Joe Satriani
The teacher turned superstar who made instrumental rock guitar sing
Joe Satriani was born in Westbury, New York, in 1956 and grew up on Long Island. At 14 he heard that Jimi Hendrix had died, and the news convinced him to quit the football team and commit to guitar. He studied with jazz guitarist Billy Bauer and the pianist Lennie Tristano, whose demanding methods shaped his discipline. Even as a teen he was teaching, and one of his students was a young Steve Vai, who would later become his most famous pupil and close friend.
In the late 1970s Satriani moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he played in the power-pop band the Squares and built a reputation as a teacher. His students there included Kirk Hammett, Alex Skolnick, Larry LaLonde and others who would shape Bay Area rock and metal. He self-financed his first EP, then released Not of This Earth in 1986. His second album, Surfing with the Alien, arrived in 1987 and became a surprise hit, reaching the charts with no vocals at all.
The success of Surfing with the Alien made him the lead guitarist for Mick Jagger's first solo tour in 1988. Flying in a Blue Dream followed in 1989, and The Extremist became his most commercially successful album in 1992. In late 1993 he stepped in for Ritchie Blackmore as Deep Purple's touring guitarist but declined a permanent role. In 1995 he founded G3, a touring guitar showcase that launched in 1996 with Vai and Eric Johnson and has featured many star players since.
Satriani has released a steady run of albums including Crystal Planet, Engines of Creation, Super Colossal, Shockwave Supernova and The Elephants of Mars. In 2008 he formed the hard-rock supergroup Chickenfoot with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith. He has earned 15 Grammy nominations without a win and is regarded as the best-selling instrumental rock guitarist ever. In 2024 he and Vai formed SATCHVAI, releasing their first studio collaboration and touring together.
The 10 greatest Joe Satriani solos
- 1Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1987
- 2Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1987
- 3Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1987
- 4Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1989
- 5Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1992
- 6Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1992
- 7Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1987
- 8Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1987
- 9Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1989
- 10Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1992
The sound
Satriani's playing is built on melody: his tunes are hummable themes that the guitar sings like a vocalist. Underneath lies formidable technique, including smooth legato runs, two-handed tapping, fast alternate picking, harmonics and expressive whammy-bar work. He is known for modal writing, often exploring Lydian and other modes over pedal tones, and for pitch-axis ideas that move a scale over a fixed root. His tone is warm, liquid and heavily saturated, often shaped by wah and harmonizers. The combination of catchy songwriting and virtuosity helped make instrumental guitar rock commercially viable.
- Ibanez JS series (guitar) His signature line, starting with the JS1, which replaced the Ibanez 540 Radius he used earlier.
- Ibanez JS 'Chrome Boy' (guitar) A mirrored chrome-finished JS that became one of his most recognizable stage guitars in the 1990s.
- Marshall JVM410HJS (amp) His signature Marshall head since 2009.
- Peavey JSX (amp) His earlier signature amp, used until the Chickenfoot era.
- Marshall 6100 LM (amp) A limited-edition blue Marshall that was his main amp until 2001.
- Vox wah and Big Bad Wah (effect) Wah is central to his sound, and Vox made a signature model.
- Vox Satchurator and Ice 9 (effect) Signature distortion pedals, the latter named after his song Ice 9.
- DiMarzio Mo' Joe and PAF Joe pickups (effect) His signature humbuckers used since 2005.
Covers
- Going Down, originally by Don Nix A rollicking blues-rock jam where he traded solos with Vai and Eric Johnson.
- Red House, originally by The Jimi Hendrix Experience A slow blues tribute to his original hero.
- My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama, originally by Frank Zappa A tricky Zappa romp played with gleeful energy.
- Rockin' in the Free World, originally by Neil Young A rousing jam with Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen on the 2003 G3 tour.
- Smoke on the Water, originally by Deep Purple He played one of rock's best-known riffs as Deep Purple's stand-in guitarist.
Timeline
- 1956 Born in Westbury, New York, on July 15
- 1970 Quits football to play guitar after Hendrix's death
- 1974 Studies with Billy Bauer and Lennie Tristano
- 1986 Releases his debut album, Not of This Earth
- 1987 Surfing with the Alien becomes a surprise hit
- 1988 Tours as Mick Jagger's lead guitarist
- 1992 The Extremist becomes his most successful album
- 1993 Tours with Deep Purple as a temporary replacement
- 1996 Launches G3 with Steve Vai and Eric Johnson
- 2008 Forms Chickenfoot with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith
Facts
- He quit his high school football team the day he learned of Jimi Hendrix's death.
- His students included Steve Vai, Kirk Hammett, Alex Skolnick and Larry LaLonde.
- He has received 15 Grammy nominations without a win.
- He is described as the best-selling instrumental rock guitarist of all time.
- He was invited to join Deep Purple permanently in 1993 but declined.
- The album Surfing with the Alien has a cover featuring Marvel's Silver Surfer.
- His song title Ice 9 references a substance from a Kurt Vonnegut novel.
- He sued Coldplay over Viva la Vida in 2008; the case was dismissed in 2009.
- He played the national anthem in the 2011 film Moneyball.
- He did not release a studio collaboration with Steve Vai until 2024, despite their friendship of more than 50 years.