Question: Do you know Yngwie personally?

Answer: "No - however I'm hoping to meet him very soon!"

Question: What do you think drives many shred players to adopt using a scalloped guitar?

Answer: "I think Blackmore, Malmsteen, and Stump have the largest influence on this. Somewhere early on in each of their playing careers these guys realized by removing the wood in between each and every fret on the fretboard gave their fretting fingers a bit more surface area to wrap their finger around the string which equals more control of each and every note - Genius! Back when I ordered my first Fender Yngwie Malmsteen Signature series in 96', I had no idea that this was the reason, I just bought the guitar because Yngwie Malmsteen was the fastest and cleanest players I ever heard. I figured If I used the same gear, it would help me get his tone and play lightning fast and clean! It wasn't until years later that I realized why these guys used the scalloped fret boards and the huge benefits!"

Question: Why have scalloped necks become symbolic of the neoclassical rock genre?

Answer: "Pioneers of this style (Blackmore, Malmsteen and Stump) are the definition of Neoclassical Rock - these guys wrote the book so of course their unique gear becomes symbols of this technical genre. Horns up to NeoScallops!"

Question: Are humbucker and/or single coil pickups preferred for neoclassical playing?

Answer: "Both types of pickups can be used for Neoclassical Shred, however Yngwie exclusively uses the Dimarzio HS3 (bridge) & YJM (Neck) humbucker pickups that look like single coils which fit nicely in single coil slots (no chisel needed!!). The Dimarzio's have excellent output and are one of the best for recording. If you want Yngwie's exact tone - Just buy these babies and pop them in your strat, and boom - YNGWIE TONE! Single coils can be used too, however typically they are not as quiet when recording or playing live (some hum). On "Guitar Chop Shop" all my guitars were fitted with the Dimarzio YJM and HS3's. Right out of the box these babies sound amazing, have high output, and track well with extreme picking. Stock single coils on cheaper guitars typically have lower output then humbuckers, however this is not the case with ALL single coils - some single coils, (like the ones I'm using now exclusively) have much more output! These babies have a pure new vintage (or neo-vintage) tone. These singles seem to give me a more natural, organic tone at the neck, raunchier bite at the bridge, and appear to respond much better with my Voodoo V-Rock tube amp."

Question: I'm having a hard time with my thumb position when I'm playing. Sometimes my thumb goes 90 degrees and points towards the head stock. Should I worry about it and if so, how can I fix it?

Answer: "Great question - My suggestion is pay close attention to your thumb's position on the backside of the neck while playing. Keeping your hand square against the fretboard is a must - this will help with thumb positioning. When I say square, I mean each finger parallel with each fret... thumb should be straight up. Also break the bad habit of hanging it over the top of the neck unless your trying to imitate Jimi Hendrix - hanging the thumb over and on top will restrict your hand movement. In the art of shred, your fretting hand needs to move in a fluid fashion, so you need to allow your thumb to "float" around the back of the neck while playing. If you're playing the low E, A, or D strings, you want your thumb to be at and around the "Skunk Stripe" or mid neck position... If your playing the high G, B, or E strings, then my thumb goes even lower half way between the mid of the neck and the edge. This is very tough to describe in words - therefore we will showcase a video on this very subject real soon!"

Question: How do you mix melodic phrases together with trademark neoclassical fast licks, without the trappings of sounding too repetitive?

Answer: "Beautiful Phrasing is tough but can be taught. My suggestion is to learn the trademark licks until you can see the patterns in your sleep - Really get to know them! Then blend what you have mastered with what you feel in your heart and voila - some sensitive, melodic shred! Also, don't just copy and play Yngwie's signature licks note from note - use the licks as a learning tool and don't be afraid to change them up a bit to and make them your own - small variations outside the typical neoclassical box can easily take that YJM signature lick and morph it your own!"

Question: Many famous guitarists use of vibrato is often very recognizable. How can I improve my own vibrato technique to better stand out?

Answer: "Vibrato is a beautiful thing - The best way to improve is to listen to some of your favorite influences, and of course practice! By design, a scalloped neck guitar will enhance your vibrato control because you finger tip has much more surface area touching, wrapping, and controlling the string."

Question: When playing harmonic minor solos, should I generally approach it by playing 3 or 4 notes per string?

Answer: "3 and 4 note per string exercises are great to develop your picking and fretting hands as well as synchronization between both. Don't limit yourself to just using one type in the riff or across the neck - Remember to mix them up and learn them across the entire fret board. Video lesson on this coming soon!"

