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Guitar chord vocab: Steve Vai

By Adrian Clark
( Guitarist )
published 11 September 2015

Throw some crazy shapes with the shred guru

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Introduction

Introduction

Although best known for his outlandish leads and diverse array of facial expressions, Steve Vai is also a dab hand at inventive rhythm playing.

Over the following pages, we'll teach you an assortment of chord shapes from throughout his career…

Page 1 of 5
Page 1 of 5
G/A (or A11)

G/A (or A11)

This jazzy little chap comes from right back at the beginning of Vai’s solo career. It’s the first chord on Call It Sleep – you can interpret it either as A11 or as a G triad over an A bass note.

Page 2 of 5
Page 2 of 5
Fsus2

Fsus2

Now we move into the David Lee Roth era. This chord appears at the very beginning of Yankee Rose.

It’s a bit of a finger-twister, too – make sure you use your thumb to fret the bottom note.

Page 3 of 5
Page 3 of 5
Fmaj#11

Fmaj#11

Another F chord, this one can be found in For The Love Of God.

Although it’s mostly a standard Fmaj7, the addition of the B (the #11) makes it suitable for the Lydian mode, one of Steve’s favourite scales.

Page 4 of 5
Page 4 of 5
Dsus2

Dsus2

Steve likes sus2 chords, but the fingering used in Answers is different. Instead of playing five, seven and nine on the A, D and G strings, he uses a higher voicing.

Rest your index finger across the G and D strings to mute them.

Page 5 of 5
Page 5 of 5
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Adrian Clark
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