Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt spoke in a recent interview with The French Connection and talked about iconic guitarists like Brian May, Malcolm Young, and more.
In the conversation, Nuno explained what he learned from Queen’s iconic guitarist Brian May and said that melodically bending the notes, simplified things, and being okay with being simple are three of the most important things he learned from May.
Moreover, Nuno revealed why he sometimes didn’t connect with the solo parts of the songs and stated that Brian May is the one who taught him playing guitar for the song is the key of the great solo.
Furthermore, Nuno mentioned that some of the solos feel like another song within the song and revealed that even though the solo is great, it doesn’t really create the connection between the solo and the song.
Here is what Nuno Bettencourt said:
“What Brian May taught me was – melodically bending notes, the simplified things, and to be OK with being simple at times. One of the things I learned early on was – I always was disconnected with guitar players that when I heard a song and then a solo came.
I always thought, ‘Why didn’t I connect with the solo?’ even though the solo was great. But Brian May taught me, ‘Play the solo for the song.’ He didn’t tell me that, but it was there, like, ‘Play for the song.’
If you’re gonna do an instrumental album, then do whatever you want, but within a song, I used to go like, ‘Wow, this is great.’ I get it – you create a song within a song, like a little bridge. It wasn’t just for me to show up, so if the song was crazy, like ‘Play With Me,’ then the solo it was crazy. If it was ‘A Song for Love,’ then it was ‘A Song for Love.'”
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