In 2024, Joe Satriani brought together the original G3 trio, hitting the road with Steve Vai and Eric Johnson for a highly anticipated guitar tour that became one of the year’s most talked-about events.
The tour marked the reunion of these three legendary guitarists under the G3 banner, nearly three decades after Satriani first created the format in 1996. As is customary, each guitarist performed their own set before joining forces for a collaborative finale jam.
The G3 2024 tour culminated in the release of the G3 Reunion Live album, and to celebrate this landmark record, Guitar World has teamed up with Vai, Johnson, and Satriani for three exclusive lessons, where they break down some of their favorite instrumental tracks.
Eric Johnson takes viewers on a quick tour of the verse section of his iconic acoustic classic, “Desert Rose,” from Ah Via Musicom. He focuses on the key muting technique he uses to make the song stand out.
Meanwhile, Steve Vai dives deep into “Avalancha,” a track from his latest studio album Inviolate. Vai explains the song’s origins, saying, “I was looking for a song to open the show with. This melody is like a Clarion Call of sorts. That’s what I was looking for.”
Joe Satriani, for his part, uses both his Ibanez JS1CR and Ibanez 12-string guitars to walk players through the micro-tonal hook, main melodies, and lead sections of “Sahara.” Satriani reflects on the challenge of playing the opening motif, saying, “Playing the melody on top of that was the real challenge.” He also offers a detailed look at the wild whammy bar techniques he uses to enhance the central lead line.
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