Hello, all you guitar aficionados! The Guitarmetrics team has been examining certain guitarists that have revolutionised the concept of playing the guitar; they are not only guitarists; they are guitar gods!
They have developed a unique mastery of their instrument.
Be it Joe Satriani's Flawless legato technique, Steve Vai's whammy melodies or Yngwie Malmsteen's lightning speed licks, They are known for their own style.
But one thing that unites these guitarists is their commitment to the instrument, their tenacity with it, and their overall enjoyment of creating music.
We are aware that there are many guitarists who deserve to be on this list and whose music has altered the course of rock history, but we are primarily interested in the technical aspects of guitar playing, and these guitarists have nailed it!
7. Zakk Wylde (Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt)
Zakk Wylde is an absolute 6-string master!
He is the Black Label Society's founder and the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. And who can miss his Custom Gibson "The Grail" with the Bull's Eye Design.
The terrifying technique used by Zakk Wylde can make your jaw drop!
He blends different methods like tapping and screaming harmonics with a pentatonic origin for his primary shredding.
He is characterised by many as a mindless shredder with no musical sensibility. But we genuinely believe that he is an absolute genius!
The same as Yngwie Malmsteen, he doesn't subscribe to the notion that "less is more."
He claimed that he used to practise for 16 hours every day. and you'll believe it once you see his playing.
He now distinguishes himself from other guitarists thanks to that. He ranks among the best technical guitarists of all time in our opinion.
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6. Paul Gilbert (Paul Brandon Gilbert)
Of course, we could not leave out the great Paul Gilbert.
He is the founder of the band Mr.Big and also a member of Racer X.
Paul Gilbert is known for his Accurate Picking Technique which most of us can only dream of. In other terms, he is the Perfect shredder!
His playing is more technically difficult due to the accuracy of his picking, as well as other playing styles like tapping and legato.
He is included on our list of the finest guitar virtuosos in the world because of his incredible stretches and speed.
Additionally, GuitarOne Magazine ranked him as the fourth greatest guitar shredder of all time. Additionally, he is among the top 50 fastest guitarists of all time.
Listen to the song "Technical Difficulties" to see how he uses technique.
Video credit- Youtube channel- Francesco Pazzaglia
5. John Petrucci (John Peter Petrucci)
One of the few guitarists who can combine speed and beautiful melodies is John Petrucci of Dream Theatre.
He became well-known for his unique right-hand picking style, which he created.
He can play the guitar with a lot of speed and precision because to this technique.
He also created a series of guitar lessons in which he demonstrated some of his drills and licks.
The best of times, Hollow Years, Glasgow Kiss, and many other outstanding guitar solos are among his works.
Seven invitations were made to John Petrucci to perform with G3.
Also in Joel McIver's 2009 book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists, Petrucci was ranked 2nd.
He was ranked in the top 10 Guitar players of all time by GuitarOne Magazine.
Want to learn guitar and play like John petrucci??
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4. Yngwie Malmsteen (Yngwie Johan Malmsteen)
Yngwie Malmsteen is the Only Neo-Classical Guitarist Listed here.
He was included on this list due to his classical influences and excellent guitar playing skills.
It almost seems surreal to see Yngwie play at lightening speed with such accuracy and ease!
His classical roots have an impact on his classic tone.
His distinctive sound is a string bend that resembles a screaming lady.
A Fender strat is his hallmark instrument. Known as "The Duck." He had collaborated with the groups G3, Steeler, Hear n' Aid, and Alcatrazz.
In songs such as Blackstar, Far beyond the sun, Arpeggios from Hell, etc., you can hear his exact guitar playing style.
He was rated among the top 10 Electric Guitar Players of all time by Time Magazine.
Check out his live performance of Black star below.
Video credit- Youtube channel- ady toby
3. Eddie Van Halen (Edward Lodewijk Van Halen)
We couldn't have made this list without the great Eddie Van Halen.
He is the guitarist whose stage antics and playing style altered how people perceived playing the electric guitar.
He founded the band Van Halen and serves as its lead guitarist.
Numerous guitarists all around the world have been inspired by his distinctive tapping style.
Eddie, who is also credited with creating the tapping technique, is particularly fixated on whammy techniques and screaming harmonics.
