Steve Vai explains the hardest part of replicating Robert Fripp’s playing style
Steve Vai has singled out channeling Robert Fripp’s “relentlessness” and unique picking style as some of the biggest challenges as he prepares to play the King Crimson legend's material on tour later this year.
He’s also revealed he’s working with Roland to make three special guitars for the upcoming shows.
Vai has teamed up with King Crimson alumni Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, and Tool drummer Danny Carey for the Beat supergroup. The band will be playing tracks from King Crimson’s trio of ‘80s albums, Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect during their US tour in the fall.
The band had previously received Fripp’s blessing, who said Vai was the only guitarist “who could play my parts”. Now, Vai has opened up on the parts he’s finding the most difficult to nail.
Guesting on the Make Weird Music podcast, Vai said: “There are songs that the particular picking technique makes it a little challenging.
“Like, Frame By Frame – I mean, back before the shoulder surgery and everything, that would have been no problem at all. It's the endurance, it's the absolute relentlessness of what he does that makes it so difficult. Because it's constant and it's intense. And it's fantastic.”
Having called Fripp a “historical genius”, Vai revealed he has begun developing a hybrid picking technique that's halfway between Fripp’s relentless attack and his own style.
“My original style was not very far off, but it went through a vast change when I joined Alcatrazz,” he explains. “I used to pick over the neck for all that Zappa stuff, but the tone wasn't very good.
“His style is so specific and refined, it's not something I could just jump into,” Vai continues. “It's a study. I've still got a few months. It's coming along. Robert's been extremely helpful, we've been in contact a lot.”
Having also received help from Belew, who assured Vai he had permission to change things up a bit, he’s said that Elephant Talk is one song that will be Vai-ified.
Vai goes on: “There are a couple of things that are a little difficult. Elephant Talk is a peculiar kind of thing. Plus, this isn't a cover band, we're reinterpreting some things. My style and sound will flow into it, because it will be coming out of me.
“I'm trying my absolute best to respect every note that Robert wrote, it's just how I perform it might be a little different.”
Another song in Vai’s crosshairs is Thela Hun Ginjeet.
“I want to add a little Vai into it,” he reveals. “Robert said, ‘I wanna see Steve Vai. If I was sitting in the audience, I'd wanna see Steve Vai go crazy.’ I'm doing it more rhythmically and leaving out one note – I could get it in there but it's awkward. I like it because it's more me.”
When asked about the gear he’ll be using for the tour, the guitarist revealed he is “having three guitars built for this tour”, in collaboration with Roland.
“They're gonna have the Roland GM-800 [guitar synth] built into them,” Vai continues. “I'm working with Roland and I sent them the tracks and pinpointed certain parts so we can start with a facsimile of Robert’s sound.
“But I don't want to do everything the way he did it. I want to see if there's different ways of making those sounds with new technology that work on a contemporary guitar. All the stuff they used is discontinued.
“I'm very optimistic. I've fooled around with synth guitars, but I just want simplicity and quality. And I can't wait to start building these patches.”
Beat's maiden tour kicks off September 12 in San Jose and runs through to November 8, when it wraps in Las Vegas.
For tickets and more info, visit the band's website.
