In a recent Interview, Mastodon axeman Bill Kelliher admitted he’s not a fan of guitar players as Joe Satriani or Steve Vai. He said:
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“A big mistake people often make is trying to add too many notes and over-complicating their ideas.
“I always try to tell people that it’s best to come up with a simple rhythmic idea and then paint in the higher notes to make these tiny adjustments into new chords, using notes a semitone out. That can make all the difference to a song. It’s not about how fast you play.
“A lot of people just know scales. Look at Joe Satriani or Steve Vai: they’re both insane guitar players, but I went to see Satch once and I got bored after a couple of minutes. All he did was shred through scales constantly. I guess it sounds cool if you’re into it, but I was thinking, ‘Play a goddamn riff!’ I guess that makes me a riff guy. [Laughs]”