GUITARIST MAGAZINE

NB: What about your solos--are they pre-arranged, add-libbed or a combination of both?
DTC: I normally work something out before I record a solo but that's rarely the way the end result turns out. I'm very picky in the studio and for that reason I rarely end up doing what I originally envisioned, unless it sounds perfect with respect to the rest of the song and the backing tracks. I'm a big fan of improvised solos to be honest, as you can often achieve a spontaneous emotion that's difficult to capture if you're playing a pre-arranged section.
NB: How closely do you stick to your recorded solos when performing in front of an audience?
DTC: It depends, really. There are a few that are pretty rigid. I'd say about ten percent of my solos have to be played the same way every night, these are normally the 'composed' classical sections that are almost an integral part of the song, as opposed to being solos. On the remaining 90% of the breaks I try to keep a general thread in my mind but I pretty much just play them off the top of my head.
NB: Do you ever create a solo in the studio by splicing together several takes?
DTC: I know people often do that but I've never spliced a solo together in my life. Sometimes we do punch-ins though--say for example I do a great solo but decide to change the ending of it after hearing it back then we'll punch the change in. In the perfect world I'd like to put down each and every solo in one straight pass but it doesn't always work out like that.
NB: What do you view as the perfect solo structure?
DTC: Oh lord! That's a great question but it's hard one to answer because each song calls for something different . I can give you an example of a solo that I really, really like because it encompasses a lot of great qualities; it's the solo that Yngwie--damn, I'm giving him a plug!--does on the end of the 'Alcatrazz' song, Suffer Me. I like this solo so much because although the backing track is simple, he does some marvelous stuff over it. There's some great fast and slow playing, there's fluidity, there's some excellent scale work over the chords and there's some real emotion present too. In my opinion this particular break contains everything a truly great solo should contain. I'm not a great Yngwie fan by any means but this solo is a classic. Allan Holdsworth played some pretty perfect breaks on the Gong albums he appeared on too. He has great speed and also great feel.
NB: What do you feel most important out of feel and technique?
DTC: They're both really important. Having said this, if I had the choice of listening to either someone who has great feel but no technique or someone with great technique but little feeling then I'd choose the latter. The truly great guitarists have both qualities though.
NB: Lastly, have you any advice or tips that you'd like to pass on to any up-and-coming guitarists who'd like to follow in your footsteps?
DTC: I would advocate learning as much as you can about music because this will definitely help you. Another thing that I believe is important for a guitarist is getting to know your fretboard in terms of note names - I teach guitar on the side and from my experience, a detailed knowledge of the neck can open up your playing horizons. Also, try or create your own style - don't get hung up on picking off everything that Eddie Van Halen or Yngwie has ever played. Try to be yourself. And most importantly, enjoy the instrument and the music you can create.

David Chastain was talking to Nick Bowcott