This Santana secret really blows my mind..
Вставка
- Опубліковано 11 гру 2022
- TRANSFORM your guitar playing! Join the Guitar Playback Academy for STRUCTURED LESSONS and REAL TEACHER FEEDBACK!
📌 Free 14-Day Access ➜ guitarplayback.com/freetrial
The first time I listened to Santana, I was not impressed. Until I figured this ONE THING out...and it changed everything...
📌 CLAPTON'S SECRET: • It makes anything you ...
--------------------------------
// WANT TO SUPPORT MY CHANNEL?
If you like to support the channel, you can put something in my tip jar right here: free.guitarplayback.com/produ...
Also, sharing my videos to others who might enjoy them is highly appreciated!
And if you enjoy the videos, please subscribe at goo.gl/CmJzN2
It's free and helps the channel a lot!
--------------------------------
// FREE GUITAR WORKSHOPS
Music DNA workshop
guitarplayback.com/dna
--------------------------------
// MY MUSIC
Evolving Seeds of Glory
www.davidwallimann.com/album/...
The Christmas Album
www.davidwallimann.com/album/...
40 Year Journey (Feat. Dweezil Zappa)
www.davidwallimann.com/album/...
--------------------------------
// RECOMMENDED PLAYLISTS
How to Play Melodic
• Start Unlocking Your M...
How to Use Guitar Modes
• How To Use Guitar Modes
How to Play Blues
• How To Play Blues Solos
--------------------------------
// GEAR I USE
The Chair! amzn.to/3btIZrt
Vola Guitars:
Use code DAVID to save 5% on your next Vola Guitar!
volaguitars.com/Wallimann
Fractal Audio: www.fractalaudio.com
ClearTone Strings: www.cleartonestrings.com
Hosa cables: hosatech.com
Neck Diagrams: neckdiagrams.sjv.io/bX9ek
Transcribe!: bit.ly/2DCMfC7
Guitar Pro: goo.gl/VM5QEx
David’s Gear Picks:
imp.i114863.net/PMyvR
SweetWater Deals: imp.i114863.net/j9rG6
Gear Giveaways: imp.i114863.net/VMmvM
New Gear Day: imp.i114863.net/n5LZ9
Business Inquiries: david@davidwallimann.com
Like BB said; It only takes one note to capture a woman's heart but it has to be the right note. 😎
The way you say Plethora is 100% unacceptable and infuriating 😂
That’s a lot of words. I guess I was lucky. My Dad sat me down and said “Listen to this album. It’s Abraxis and the group is Santana. Carlos Santana is the guitar player.” This was back in ‘84 and I was 15. Half way through the album I thought they were phenomenal. After the umpteenth listen Carlos was one of my favorite guitarists. Still is. 🍻
Same experience for me
Carlos Santana plays with feeling and soul. I call it getting into the zone.
Certain things cannot be thought
Carlos Santana's music comes from the heart, has soul
God's given
Much love from Africa my guitar King 🎸🎵🙏❤❤❤
Shredders only connect with those who want to watch someone play. Santana connects with everyone else who wants to hear someone play. His note choice is very important, always asking the question "how can I say what I need to say with the least number of words necessary?" That's the lesson.
agreed , should be in context to the song , i like it when the guitar enhances the song
Shredding is unemotional shyt !!!!
Best...guitar...player. Ever. You feel what he speaks with his instrument.
Carlos' music is a reflection of the vibes of his soul. Truely spiritual..
It’s alive!
I love his playing, it's soulful, he's not scared of playing melodies. He draws you in as he paints pictures with his notes. Music isn't a race or a competition, although it's very important to keep learning, for expressing yourself with clarity of feeling.
Great to see Tufnell getting the respect he deserves
One name stands out when you talk about this is Gary Moore and he was the master of having an experience with the guitar.
