Zakk Wylde recently shared insights about developing his distinctive guitar style. He explained how he deliberately avoided copying popular techniques of his era in an interview on The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan.
The Black Label Society guitarist discussed his strategic approach to creating a unique sound by eliminating elements associated with other famous players.
“For me, I was just like, if you don’t want to sound like Yngwie, just get rid of harmonic minor and diminished,” Wylde said. “And it was like, if you don’t want to sound like Eddie, then get rid of the tapping and the harmonics and get rid of the whammy bar. And then it was just like crossing off all the lists.”
Wylde explained how this process of elimination led him to a simpler approach.
“And then, I was just like, ‘Well, what’s left?'” he continued. “I mean, there’s not much room left on the grocery list. And I was just like, I guess, just pentatonic scales, instead of three notes a [string], like Al DiMeola and Yngwie and what was massively popular at that time.”
The guitarist detailed his final decision on technique and approach.
“So it was just like, ‘All right, well, then I’ll just do pentatonic scales, but I’ll pick them as opposed to just doing hammer-ons and pull-offs,'” Wylde said. “Because, I was just like, ‘Well, what am I gonna do?’ If you do harmonic minor or this and that, it doesn’t matter how fast you play it, it’s gonna go, ‘Oh, wow, he sounds like a fast Yngwie.’ Or if you do taps even faster than Eddie Van Halen…”
This strategic approach to developing his sound reflects Wylde’s broader philosophy about carving out a unique identity in the guitar world. This mindset has shaped his entire career trajectory.
Wylde’s distinctive style didn’t develop in isolation. It was deeply influenced by guitar legends who came before him. Get My Guitar reported that his playing style is deeply influenced by Tony Iommi and Randy Rhoads. Their heavy, riff-based playing and neoclassical approaches helped shape Wylde’s method of creating distinctive riffs and solos.
The guitarist’s philosophy became particularly evident during his collaboration with Ozzy Osbourne. He had to adapt his approach significantly during this period. iHeart noted that Wylde shifted towards a more straightforward approach when working with Osbourne. He focused on pentatonic scales and heavy riffs that became a hallmark of their collaborations.
This evolution in his playing style has had lasting impact beyond his own music. Get My Guitar revealed that Wylde’s work with Black Label Society has influenced a generation of guitarists. His aggressive playing that blends speed with melody has been cited as inspiration by notable musicians like Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold and Nick Catanese.
The approach ultimately helped Wylde establish his signature sound that has defined his career with both Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society. This proves that sometimes the path to originality lies in conscious elimination rather than addition.
