Steve Vai quotes

Steve Vai is an American guitarist, composer, and producer renowned for his virtuosic playing and innovative style in rock and instrumental music. His work with artists like Frank Zappa and his successful solo career have strongly influenced the world of guitar music. He continues to inspire musicians worldwide with his technical mastery and unique sound. Here are 57 of his quotes:

I have a deep love for life and my fellow human beings. I try to understand everything that everybody does, even if it seems wrong to me.

Steve Vai

The classical guitar has a dynamic to it unlike a regular acoustic guitar or an electric guitar. You know, there's times when you should play and there's times when you gotta hold back. It's an extremely dynamic instrument.

Steve Vai

I think every artist subconsciously wants to evolve themselves. Sometimes they get stuck in ruts because of pop culture, peer pressure, stuff like that. But what excites me most is exploring my own musical insights and expanding upon them.

Steve Vai

All musicians practice ear training constantly, whether or not they are cognizant of it. If, when listening to a piece of music, a musician is envisioning how to play it or is trying to play along, that musician is using his or her 'ear' - the understanding and recognition of musical elements - for guidance.

Steve Vai

I've been approached many times to write all sorts of books about my past and my personal life. I get interest from people who want to do reality shows, and somebody just offered me a huge amount of money to write my spiritual memoirs. I'm just not interested.

Steve Vai

Criticism can be devastating. When push comes to shove, we are all very sensitive.

Steve Vai

It's hilarious, because my guitar has what's known as a tremolo bar or a whammy bar. And the whammy bar is probably the most alien thing on my guitar that could possibly relate to a classical guitar.

Steve Vai

I've never really heard anybody imitating anything of mine the way they do with Edward Van Halen's stuff.

Steve Vai

I awake, I meditate, get the kids off to school, go to the gym, go to the Favored Nations office, and usually at around 1 pm I'm home and do music the rest of the day.

Steve Vai

I know it is common nowadays for artists to start labels but this is a thoroughly constructed vehicle for inspired talent. This is a market that we've been living, breathing and eating for our entire lives - one where a huge void currently exists. Favored Nations is a long-term commitment.

Steve Vai

I was always one of those guys who was a seeker after truth. I want to know what's going on.

Steve Vai

I designed a guitar for Ibanez and then they started manufacturing it - it's called the Jem - it's 26 years old and I still play it. As a kid I liked Les Pauls and Strats, but they had limitations for the kind of playing I wanted to do.

Steve Vai

I knew that I was going to have a life as a musician, because I always felt the pull. I don't remember ever having to make a choice.

Steve Vai

My past is very interesting, and I treasure it, but to write about it, it's just not on my radar.

Steve Vai

I wanted to be a composer before anything else. And my sister was listening to Led Zeppelin in the other room! When I heard that, it was a game-changer.

Steve Vai

If you're feeling emotional when you're creating something, it'll sound that way.

Steve Vai

You can never deny the immense talent, rock credibility and iconic historical contribution that Van Halen made.

Steve Vai

I don't think I approach my songs differently from other artists. You get a big picture of it, and you imagine the song and hear and feel it, and that big picture is like a snapshot, and it comes to you as fast as it takes to click a camera.

Steve Vai

The older I get, the more I just like plugging directly into my amp. I'm tired of trying to impress myself with weird sounds. It's about the notes more.

Steve Vai

It just happens in life, where you resonate with a particular artist. Or it can be a kind of food or a fashion - you discover it and it gives you a whole new lease on life.

Steve Vai

Possessing a healthy imagination is a necessary ingredient for creativity.

Steve Vai

A lot of those little things that I really like doing are just moments of cool articulation, just little moments of phrasing that probably go over everybody's head.

Steve Vai