Michael Anthony recalls the singer’s suggestion so that the late guitarist “shields” his technique and not copied at the beginning of the band
Eddie van Halen He began to draw attention in the guitar world early, even before achieving success with the band that was surnamed. Prodigy, the American musician of Dutch ancestry would become one of the greatest icons of the instrument – but for that he had to “shield” his technique of imitators.
Who tells the story is Michael Anthonyformer bassist of Van Halen. In an interview with Podcast Get on the bus (via Guitar player), he started talking about the early years of the group and how Eddie already had a wide range of tricks with his own signature.
“We used to rehearse in a small garage when I joined the band. We used to rehearse every day for a while. It was at this time that Eddie was also developing her ‘Hammers’ – her tapping style.”
According to the bassist, the Van Halen It wasn’t even a famous group yet, but other guitarists in the region of Pasadenaround Los Angelesus United StatesThey tried to spy what Eddie was creating.
He recalls:
“It’s funny, because there was, like, two or three guitarists in the area that were friends of Ed, and they knew we rehearsed there. And I remember once we went to do a break, we left and had some guys there, like that, listening to the door, and they wanted to hear what Ed played.”
At this point, Michael Anthony states that the vocalist David Lee Roth It was fundamental to “save” Eddie Van Halen’s career. According to him, Roth suggested to the guitarist to play his back on the shows to prevent other musicians from seeing and copying the technique, especially the technique tappingwhich, roughly, consists of “paping” the instrument’s arm with the right finger of the right hand during a soil:
“When Ed played a solo, Dave told him: ‘Turn your back on the audience, man, because you have this new thing and don’t want everyone to see‘. So the Eddie, literally, I played soils and turned my back on the audience when I was tapping with my hands. What was very, very interesting. ”
Van Halen’s success
This, of course, happened in the early years of the Van Halenformed in 1973. With the release of the name of the same name in 1978, Eddie’s technique and its importance for the guitar were recognized worldwide.
The guitarist, who died on October 6, 2020 victim of throat cancer, became one of the biggest inspirations for new instrument practitioners. And the Van Halen It was one of the most successful rock bands in history, with classic records and huge influence on hard rock and heavy metal.
+++ Read more: David Lee Roth again performs and plays only Van Halen songs
+++ Read more: the incredible supergroup that Eddie van Halen planned to set up in the 80’s
+++ Read more: the rockstar that has gained more money with tequila than with its successful records
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David Lee Roth
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Eddie van Halen
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Michael Anthony
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Van Halen
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
