In this special video feature Phil Short takes a deep dive into one of the most iconic rock players of all time.
Extreme was one of the most exciting bands to emerge during the 1980s, and among the most influential groups on rock and metal. Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt is one of the most technically proficient players, not just of his generation but in the world today. But just like many of his heroes, what sets Nuno apart from the rest of the competition isn’t merely his technical prowess, although he does have some of the greatest rock guitar chops on the planet, but his songwriting, riffs, and melodic and identifiable hooks. Even in his flashier moments, Nuno has a distinctly recognisable sound that’s musical, lyrical, humorous, and aggressively fiery.
Nuno joined Extreme in 1985, and they put out their first self-titled release in 1989. The album’s final track Play With Me was
used in the classic comedy, Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure, giving the band instant traction in gaining fans all around the world. But Nuno’s most loved guitar work is found on Extreme’s superb follow-up, 1990’s Pornograffitti which featured songs like Get The Funk Out, He-Man Woman Hater, Decadence Dance, and their biggest commercial success, More Than Words. The record is full of riffs, solos and funk-inspired rhythm guitar, all captured within Bettencourt’s raw and aggressively percussive rock tone. Nuno’s guitar parts are rich with essentially blues-informed vocabulary. One particular sonic approach favoured is the use of 6ths, combining them with pinch harmonics and vibrato to create detailed and layered one-man guitar parts that fill up the entire sonic space.
Another aspect of Nuno’s style is his sophisticated use of two-handed tapping. A whole raft of post-EVH players followed Eddie down the tapping route, but it’s important to highlight that Bettencourt did what very few players of his generation managed to do in regard to tapping, and that is to sound original. Of course, Nuno was
