Yngwie Malmsteen Shuts Down Guitar Competitions: 'Music Is Not A Race'

Yngwie Malmsteen thinks that competitors is for sports activities and athletes, not for guitar-playing. The rocker not too long ago took to social media to handle the competitors amongst guitarists.

“So I see a whole lot of these feedback the place persons are saying I can’t be nearly as good as you or I gave up taking part in the guitar after I noticed you,” the guitarist shared. “Music and taking part in the guitar is just not a contest though because the starting of my profession, that’s what they needed to painting that’s why they’ve all these greatest guitarist that guitars blah blah blah.”

“Music and guitar taking part in comes from inside and it’s to be loved at any stage, irrespective of the place you’re in your life,” the guitarist continued, “even if you’re making a profession out of it in the event you play with the thought that I’m going to compete with one other guitar participant or one other musician, you can be depressing. Competitors is for sports activities and athletes not for guitar taking part in interval. It’s not a contest the instrument of the guitar is to be performed and loved at any stage. Now go choose up that guitar.”

Though the guitar virtuoso doesn’t see being a guitarist as a contest, he does assume that almost all guitarists at present sound the identical. “Steve is a pricey good friend and fully distinctive in his personal proper,” the rocker stated of Steve Vai throughout an interview with Guitar World. “That’s one of the crucial uncommon issues about guitar gamers, really – having a very particular person sound. Most guitarists sound kinda related.”

“Once more, I don’t need to come throughout as I’m saying something dangerous, nevertheless it appears to me that almost all guitar gamers hearken to different guitar gamers, who in flip had been additionally listening to guitar gamers once they had been studying. That may change into a bit of little bit of a entice that folks fall into,” he added.

Malmsteen has gained a whole lot of awards for his guitar abilities, together with Guitar Participant Journal’s Greatest Rock Guitarist Award six occasions and a spot at No. 9 on Time Journal’s High 10 Best Electrical Guitar Gamers checklist in 2009.

The guitarist is preparing for his subsequent tour. It’s scheduled to begin on September 26 in Fort Myers, FL, and wrap up on November 22 at Lillian S. Wells Corridor at The Parker at Ft Lauderdale.

So I see a whole lot of these feedback the place persons are saying I can’t be nearly as good as you or I gave up taking part in the guitar after I noticed you. Music and taking part in the guitar is just not a contest though because the starting of my profession, that’s what they needed to painting that’s why they…

— Yngwie Malmsteen (@OfficialYJM) September 1, 2024