His famous guitar solo, "Eruption," which made him famous for his remarkable tapping style, also demonstrates his monstrous shredding prowess.
He was included on this list due to his distinctive tapping style and fluid shredding.
Eddie has also worked with numerous other musicians, including Sammy Hagar, Brian May, and Michael Jackson on "beat it."
Eddie Van Halen was Ranked no.1 in 100 Greatest Guitarist Of All Time by Guitar World Magazine.
Check out the EVH style Miniature Guitar Model in our Collectibles Section.
2. Steve Vai (Steven Siro Vai)
What can we say about Mr.Steve Vai.? He is the guitarist who brought many different elements into Guitar playing.
Innovation, Experimentation, Unique Techniques, He is among the few Musicians who are not afraid to experiment with their sound.
He has worked with many artists like Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, and Frank Zappa.
Steve Vai's signature Guitar series, Ibanez JEM series is a Piece of Art in itself! His main guitars which he uses to perform live are Ibanez Jem 'EVO' and 'FLO'
Many guitar players can only hope to emulate Vai's practising regimen.
He organised his daily practise time of 10 to 15 hours into various sections that were devoted to the many disciplines he wished to master.
He plays guitar really efficiently. Tender surrender, whispering a prayer, bad horsie, For the love of God (which he recorded in one take), and many other songs are among his top hits.
Two-handed tapping, hybrid picking, whammy tricks, harmonic tricks, alternate picking, legato, and sweep picking are some of Vai's techniques. He is knowledgeable about everything.
Steve Vai was ranked the 10th Greatest Guitarist of All Time by Guitar World Magazine.
Check out Vai's Iconic track for the love of god below.
Video credit- Youtube channel- stevevaihimself
1. Joe Satriani (Joseph Satriani)
We were genuinely perplexed about which guitarist to put in the lead position.
But after weighing all of the options, we concluded that Joe Satriani is the best candidate for the position.
We can call Mr.Joe Satriani a Modern Rock Guitar player.
He incorporates every quality that a rock guitarist should possess.
He has also worked with G3, Steve Vai, Deep Purple, Sammy Hagar, Crowded House, Chickenfoot, Steve Vai, Mick Jagger, and Steve Vai.
He has his own line of Ibanez JS guitars and is an Ibanez endorser.
Joe Satriani was not only included on this list but also took the top spot thanks to his flawless lyrical ideas and guitar prowess.
His unique ability to perform Legato runs with Volume swells with ease is one of his defining moves.
He has also mastered various techniques like Sweep picking, pinch harmonics, hybrid picking, two-handed tapping, arpeggio tapping, and whammy bar effects.
Additionally, Joe Satriani is skilled in a variety of techniques including sweep picking, pinch harmonics, hybrid picking, two-handed tapping, arpeggio tapping, and whammy bar effects.
The extremist, made of tears, surfing with the alien, summer song, Flying in a blue dream, and many other songs by Joe Satriani are among his top hits.
Satch is renowned for being a superb guitar instructor.
Steve Vai, Kirk Hammet, David Bryson, Kevin Cadogan, Charlie Hunter, and David Turin are just a few of his well-known former pupils.
In terms of Grammy Award nominations, he ranks No. 4! with fifteen nominations
10 comments
Wild to leave Shawn Lane and Buckethead (Brian Patrick Carroll) off this list. Has the author maybe not heard of them/heard them?
The title is misleading. The gutar is an instrument with many different styles of playing and with three main variations: classical (nylon string), acoustic (steelstring) and electric. Each variant of the instrument is used in many different genres as the guitar of choice. This focuses exclusively on rock-based electric guitar. The scope is quite narrow for that expansive title. You leave out other genres with titans of the instrument like Sabicas, De Lucia, Segovia, Bream, Travis, Atkins, Beck, Reinhardt, SRV, Setzer ETc. ETc. Etc. each one of whom hugely contributed to the instrument and influenced tons of players in their respective genres over the generations.
I get really pissed when Buckethead isnt mentioned…waste my time coming here.
The thing all these guitarists have in common, excluding EVH, is that they are boring. Technically impressive but boring. None of them has ever come up with a memorable riff. It’s all technique-they’re acrobats instead of dancers.
Give me Page or Hendrix or Gilmore over these guys any day.
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