Still got the blues still shakes me to my core
absolutely
@@friedrich1957 especially the live version at Montreau
I discovered Santana in the early '70s and he and his band blew my mind. When I started playing guitar in 1975 I started learning his licks and style and incorporating them into my playing. In 2005 I started a Santana tribute band here in Brisbane, Australia and was able to finally act out the part, so to speak. It was a highlight of my musical life which I will always treasure. I've seen Santana three times and each was an amazing experience. We are so blessed to have this amazing person on our planet; he has inspired generations of players.
My story almost the same except I play keys and loved Rolie , and of course Santana’s raw powerful intense sound. Seen them 20 plus times and still play today.
Santana made Mesa Boogie pop. His greatest popularity spiked with "Evil Ways" and "Black Magic Woman". All before fusion and neo-classical, speed picking and sweeping, tapping etc. existed. He was huge in the consumer market when he emerged. The song quality and how he fit that context was where he excelled.
It always comes down to how does it affect you. Who cares what notes, how fast or how varied. If you smile it is great.
Carlos Santana changed my guitar playing! Never a shredder and relying on pentatonic Santana showed that, sometimes, less is more, throw in a Dorian note at the right time and boom, you sound like you are playing music! You don´t need to play fast, you dont need to play every note, leave space and "see and feel" what you are playing!
I am latino so I've grown up around latin music of all sorts. However, I never really connected with it. I've always loved rock and metal from a young age so when I picked up guitar, I naturally gravitated towards those genres. My thirst for guitar knowledge continued and I eventually got into blues and other areas of music that I had never considered. That's when I found Carlos Santana. It was the first time that I saw someone play the instrument as the main voice of the music, not just the rhythm or solos here and there. At the same time, he combined these genres that I was exploring with latin music that I was already quite familiar with. I was amazed at how beautiful and expressive the music could be without a singer. It was an absolutely mind blowing thing for me at the time and it totally changed my trajectory as a guitar player and as a music lover. It opened up my mind to so much music and it gave me a bridge to get from guitar to the latin music that I had trouble connecting with before. I had the privilege to see him live and it's one of my fondest memories. He still is one of my biggest influences.
You and me both, brother. I was just a "tween" (11) when I bought my first Santana album, and I was spellbound. The man is a veritable wizard who, through his soul-deep connection with the guitar *and* the audience, captivates, mesmerises and uplifts the listener's soul.
I didn't pick up the guitar myself for several more years, but Carlos became my greatest inspiration and teacher, not just as a guitarist but as a human being, a man. I once watched him talking with Letterman back in the late 80's, and when asked what the most important thing about playing guitar was, Carlos responded by saying, "Most important is that you play with enthusiasm, with a deep appreciation for the audience, and sincere humility."
That has been my guiding principle ever since. Carlos Santana...what a man!
@@That70sGuitarist That's a great way to see it and he really does take that approach.
@@josefeliciano9418 That's why he still does it. Sure, he may be getting on in years, and doesn't have quiteas much "flash" as he used to, but he still manages to reach out and involve the audience in the magical act of creating and playing Santana music.
If I still had money like I did during my years as a working musician, I would pay good money just to sit and listen to him talk about playing guitar. My ears, heart and soul are always open for Carlos Santana.
I don't come from a Latin background, but I've loved Afro-Cuban rhythms ever since I was a little baby. Whenever I would start to fuss or cry, my mother would put on Latin big band or African folk records on the hi-fi, and in moments I'd be a happy baby again, smiling, wiggling around and clapping my hands to the music. I guess you could say I came by my love of Afro-Cuban rhythm from a very early age, and it became permanently infused into my soul.😉
I mean, I'm too old and crippled to dance anymore, but throw on anything with a salsa, rhumba or samba beat, and my feet and hips can't help swaying!
I love to play Carlos Santana’s music because it has deep feeling to the solos and it’s easy to get swept away within the song itself.
