Originally Posted by: Cryptic ExcretionsSatriani is easily among the best. Also regarding Vai giving Satriani a run for his money. I'm not to say who's better as I like them both literally the same, but unless I'm misread, isn't Satriani self taught and also taught Vai to play (as well as many others)? Seems kind of hard to give your mentor a run for his money.

Have any of you seen the Satch CD's? Joe Satriani teaching Vai to play is a very overrated story. Upon hearing it, images of a doting Satriani teaching "little Stevie Vai" how to tap and sweep at the same time, are conjured in one's mind. The truth is they were kids. Satriani is 4 years older than Vai (In fact he'll be 50 next July).

Vai learnt the bulk of his playing at Berklee college of music in Boston, and playing with Frank Zappa (Which he did some arcane transcriptions for). So essentially it's fair to say that Vai "cut his teeth" with Joe (they lived on the same street). But to say that Joe taught Steve everything he knows is simply untrue.