Satch Boogie

Joe Satriani, 1987. Solo by Joe Satriani.

Tapping and legato over a boogie beat.

The showpiece of this track is a two-handed tapped passage in the middle, played entirely on the fifth string, which is often cited as an example of Satriani's pitch axis approach. Around it, blistering legato and whammy flourishes ride a swing-boogie groove. He built the solos in multiple passes with punch-ins, and engineer John Cuniberti changed microphones for different parts as if they were different singers. The track turned old-fashioned rock and roll boogie into a technical playground while staying fun, and it became a standard test piece for ambitious players. Listen for the tapped section on a single string: without changing strings, Satriani produces a melody that jumps across a wide range of notes.

Satch Boogie by Joe Satriani is ranked #63 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Joe Satriani and the song was released in 1987. It appears on 11 lists, placing as high as #2 (Consequence).

The story of Satch Boogie

The title goes back to Joe Satriani's high school days, when a guitarist friend, John Riccio, jokingly labelled everything Satriani wrote 'Satch Boogie'. Years later the name found a real song. In 1986 Satriani was hurt in a car accident and spent weeks in a neck brace on painkillers, unable even to look down at his fretboard. The injury would end up shaping one of the most famous instrumentals of the decade.

In that hazy state he imagined a swing beat played by Gene Krupa as the drummer and his kit tumbled down a flight of stairs, with a horn section trying to keep up. That picture became the frantic main section of the tune. The middle part eluded him until he was touring Sweden, where he finally completed the composition. Satriani later joked that such an odd idea only comes to you when you are on painkillers and in a neck brace.

The track was recorded for Surfing with the Alien on a budget of about $13,000 at Hyde Street and Alpha & Omega studios in San Francisco, co-produced with engineer John Cuniberti. To save money most of the album used programmed drum machines, but 'Satch Boogie' was the only track with a fully live drum performance, played by Jeff Campitelli. Percussionist Bongo Bob Smith programmed the drum machines elsewhere on the record, and Bernie Grundman mastered it.

Relativity released the album on 15 October 1987. Label president Barry Kobrin was initially unconvinced by the song until he heard Satriani play it at a live showcase. It became a signature piece, reaching No. 22 on the Mainstream Rock chart in 1988, while the album went platinum and earned a Grammy nomination. The album spent 75 weeks on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 29.

The solo

Satriani wrote and played all the guitars. Guitar World and Guitar Player say his main guitars for the album were Kramer Pacers plus a Strat-style Boogie Bodies instrument, with Floyd Rose vibrato for whammy work. His rig was modest: an early-1970s Marshall 1959 Super Lead with a 4x12 cabinet, a Chandler Tube Driver for overdrive, a Cry Baby wah and an Eventide H949 harmonizer. Cuniberti treated the different guitar parts almost like different singers, changing microphones for each, and Satriani built the solos in multiple passes with punch-ins. The track's showpiece is a two-handed tapped passage in the middle, played entirely on the fifth string, which Wikipedia cites as an example of 'pitch axis theory'. Around it, blistering legato and whammy flourishes ride the swing-boogie groove.

Legacy

Guitar World readers voted its solo the 55th greatest of all time, and the song became one of the defining instrumentals of the 1980s shred era. It gained a second life in video games: it was among the hardest songs in Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades and the hardest lead part in Rocksmith 2014, and also appeared in Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band. Deep Purple played it regularly during Satriani's spell as their touring guitarist.

Top 10 facts about Satch Boogie

Satriani wrote the song in 1986 while recovering from a car accident, wearing a neck brace and on painkillers.
Songfacts
He pictured Gene Krupa playing a swing beat as his drum kit fell down a staircase while a horn section tried to keep up.
Songfacts
The nickname 'Satch Boogie' began as a high school joke by guitarist John Riccio.
Guitar Player
Satriani finished the song's middle section while touring Sweden.
Guitar Player
Relativity president Barry Kobrin doubted the song until he saw Satriani perform it at a showcase.
Guitar Player
It was the only track on Surfing with the Alien with fully live drums, played by Jeff Campitelli.
Wikipedia
The album was made for roughly $13,000 and went platinum in 1992.
Wikipedia
The tapped bridge is played entirely on the fifth string.
Wikipedia
Satriani's pedals on the album included a Chandler Tube Driver, a Cry Baby wah and an Eventide H949.
Guitar World
The song plays during the Pizzariffic food fight scene in Problem Child 2.
Wikipedia

Live versions

Time Machine (Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA) (1993) Recorded 3 December 1992; opens the live disc of the double album.
Deep Purple with Joe Satriani Deep Purple played it regularly while Satriani toured as their guitarist.
Satriani Live! (Anaheim) (2006) Recorded 2 May 2006; a 5:18 extended performance.

In our lists

Deep Cuts — #30
The 25 Greatest Guitar Instrumentals — #7
The 25 Greatest Shred Guitar Solos — #5
The 1980s — #14
Tapping — #6
Instrumentals — #10

Sources

Who played the guitar solo on Satch Boogie?

Joe Satriani played the solo on Joe Satriani's Satch Boogie (1987).

What guitar was used on the Satch Boogie solo?

An ibanez, according to widely reported accounts.

Where does Satch Boogie rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#63 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 11 of them.

What album is Satch Boogie on?

Joe Satriani's 1987 album Surfing with the Alien.

How did Joe Satriani write Satch Boogie?

He conceived it in 1986 while in a neck brace after a car accident, imagining Gene Krupa's drums falling down a flight of stairs.

What guitar did Satriani use on Satch Boogie?

On the album he used Kramer Pacer guitars and a Boogie Bodies Strat-style guitar through a Marshall Super Lead.

What is the tapping part in Satch Boogie?

A two-handed tapped bridge played entirely on the fifth string, often cited as an example of pitch axis theory.

Is Satch Boogie in Guitar Hero?

Yes, it appears in Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades, and in Rocksmith 2014.