@David Wallimunn it goes even deeper … I have been listening to CS since I was 16, I am 64 now. Carlos stumbles over notes, makes mistakes, but they don’t matter … he breathes life and breath into notes he plays, he runs out of breath, breathes in, and plays again. In his day, Caravanserai, Borboletta, Welcome albums, it was pure genius. Nowadays I still listen, but only to his music from the 1970s mostly. Still love him though.
The combination of emotion squeezed from within and the beautiful tones that leak from the equipment are SO MUCH MORE than tge sum of their parts....
You're absolutely right. I figured this out years ago. I noticed that all the guitarists that sounded really good. Not good technically, but every note sounds MUSICAL and sweet, are the guys that you can tell they're putting everything they have into every performance. So I started approaching guitar In the same way. Being self taught and playing strictly by ear, this was not a hard transition. My playing improved quickly after that, I didn't need to look at my hands as much, and I just sounded better. Pretty insane. Thank you for sharing this. It will help many people, no doubt.
A la fin des 70’s, Santana et Gilmour m’ont donné envie de faire de la guitare… électrique !
I first heard Carlos when I was in high school in the early 70's. He had a very unique and attractive sound. What I liked about him then, and still do, is that instead of playing a lot of notes, he just played the right notes. And he wasn't just playing notes, he was playing music--music that moves the listener (I think that's your point too).
I am SO glad you put this into words. I have FELT Santana from day 1. Wow! Thank you !!!
Carlos has a deep connection to God. He seems to allow God to take the controls…and he just is the instrument of God. Pretty amazing.
He's spiritual. He channels when he plays. He has real Magick, my belief anyway.
Our culture is mostly material, Carlos knows the true spiritual.
I think Derek Trucks and Matheus Asato are two other guitar players that also follow this principle while being able to shred if they want it.
yes for sure Derek is from somewhere else , I have seen him close his eyes and play a non repeating solo for 20 minutes live and never even look at his guitar fret board
The Album Santana III changed my life. It confuses me that he didn't get a Grammy until Super Natural. Toussaint 'l overture is a complete masterpiece. Great Horns and Titto Fuentes on Timballes.
Borboletta got me back in 74 and " Practice what you preach " and "Promise of a fisherman" "Canto de la flores " took me on a journey till now.Seen Carlos 8 times
While I commend your late-found appreciation of CS, I believe the reason for it is that you - as you admit - discovered his playing in the mid-90's.. I was 15 in 1969 - the year Santana played at Woodstock. If you want to understand the impact of Santana, you really need to watch 'Soul Sacrifice' from the Woodstock documentary video. In fact, EVERYONE who thinks they know Santana, and haven't seen it, should go there right now! When you consider that this was a live performance, well, what more can be said? When 'Abraxas' was released - over 1 year later, well, again...
Couldn't agree more. Seeing him play SS at Woodstock was eye-opening, a complete lesson in _playing with conviction_.
Well Said - Santana was Soul not Tech and that performance will be in my head and heart forever. I was 16 at the time.
All the more incredible considering several of the members, including Santana, were just peaking on acid given to them by Jerry Garcia. They thought they had 12 hours before they went on, but due to scheduling changes they had to go on or they would lose their chance. A career defining moment, while tripping.
Yep, for sure, I was thinking while watching this, he should listen to Santana's first, second, third, and fourth albums. Then he would get it.
just like jeff beck its not about being flashy
I close my eyes and feel what Santana feels, so much emotion just listening with my eyes closed
Back in 2019, I had just gotten out of rehab…looking for inspiration. Santana’s Masterclass it was.
To see one man so connected to every single note flipped a switch in me. (entire course is ingenious…never seen guitar viewed in that way)
players like Carlos and Jimi too are more 'intuitive' players than technical players. They're not playing scales and modes, they're just playing what they feel, at all times.
Technique w/o soul is sophisticated noise . Soul comes from living and suffering which develops humility . Thats why IMHO Santana is far better than most . His music is not about ego tripping . Substance not flash . And he is very technical . Hear his work with MacLaughlin on Caravanserai from 71 or so .
