AS A WORKING guitar player, I’ve gigged in backyards, dive bars, discos, hockey arenas, pizza parlors, symphony halls and living rooms, and on tropical islands and cruise ships. I’ve performed wearing everything from ripped-up rocker jeans, tuxedos and cowboy hats to West African dashikis. And I’ve played with rock bands, soul bands, jazz ensembles, Afro-funk groups, garage bands, legacy acts, DJs, orchestras and rappers. In other words, I have messed around with a range of guitar styles. And if you’re like many GP readers, you probably have too.
But if you’ve never tried out the Eddie Van Halen guitar style — and what a multifaceted style it is — I can tell you something that the rest of the guitar galaxy already knows: It’s fun.
TECHNIQUES WERE NEVER EDDIE’S FOCUS.…
