PLAY INTERVIEW &VIDEO LESSON
For numerous 80s/90s rock fans, T-Ride’s debut album from 1992 is a sparkling jewel in the hard rock genre. While the trio only released one album, its blend of huge vocals, sophisticated band arrangements, unique chord changes and precise guitar performances still stands strong today. Jason Sidwell caught up with the band’s guitarist, Geoff Tyson to look back at the album that put his name on the map of virtuosic rock guitar playing.
Early Days
How old were you when you had lessons from Joe Satriani?
GT: I met Joe when I was 13. I had one lesson a week with him for the next few years. I’d go to his studio after school and wait around until he was done yelling at his other students. I played everything he showed me constantly so I think I was the only student that he never got angry at. He once called me his ‘shining silver lining’ in his teaching routine because everyone else sucked so much. Soon after starting, he scheduled me at the end of his teaching day so he could spend more than one hour with me. Frequently, our lessons would continue long past that first hour, just jamming and being crazy. We all know Satriani from his recordings, but there is really nothing like sitting in a room with him. He is astounding in ways that you can’t imagine.
How long did you have lessons with Joe for?
GT: It was close to three years, but he is still a source of expert advice for me to this day.
What areas did you cover with him?
GT: MUSIC! Joe was like the Buddha sitting on top of the mountain. He never spoke in absolutes. There was never a ‘right’ answer to anything, but rather a ‘how would you explore this thing?’, or ‘How would you develop the skills necessary to teach yourself?’ aspect to his teaching. He never said there was a process while doing things, assuming that the music of the future would come from pupils without boundaries. So we explored all the typical scales and shit, but it would always be with a ‘question everything’ and ‘make it your own’ aspect.
I remember coming to him once with a song I had written that shifted from Major to Melodic Minor, asking him if that was an acceptable songwriting technique. He was overjoyed with it because it was so weird and beautiful and new. Joe always inspired me to seek out new and different aspects to the infinite possibilities of music, always making me twist the easy and typical in ways that it would be my own.
Joe was quoted as saying you had ‘great hands, extremely fast, clean and tight’ and were a ‘well-disciplined player’. What do you attribute your skills too?
GT: I have BIG hands. So a lot of the physical aspect of the instrument was really easy for me and I got good very quickly. Satriani once said to me ‘I have to constantly remind myself that you’ve only been playing for six months, because you have so far e