I prefer what he did mid 70s. He was using that Yamaha SG2000. Man did that thing have tone. His lines were more fluid, probably influenced by JMcLaughlin.
I agreed.yamaha was the best Santana sound.saw him 1978. No words.a tone like a Violin.
This is how you “get” Carlos. Light some candles, take a reasonable dose of your favorite psychedelic, put on Moonflower and get transported to another dimension of spirit and emotion by way of his band and his guitar playing.
Also really analyze the Woodstock performance especially Soul Sacrifice. Watch a very young and green Carlos and band pour everything they had into the music and out to the audience of 500,000 people.
This is the eternal battle of music academia vs. the "crazy ones" who FEEL. Your video is fantastic, thank you for bringing Carlos Santana Barragán the appreciation he deserves as a HUMAN!
it’s called “soul“.
It’s a core component in the Afro-Latin music that Santana plays. As well as the jazz music he has also played in the past.
some people mistakenly believe it is antithetical to technical proficiency that you spoke of, but Juilliard trained musicians like Miles Davis and Winton Marsalis or examples of how that is not necessarily the case.
Something like this is often understood by those who came up understanding it.
Hey David and totally agree with you being into blues and heavy rock but when I first heard Carlos I noticed this deep emotional feeling in every note he played as well as his own signature style and tone. And later on hearing and seeing him on video I saw what I suspected a very spiritual guy with deep emotions!
I’ve been playing guitar since the 60,s Got hooked on Santana since Woodstock.I played in a funk band then in Jr & high school Santana was my strength when ever I played and mostly with my eyes closed because of what I was feeling & trying to project to those listening. Guitar Icons have come & gone but Santana has remained relevant 🎼🎸🎶
Now's a good time for you to explore the Grateful Dead & Jerry Garcia..
I like his late 1970's stuff especially Revelations.
Carlos is singing through his instrument. Duane Allman called it hitting the note,
The way you felt about Santana…. I feel the same way about technical players like Satriani
I agree. It sounds very bland to me. Guys like SRV, Santana and Buddy Guy for me FEEL what they're playing.
it's not about emotions, it's about imagination! imagination a musical sound, movement, etc. the emotion is something mysterious hidden behind the notes. You can't play emotions, you trigger emotions. but the musical notes comes from 100% imagination. If you can imagine music in your head and you know how to play those notes on the spot, then you are a musician like Santana. not everybody is born with those skills.
I agree 100%, feeling is what it’s all about, I’ve been a guitar player/singer for over 40 years and I also play multiple other instruments. I am just average at best, but when I put real emotion into the music all of a sudden everything is different and people respond to it, even on my bagpipes and that’s amazing. To me music has never been just notes on a page it’s a feeling that you convey.
(and I like how you slipped in the clip of Nigel because we all know even his technicality goes to 11)
Hi David, you know I had watched your channel a few times a couple years ago and you seem to push things and I was pretty new to guitar and up until last week I watched your Eric Clapton video. That led me to this video and I enjoyed it because I've always loved Santana's music. Not all that spiritual stuff but Samba Pati and Europa, all the old music I listened to as a kid with Neil Schon and company. I guess I'm just saying now we're on the same page. Thanks.
Remember Music Is What Feelings Sound Like!!!
Carlos speaks to the listener through the soul.
It's not about technique....that's why Miles loved him🙂
B.B. King (who was certainly an influence on Carlos) did an instructional video (available on UA-cam) where he described his approach as “speaking with good diction”. He was talking about phrasing and articulation. Expression. When you’re improvising in jazz and blues, you’re (ideally) striving for pure expression, melodicism and communication. A lot of jazz players get caught up in excessive flash and repetitive scale exercises, so it’s not a sharp line, but “shred” gets caught there a lot. With pre-written, heavily practiced solos aimed at maximum speed, you often lose the audience because you’re not speaking to them, you’re just showing off. And it isn’t always musical.
