffling at times, and you may sometimes feel confused about all your inspirations. As
you play, you may wonder, "Am I thinking right? Am I getting the picture across? Is this the best note to play
here? Should I be playing fast, slow, loud, or whatever?" Sometimes, "just playing" is the hardest part of
creating music. You must clear your mind and let divine inspiration take over. No lesson can teach you how to
do this, but if you set it in your mind as a goal, you will see changes in your consciousness and your playing.
But it's important to remember not to get strung out on these things. Don't get frustrated if it doesn't always
work out the way you would like. When it happens, let it happen. When it doesn't, well, big deal, maybe next
time.

The guitar is a beautiful instrument, and it deserves our respect. As you go through your playing career, you
will touch that instrument in a way that you will never touch anything or anybody in your life. It will bear the
brunt of your sorrows and joys. It will see and feel your passion, your anger, your love, and your hate. It will
lead you to your victories and your humiliations. Although a guitar is just wire and wood, you may feel that it
possesses a soul of its own, and rightly so. But it is a reflection of you. Grow with it, and respect it.

In closing, I'd like to thank you for all your support. Your inspiration and influence have been monumental for
me. My best wishes to you all.