"Eddie could play his borrowed Clapton licks at four times their original speed. But describing EVH’s guitar playing as “fast” undervalues it, like describing the Great Pyramid of Giza as “large”. Not just the best soloist on the planet, Eddie was possibly even better at rhythm – effortlessly grooving, extremely dynamic, and with the best swing in the game. Debates about whether he invented tapping (answer: no) are beside the point. Eddie Van Halen also did not invent harmonics, divebombs, palm muting, legato, or high gain tones, but no one had combined them seamlessly into one coherent guitar style, let alone perfected it on their debut album. [...] Where he hits a wrong note, he styles it out and keeps on wailing. Like the gymnast Simone Biles, no matter what acrobatics happen in the air, he always sticks the landing."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Composers from the United StatesImmigrants to the United StatesGuitarists from the United StatesKeyboardistsPeople from Amsterdam
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Jenna Scaramanga of ' (August 19, 2024)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Eddie_Van_Halen
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen (January 26, 1955 - October 6, 2020) was an American musician. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he founded with his brother Alex in 1972.
13 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Eddie Van Halen →
Related Quotes
"Practice. I used to sit on the edge of my bed with a six-pack of Schlitz Malt talls. My brother would go out at 7pm t…"
"I don't like doing interviews, I don't like doing what I'm doing right now. I'd rather be at home playing my guitar."
"Playing together without having to compromise our sound was a dream come true."
"In 1971, a young Eddie witnessed Page’s one-handed solo for Heartbreaker, “took the idea and ran with it”. And then s…"
"[Eddie's solos are] short, concise and brilliantly crafted. They’re not just about speed. He can do a bit of somethin…"
"Like Jimi Hendrix a decade earlier, Van Halen caused guitarists to look at their instruments in an entirely new way, …"
"It’s an incredible technique for what he does. I can’t do it. I can’t smile like him either."
"Eddie’s smile reflects the sheer exuberance bursting from the grooves on the first Van Halen album. [...] Eddie’s lic…"
"In 1978, Edward Van Halen redefined virtuosity on the electric guitar."
""Eruption" changed everything. Sure, it clocked in at less than two minutes and never came close to being a hit. As p…"