This is why it irritates me that “shred” and blues players constantly spit at each other and put each other down. You need both. You need skill, and you need expression. B.B. King knew more about jazz than he let on. And Santana has a fair amount of jazz influence as well. The “jam band” genre that Santana came up in (Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, etc) is about taking a jazz approach to rock. Starting with something composed, and then taking turns improvising for as long as you want.
Long story short: the ultimate guitar player has it all. You have to integrate all of these things. Maximize your skill in practice, but then use those skills for expression and improvisation in songs.
The best “shredders” do that. EVH, Yngwie, and others would improvise on their tracks, do multiple takes, and then edit together the best parts. Vai starts from practiced parts, but improvises a lot on stage. Having something completely pre-composed and played the same every time is not it. No matter how impressive it is. When you communicate directly with an audience, they feel it. Even if it’s just one note played exactly the right way at exactly the right time.
So if you know a lot of theory and technique, you need to practice improvising. You can do it by yourself with a backing track, but doing it live with a band in front of an audience is the real test. That’s what jazz and blues are all about. A live interaction between musicians and the audience. When you’re improvising, and your band mates get into it and follow you, and the audience gets into it and starts cheering you on, that is a whole different world. And that’s where Carlos is coming from.
On the flip side, if you’ve got all that, but don’t know theory and technique, you should study those. It’s not either/or. The ultimate is both. Everything.
Its the spiritual intention and mindfulness that makes the difference he is taking it to another level internally , those who only focus on the external will never get this SK
I saw Santana live in in Seattle in 93. He played some shred stuff that was comparable to yngwie Malmsteen and Vai and I was blown away. So Santana does have the skill and capability but he knows what type of playing fits a good song and knows the song is more important than his shred abilities.
I’m sharing this to my nephew who’s new to this world we live in. And you have explained this SO WELL … I’ve tried , just couldn’t put it into words.
Yes he plays with his heart.
Most people don´t know "Borboletta" (with Airto Moreira) and "Illuminations" nowadays........it`ll blow you away. Technically and spiritually.
Santana is the reason i learned guitar in the first place!
Samba Pa Ti is my go-to jam!
Then Europa...
All day, any day.
The most beautiful soul touching melodies!
And truly a warm human being and inspiring philosophy!
Great video by the way!
Such important advice!
Welcome to the club. Many of us guitar players have known what you are realizing now for 40 years. Blazing technique means nothing if you aren't sharing your spirit.
You're absolutely right. I also belong to this kind of musicians.
I'm glad you rediscovered this too many play too technically without feeling
I noticed that with Jose Feliciano, when I watched FARGO;
that night after watching that movie; 💥 It hit me!
PLAY WITH LIGHT OFF from that moment on, (wearing shades 😎 helps)
VISUALIZE YOUR FRETBOARD AND STRINGS with eyes wide shut!
Stand up! Play moving around, walking, and dancing 🕺
didn't happen in one day...
still what a difference
This is an important video, not a goofy one. THIS is the common thread among the greatest guitar players and potentially musicians in general. It's not a mechanical thing, it has to be coming from your mind, but without thinking much. From Van Halen to Steve Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi, Eric Johnson, Yngwie, BB King, Santana, they are finding the flow and opening themselves up in a way that is very difficult to maintain.
Santana plays and composes music from the soul!
He doesn't play to impress. That's why his music is unique and always becomes a hit!
Santana believes in spirit, soul & body. It's not all physical. This is difficult w/ people who don't have faith.
Very true and well articulated. Music composition evokes feelings and vice versa because it is 'felt' by the person making it. Of course being a virtuoso on an instrument is important as well but when it comes to making music, more often than not, a true expression of how you feel about the notes and sound is key. Everything else is production.
doesn't sound wacky at all. it comes from deep down in your soul
Definitely one of the best videos I’ve seen on guitar 🤘
Iv always said carlos make love to his guitar and that's what makes him stand out to me.