Question: How can I improve my solo playing to make every note sound clean and precise?
Answer: "Want to stand out as a shredder? Make each and EVERY note count. Be honest with yourself, and your playing. We as normal humans Have to practice - Neoclassical Shred is one of the most demanding playing styles, so unless you have Yngwies god-given gift, you have to practice your ass off. (And I said practice not noodle your favorite riff on the couch while watching the Simpsons!) If your goal is to be a great shredder - every riff has to be precise - picking, fretting and synchronization between both hands has to be dead nuts accurate - this all comes with practicing slowly and building speed in small increments. Pay close attention, identify and recognize notes that aren't being fretted or picked correctly or even unfamiliar areas that you just graze over fast, hoping no-one will notice - believe me - doing this only develops bad habits and people Do notice. Also, As players - our ears have a tendency to patch fuckups and cluster chords and for some reason we are perfectly cool with this and go ahead and post it on youtube - don't allow this to happen! Find the pickest, anal, and brutally honest person you know and have them listen to you play - even if they don't know how to play guitar, they can help you improve if they are honest with you. A second set of ears can really do wonders! One of my greatest strides forward with improving the cleanliness and accuracy of my guitar playing was to sit down with Randy Ciak (the Simon Cowell of Shred) and have him listen to me shred. His brutal honesty, and sense to identify key areas I needed to improve on are what made me the player I am today. Remember - you have to be able to take the corrective criticism and channel it into fuel to practice harder and harder until you master the lick."

1. Black Star
2. Far Beyond The Sun
3. Now Your Ships Are Burned
4. Evil Eye
5. Icarus Dream Suite - Opus 4
6. As Above, So Below
7. Little Savage
8. Farewell

1. I'll See The Light Tonight
2. Don't Let It End
3. Disciples Of Hell
4. I Am A Viking
5. Overture 1383
6. Anguish And Fear
7. On The Run Again
8. Soldier Without Faith
9. Caught In The Middle
10. Marching Out

1. Crying
2. Dark Ages
3. Fire
4. Fury
5. Liar
6. Magic Mirror
7. Queen In Love
8. Trilogy Suite OP: 5
9. You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget

1. Rising Force
2. Hold On
3. Heaven Tonight
4. Dreaming (Tell Me)
5. Bite The Bullet
6. Riot In The Dungeons
7. Deja Vu
8. Crystal Ball
9. Now Is The Time
10. Faster Than The Speed Of Light
11. Memories
12. Krakatau

1. Making Love
2. Bedroom Eyes
3. Save Our Love
4. Motherless Child
5. Devil In Disguise
6. Judas
7. What Do You Want
8. Demon Driver
9. Faultline
10. See You In Hell (Don't Be Late)
11. Eclipse

1. On Stage
2. The Castles That The King Had Built
3. Special Interview: The Tales Of The Viking - Remembering Childhood Days
4. Chronograph
5. Discography
6. The Living Legend - This Is My Way Of Playing Guitar
7. The Guitar: The Wizard's Lovers - Oh My Dear Strats
8. The Readers Selections - The Best 8 Songs: Guitar Tabs for Trilogy Suite Op:5, Far Beyond The Sun, Liar, Black Star, I'll See The Light Tonight, Jet To Jet, Icarus Dream Suite Opus 4, You Don't Remember I'll Never Forget

1. Perpetual
2. Dragonfly
3. How Many Miles To Babylon
4. Cry No More
5. No Mercy
6. C'est La Vie
7. Leviathan
8. Fire & Ice
9. Forever Is A Long Time
10. I'm My Own Enemy
11. All I Want Is Everything
12. Golden Dawn
13. Final Curtain

1. Death Dealer
2. Damnation Game
3. Live To Fight (Another Day)
4. Red Devil
5. Priest Of The Unholy
6. Be Careful What You Wish For
7. Caprici Di Diablo
8. Lament
9. Magic City
10. Eleventh Hour
11. Heavy Heart

1. Black Star
2. Deja Vu
3. Dreaming (Tell Me)
4. Far Beyond The Sun
5. Heaven Tonight
6. I'll See The Light Tonight
7. Icarus Dream Suite Opus 4
8. Making Love
9. Marching Out
10. Rising Force
11. Trilogy Suite Op: 5
12. You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget

1. Heaven Tonight
2. Black Star
3. Dreaming (Tell Me)
4. Far Beyond The Sun
5. I Am A Viking
6. I'll See The Light Tonight
7. Icarus Dream Suite Opus 4
8. Rising Force
9. Trilogy Suite Op: 5
10. You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget
11. Hold On
12. Liar
13. Never Die
14. Anguish And Fear
15. Brothers
16. Making Love
17. Seventh Sign
18. Eclipse
19. Marching Out
20. Queen In Love
21. Deja Vu
22. Bedroom Eyes

1. Opening solo ("See You in Hell")
2. Licks, Arpeggios, and Classical Phrases (Examples 1-11, 12 "Echo Etude")
3. Segments from Compositions (Examples 13 "Demon Driver", 14 "Rising Force", 15 "Trilogy Suite")
4. Blues Soloing ("Blues Solo", Examples 16-23)
5. Chord Progressions (1, 2 "Bedroom Eyes", 3 "Save Our Love")
6. Equipment

1. Black Star
2. Far Beyond The Sun
3. Icarus Dream Suite Opus 4
4. As Above, So Below
5. Little Savage
6. I'll See The Light Tonight
7. I Am A Viking
8. On The Run Again
9. Trilogy Suite Op: 5
10. You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget
11. Rising Force
12. Bedroom Eyes
13. Demon Driver