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While Satriani is a deeply technical player \u2013 in musician\u2019s parlance, a \u201cshredder\u201d \u2013 from the very beginning his work has been distinguished by a strong emphasis on melody and accessibility. And that\u2019s very much by design. \u201cI try to keep a very strong melodic floor to even the craziest solo,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I sit down to turn some feeling \u2013 whether it’s simple or very complex \u2013 into music, I’m trying to do two things,\u201d Satriani explains. \u201cOne, I’m trying to get it right for myself. I’m trying to prove to myself that I’m translating this inspiration correctly into music.\u201d<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s only half of the equation. \u201cI also want to see if I [communicate] that story to my audience,\u201d he says. And Satriani acknowledges that where instrumental music is concerned, much is left to the listener\u2019s imagination. \u201cIt has this great power of allowing the listener to reinterpret it,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd that goes back to a broader meaning of music.\u201d Satriani believes that human beings need<\/i> music. \u201cAnd when we put on a piece of music to help us celebrate or commiserate, we’re making the choice to use that music as we see fit,\u201d he says And that might or might not line up with the composer\u2019s original intent.<\/p>\n
He provides an amusing example to illustrate his point. \u201cI write a song about diving off a cliff into a beautiful mountain pool of crystal clear, freezing cold water. And someone may hear it and think, \u2018This is the perfect song for when I need to write code for my software project!\u2019\u201d Satriani emphasizes that ultimately, the artist gives up control over the song\u2019s meaning when it\u2019s shared with the wider audience. \u201cI write a love song, and they think it’s sad,\u201d he says with a chuckle. \u201cI write a sad song, and they use it as a love song!\u201d<\/p>\n
And Joe Satriani is okay with that. \u201cThat is the beauty of it,\u201d he says. And that delightful disconnect is part of what separates instrumental music from songs with words. \u201cIf [a tune] has lyrics, of course, then you’re kind of forced to know what it was that the artist is trying to tell you,\u201d he explains. \u201cBut when you hear \u2018Moonlight Sonata,\u2019 you can decide for yourself: \u2018This song is about this<\/i>, today.\u201d And Satriani keeps this reality in mind when he writes music.<\/p>\n
The acclaimed guitarist has a fertile mind when it comes to creating memorable melodic lines. One of his early breakthrough tunes was the soaring instrumental \u201cAlways With Me, Always With You,\u201d an elegiac track from his second album, 1987\u2019s Surfing with the Alien<\/i>. The song combined lightning-fast fluid runs with a fetching, ballad-like melody. The track earned Satriani the first of those many Grammy nominations, in this case for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.<\/p>\n
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And though he\u2019s written hundreds of songs since then, Satriani exercises strict quality control. Not everything he composes (or records) finds its way onto a Joe Satriani album. \u201cI think every project has a couple of songs that leave you scratching your head,\u201d he says. \u201cHalfway through, you go, \u2018I thought that was going to be great.\u2019\u201d In those cases, he puts the song off to the side and moves on to something else.<\/p>\n
When he\u2019s working on an album like The Elephants of Mars<\/i>, Satriani says that he routinely brings a lot of material to the project. \u201cI’ve always got 20-30 songs,\u201d he says. \u201cSometimes 50.\u201d As the project progresses, some inevitably fall by the wayside. Others are reworked, and the best ones make it to the finish line. And if the plan calls for the record to include ten tracks, he might decide to complete a few extras. \u201cSome people on my team are saying, \u2018Give 10; don’t give many more.\u2019 And other people are saying, \u2018You might as well work on 16, because you never know.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
And in Satriani\u2019s case, you really don\u2019t<\/i> know. \u201cThe last day in the studio, you might decide that four of them aren’t quite<\/i> ready yet,\u201d he admits. Satriani has a good sense of which among his songs are best suited for each album, but he listens to people he trusts, too. \u201cEven the record company \u2013 filled with really talented people who do this all the time \u2013 can listen to an album and get surprised and say, \u2018You know that song we thought was [a deep album] track? I think it’s the single!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
But even if a song ultimately doesn\u2019t make the cut, Satriani holds onto it. \u201cI do a record just about every two years,\u201d he explains. \u201cSometimes I do a song, and I don’t quite know how to finish it. And then two years later, \u2018Now, I get it. This is what I was trying to do, and I’ve gotten better, so I can finish it now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n