"Surgical Precision"....cuts to Nigel🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Spinal Tap will never not be funny.
Nigel--"I'm know for my solos,, they're my trademark"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great expression! You coined it, he speaks thru the guitar with such soul intensity. Too human! With or without Sugarman!
With so many options available for learning the fundamentals of music theory and guitar playing I am glad to see you taking on the aspect of virtuosity. The listening public has a couple of derogatory terms for unemotional "technical" lead guitar solos: typewriter leads and machine gun leads. In an interview with Guitar Interactive (???) Santana also said (and I paraphrase because I'm too lazy to look up the actual quote) "You owe it to yourself and your audience to put everything you have into every single note you play." It's a lot like comparing a school play actor simply reciting barely memorized lines to a seasoned actor delivering the lines with emotion. My favorite example of someone maturing from a technical player into a virtuoso is Joe Satriani. Prior to Surfin' his attempts are almost unbearable to listen to but from Surfin' onward, especially in the Campitelli era, he had discovered how to play musically. Musicians are like wines, the good ones get better with age ...
Have heard Carlos from when was playing in Aquatic Park in San Francisco. 1960’s
Carlos once said “anyone can play the note. You have to feel the note. “
Great video! I agree 100%!!
Intent is the key to magic
1972 was Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Muddy Waters, Rolling Stones, YES, Black Sabbath and John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orchestra) touring at their youthful peak so when Santana played by mid 73 with hard acts to follow they would be pressed to impress but Caravanserai had just been released by then and they were fresh from a huge US tour earlier that year so impress they did. 👍
I saw them twice on that tour spellbinding and amazing
I know what you are talking about, for sure. I've heard the difference between a band playing notes perfectly, and another band playing the notes perfectly but with emotion. It makes a HUGE difference. This principle can not only be applied to playing music, but other aspects and activities in one's life.
Man, I am seeing a lot of fake posts, i.e.: appearing to be from the channel creator, but are NOT, so be aware of this, and don't fall for their ploys.
LOL! The idiot who posts those fake offers, posted one in reply to my comments above. Must truly be an idiot, or a bot. :P
I love Santana. You can "feel" the music, the mood, the message..... No one else has this style perfected like he does. If you like guitarists who play with a great "feel" you ought to watch Andy Latimer play. He's with Camel. Check out "Stationary Traveler" by Camel. It's more bluesy but the feeling and intensity is profound. Then there's Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash. Check out "Persephone" by Wishbone Ash for a real musical treat!
there`s a book tha kind of speaks abou this, it`s called "Free play : improvisation in life and art"
Blues for Salvador is the Santana album that clicked for me. It was an eye opener. Gotta admit that despite owning numerous other albums it’s the only one that gets regular play time.
Right, and I’m jamming with SRV
Wonderful album
My compliments on your video everything you said is true. I met him in 1998 and I felt what you said
Wow this was well put thank you David Walliman!
It is called feel all the great guitar 🎸 players have feel that’s what makes them great musicians
well spoken man
Man David you are so getting IT…
🤠🎸🎶✌️
I took that course, and it's true at first it seems like he's just talking in riddles, but he really does mean something by every bit of it and it's worth it to try to figure out what it is.
"I went to see a live show of guitar virtuoso X yesterday and I was moved to tears by all the virtuosity."
Santana has been playing the same riff since the 60s. it's like Zoolander's 'Blue Steel.'
Samba Pate is great.
His greatest work was Love Devotion Surrender.
just subscribed !!....on the the basis of this video 🙌🏼
Glad your able to find him while he’s still creating
I love Carlos. But, lest we forget his "break-out" performance was at Woodstock. He and his band were directed to take the stage hours earlier than they had planed. Thereby hitting the stage while most of the members were peaking of 1960's grade acid. His performance was unconscious. There was no barrier to his talent and heart. I've also heard him talk about building his phrasing as if her were cussing somebody out.
