EDDIE VAN HALEN – AN AMP TRIBUTE

2020 has been a devastating year for the music industry. The Covid-19 pandemic has created havoc on every aspect of touring. Outside of some creative venues like South Farms in Ct. practically all live shows have been cancelled. Many musicians have seen their livelihoods destroyed with no relief in sight. A good amount of small clubs and concert spaces may never reopen. By far, the worse scenario possible.

Besides that we have lost several music stalwarts. Charlie Daniels, Neil Peart, Peter Green and Little Richard are just a few of our musical heroes fallen this year.

One of the most crushing casualties has to be the death of guitar innovator, Eddie Van Halen. To many EVH was a guitar god. His unique approach to his instrument was nothing but amazing. EVH‘s originality and visionary guitar techniques broke barriers. His playing forged a new standard challenging future guitarists everywhere. This was one of the main reasons Van Halen was such a momentous band.

I have enlisted five prominent guitarists from the Connecticut area to expound on what EVH meant to them. Jimi Bell (Autograph, House Of Lords), William Yager (King Kuel), Tim Palmieri (Kung Fu, The Breakfast), Billy DiNapoli (Wild America, Stairway To Halen) and Shawn “Chewy” Chua (Funhouse, Acoustic Chewy) were all kind enough to answer a few questions.

AMP: How did Eddie Van Halen influence you?

BELL: Eddie influenced every guitarist on the planet. Besides introducing the world to his amazing 2 handed tapping technique, what I personally loved about him was his attack and aggression on the guitar.

YAGER: Obviously EVH has been a huge influence on a whole generation of players. Quite honestly, when I became aware of him in 78-79, I was just getting started playing. His immense talent and skill was so far beyond what i was capable of at the time that I didn’t really try to emulate what he was doing. I think his influence on me was more along the lines of realizing that you can take a blues based style of playing and turn it into something that is decidedly not the blues! If you look at what Eddie did, at its core it’s really blues base runs that of course he took into the stratosphere.

PALMIERI: Eddie Van Halen influenced me to be more proficient at the guitar and inspired me to be a professional musician. He sparked my obsession for all things guitar.

DiNAPOLI: My playing style is pretty much modeled after EVH. He inspired guitar players to wanna be great and stretch the boundaries.

CHUA: EVH influenced so many guitarists in my lifetime and for many lifetimes after me. Many will say his double hand tapping is his key influence. For me, it was also his infamous guitar tone, “The Brown Sound”! It wasn’t just his one pickup Floyd Rose Frankenstein Guitar. It was the way he found his tone.

AMP: What do you believe is EVH’s most important contribution to music?

BELL: I feel that one of his most amazing contributions to music was he set the bar higher. It forced every guitarist to try their hardest to become the best they could be.

YAGER: I think Eddie‘s main contribution are the 2 most obvious ones. The groundbreaking incredible style in which he attacked his instrument and the riffs, solos and songs which are instantly recognized as him and no one else.

PALMIERI: Eddie‘s most important contribution (if I have to pick one) to music is the rock ballad. As Zappa put it, “stunt guitar” and rock solos in pop.

DiNAPOLI: His tapping style and use of harmonics as well as the patented tremolo system he created are a few of his many contributions.

CHUA: There are so many contributions Eddie has given the music industry. He, like Jimi, Randy and many others, gave birth to a new generation of guitar players. His innovative creation of placing a humbucker pickup on a strat style guitar and equipping it with a locking Floyd Rose system in addition to hot rodding his amps was amazing. He also built his own studio and had a brand of instruments and electronics baring his name.

AMP: Eddie’s artistry was ground breaking. Which techniques should aspriring guitarists study?

BELL: Besides his incredible tapping technique, he’s an awesome rhythm player and his solos are extremely melodic. Also the use of his whammy bar brought the guitar to a new level.

YAGER; Start with the core-his blues based sensibility. Then, if you like what you hear, try to take bits of what he does and find a way to incorporate it into what you do. Try making it your own. Obviously his tapping technique is one of his most recognized assets but it’s well known that he wasn’t the first to do it. He took what he heard, expanded on it and certainly made it his own.

PALMIERI: Aspiring guitarists should study his chord progressions especially under his solos. They depart from previous sections and have plenty of classical music theory behind them. Also finger tapping is good for linear string theory.

DiNAPOLI: All his ground breaking techniques are worth exploring and they have been studied by many. His songwriting skills were spectacular as well. Van Halen has sold well over 100 million records.

CHUA: Every guitar player should study another’s history. From Les Paul, who helped create multi track recording and built the first solid body electric guitar to Eric Clapton’s voyage. This is how EVH became a musician, innovator and inventor. This is what built Eddie’s technique. He built it from borrowing from his influences. Every guitarist should study EVH’s early years and how he polished his sound over time. And most importantly. becoming and staying sober. That’s huge.

AMP: BEST VAN HALEN ALBUM AND SONG?

BELL: There’s many songs and albums I love from Van Halen but my personal favorites are still Van Halen 1 and II. Van Halen 1 was a game changer.

YAGER: I do believe there was basically two Van Halens. I’ll list my favorite from each. Dave era – album- Van Halen II. Best song “Hear About It Later”. Sammy era – album- Balance. Best song “Don’t Tell Me What Love Can Do”. Although I didn’t mind the Gary Cherone VH, it didn’t work for me.

PALMIERI: Best and favorite are two different things, haha. Albums, it’s a tie between Women and Children First and Fair Warning. The songwriting is maturing while the music is still rocking. In my opinion the best songs are “Hear About It Later” and “Women In Love”. The hits speak for themselves.

DINAPOLI: My favorite album is Fair Warning. Too many great songs to pick just one. “Unchained”, “Mean Street” and “The Cradle” are some of my favorites.

CHUA: The first Van Halen record and the best song is “Eruption” without question. No Doubt!! Just that first A chord tuned a half step down before he melts your ears. Just Wow! I still have my friend’s vinyl with a skip on “Jamie’s Crying”.

AMP would like to thank all five dynamic guitarists for taking the time to help us with this memorial to the one and only Eddie Van Halen. We would like to part with a few words from “Chewy”.

“There was only one Eddie Van Halen. Gone too soon. He brought the guitar to a standard that’s hard to match. He will live forever. Thanks Eddie for your music, your innovations and your influence”.

 

 

 

 

 

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