Joe Satriani

• Legato technique: hammer-ons and pull-offs with consistent velocity — every note equally loud
• DigiTech Whammy set to 1 octave up for dive bombs and pitch-shifted leads
• Lydian mode (#4) gives Satriani's melodies their floaty, uplifting quality
• High gain but pick lightly — Satriani's controlled attack prevents muddiness
• Whammy bar for subtle vibrato between notes (bar never sits still)
• Natural harmonics (12th, 7th, 5th frets) feature heavily — tap lightly for bell-like tones
• Artificial harmonics: pick near the nut while lightly touching at the 12th fret above the fretted note
• Delay: 300–400ms at low feedback — adds depth without cluttering melodic lines
• Study "Surfing With The Alien" and "Always With Me, Always With You" for the full range

Joe Satriani defined the vocabulary of modern instrumental rock guitar — legato, harmonics, whammy bar and a Lydian modal sensibility that made technically demanding music emotionally accessible. His Ibanez JS signature guitar and DigiTech Whammy pedal are tools for a compositional approach that treats the guitar like an orchestra.