As Steve Vai’s co-guitar player, Dante Frisiello is in a unique position to closely observe – and learn from – one of the most virtuosic guitar players to have picked up an electric guitar. But what is it that actually makes a virtuoso?
Well, Frisiello’s duties as Vai’s six-string sideman recently saw him hit the road with Vai, Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson as part of the hotly anticipated G3 reunion tour – and now the Abasi Concepts loyalist thinks he’s found the answer to that very question.
We imagine witnessing the three OG G3 pioneers play night in, night out, would no doubt have been as educational and informative as it was entertaining – and so it's advisable to listen to Frisiello's findings.
By the book, virtuosity is defined as “a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit”.
How does this practically translate to the fretboard? Well, that’s up for debate – and the role has certainly changed over the decades – but the overwhelming school of thought would lean towards speed, absurd technical nous, and the ability to bring new ideas to the table.
For Frisiello, though, it’s something else, something deeper. Indeed, it has more to do with dynamic sensibilities and an uncompromising confidence in one’s own ability that makes a guitarist a virtuoso.
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“So I just went on tour with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson on G3’s reunion tour,” Frisiello says in a video posted to his TikTok channel, “and here are my thoughts on what it means to actually be a virtuoso
“Virtuosity comes in many different shapes, sizes, forms, etc,” he explains. “You don't have to shred, play jazz, play fusion, reinvent guitar technique to be a virtuoso. If you do that, it doesn’t even by definition make you a virtuoso.
“In my opinion, a virtuoso is someone who has a clear, unwavering power and command over what they do, and a confidence that is unwavering and unfaltering – mastery of their own world. That’s what makes a virtuoso.”
It’s a fairly open-ended definition (probably by design) but one that is punctuated with another, rather specific, practical point: vibrato.
“I saw these three virtuosos up close for two weeks and I can tell you that they all do things their own way. But they all have virtuosic vibrato – and that is not shred!”
As mentioned above, Frisiello had a large pool of sonic evidence to draw his conclusions from. The G3 reunion tour staged an electrifying opening night, and saw the three founding members share the stage with a slew of guest guitarists.
With that in mind, it’s a pretty dead-on observation from Frisiello, and one that is actually backed up by academic literature.
A recently published study from Cambridge University Press titled Rock Guitar Virtuosos explored advances in guitar playing and suggested three ways shred can develop further, and came to the conclusion that playing “cleaner” is “possibly even more challenging than just being faster”.
In an interview with Guitar World, the individuals behind the research piece expanded on that idea: “Nowadays it’s more about songwriting and even groove and rhythm guitar playing. Virtuosity is not only in the solo guitar.”
Researchers also noted that being a virtuoso in the modern era now also stretches beyond the confines of music, with guitarists nowadays having to also work as cultural entrepreneurs.
“You have to get your technique and musicality there, and reach a level of competence that people will say, ‘Wow, that’s a great player,’” Alexander Vallejo, one of the study's authors, said. “Then you need to get your branding sorted; get your website and all of your social media up-to-date, and then you need to start engaging with fans.
For Frisiello, though, the idea of a virtuoso is slightly more defined. If you want to hit virtuoso status, you’ve got to master your control and vibrato, and have an unfaltering grasp of your chosen discipline.
It’s just the latest lesson that the Abasi Concepts player has been able to discern during his time as Vai’s guitarist. As he told Guitar World last year, the new role is a never-ending learning experience for Frisiello.
"It's amazing because I'm playing with someone so accomplished and inventive,” he said. “But he's also extremely fun to work with, and we have an incredible time each night. Every single time I play alongside Steve, I learn something new.
“There's so much to learn from his musicianship, how he carries himself, and how he runs his business. I'm having a blast.”
For those who were unable to experience G3 2024 in the flesh, Eric Johnson recently confirmed a live album of the reunion tour is currently in the works.
