Joe Satriani revealed his behind-the-scenes collaboration with Alex Van Halen during his preparation for Sammy Hagar’s band. He shared these details in a recent episode of Wong Notes Podcast.
The project initially caused Satriani considerable hesitation. He struggled with the challenge of performing Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitar parts and adapting to Van Halen’s unique playing style.
“This is a gig that I turned down multiple times. Tail between my legs and saying, ‘Oh man, this is like, I can’t do this,'” Satriani admitted. “There are so many people who’ve studied Eddie’s technique and they really nailed it. And I’m not one of those guys. I’m over here being Joe all the time. And we don’t play the same.”
Satriani faced significant technical challenges while learning Eddie’s parts.
“When you get into learning the parts, you go like, ‘Oh my God, everything is beautiful. Everything’s impeccable. Everything is perfect. My hand doesn’t do that. I just can’t do that. And suddenly you realize, okay, this is going to be embarrassing when that part comes and I can’t do it,'” he explained.
The situation prompted Satriani to seek Alex Van Halen’s guidance.
“Early on when I came up with one too many workarounds, I remember calling Alex and saying, ‘Hey, Alex. Man, I got this list of workarounds. It’s getting kind of embarrassing. You sure you don’t want to call Nuno [Bettencourt] or someone who nails this stuff in their sleep?'” he recalled.
Satriani ultimately discovered his own approach to the material.
“Eventually I warmed up to the idea of channeling myself through the composition and that’s what helped me a lot was just trying to understand the song and what Ed was trying to accomplish and not worry so much about whether I could pick as fast or tap with my middle finger or this finger while holding the pick this way, which I can’t do,” he concluded.
This revelation provides new insight into Satriani’s transition period with Sammy Hagar’s band. It also demonstrates the careful consideration given to honoring Eddie Van Halen’s legacy.