This makes 💯 100% sense IF AND ONLY IF OR WHEN you understand the fretboard, and have developed your ear. THEN you will first experience those holy shit moments as you challenge yourself and find how much of it is intuition paired up with your knowledge along with your technique and dexterity development
Great video. You could say the same things for SRV.
Just had this epiphany the other day, listening to Carlos
Santana has soul feel and one of the greatest tones ever unlike many shredder guitarists that are good at one thing and that is technique technique is just a part of music technique can be musical yet they aren't getting the whole picture David Gilmore Jeff. Beck Robin thrower Rory Gary Moore bb king Joe Walsh Jimmy page all fit in where they lack in technique they shine with artistic emotion something you absolutely can't learn from Berkeley or git
Great video. Yes, there is music in silence. I love drinking from a firehose, for about 5 seconds, and again a little later, and so on... not two hours straight. Examples from the 80's... Jeff Beck, Alan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, ahhh... BB King, Roy Buchanan, Michael Stern, Larry Carlton...
Nice one, David.
How could you not get Santana? I'm confused. Music is more the then technical. It's feel, melody, tone. My favorite players to listen to are not the shredders.
It's just the hook of the video. Not completely true..
Yes when you get tapped into. there's nothing like it. It's like breathing it's all natural.you have to think you lost it.. what you're going for here,.hot on expressive at the moment. The thing with the fast playing is you just run right past the person's ear and there's many reasons. Just think of the regular person listening. And why simple songs are still great songs because of the emotion behind them. And the person was deep when they did it. That's what keeps me on fire every day doing my thing. Just don't chase players like most do. But some is okay.You might think you're good but when someone plays with their own way. I mean like never heard before in doing. Good luck in your search you're on the right track good job high five to you. Tap into your own spirit sounds easy..,..,...,....
I recommend having a cbd enhancement jelly or cake and if you love the guitar like I do it will being such joy to every note you play. In point of fact Carlos has been doing this for over fifty years and he openly admits it when discussing his Soul Sacrifice performance at Woodstock after taking lsd
You might dig his playing circa 1973 when he was playing with John McLaughlin - it was a million notes a minute - you might dig it to see where he came from. Check on youtube for "Santana & McLaughlin, Chicago (1973 - Speed Corrected)" and see what you think.
"Singing winds, crying beasts."
Some play with their fingers, some play for the fame, some play with a vengeance, some play to compete, some play with their heart and soul
Great video...music has ..yes has to be an expression of the player.. it's that simple...that is what gives the act of making music something of value. It brings body, mind and soul together....it comes out at a given interval of time in a series of vibrations of different frequency and intensity...it is a very unique statement that represents a unique moment on time and space...that is real and living musicality..that can not be digitally or electronically reproduced.. We need to understand this, embrace to this so that real music can live on ..and maybe it is a key element that is needed for humanity to truly evolve.... without art is humanity possible?
i'm the opposite of you because i don't get the steve vai thing , it is impressive for a minute but not musical to me in any way , nothing i want to listen to or emulate, nothing against steve seems like a great guy ...
If you want to listen to Intent listen to Jerry Garcia. Carlos has called him one the gratest guitarists of all time. I'll even give you a song, Goin Down the Road.
What you're saying is actually simple. Most people don't care about virtuosity. They just don't. Most people like music that is simple and heartfelt. Simplicity and Emotion sells. It's no secret. Record companies know that.
All music is about expressing emotion
and if that is not your first intention you are a player not a musician.
Every thing you do should be in service of the meaning and emotion of the song/music.
If you are not doing this you are either practicing, enjoying/playing for yourself (which is ok thing to do) and/or mucking about (which is also ok as there are no rules for you and your guitar).
learn as much music theory as possible, know how to play all chords and scales
so you have the right notes at the right time all in service of the music.
The voice is the most expressive instrument we have,
plan out your solos if you can having an intention/conclusion like a sentence.
Phrasing your guitar passages as if you where to sing them
like the saying goes make the instrument sing.
Awesome