A Comprehensive Guide to the Genius of Eddie Van Halen
Any attempt to crown the “greatest electric guitarist of all time” is bound to end in controversy. Ask 10 different people who the greatest guitarist is, and you’ll get 10 different answers, ranging from Hendrix, Clapton, and King to Prince, Page, and Paul. But regardless of their final answer, one fact is universal—everyone has Eddie Van Halen on their short list.
Those who argue that Van Halen was the greatest to ever pick up a guitar have a lot going for them. From his groundbreaking approach to soloing (including two-hand tapping, a technique that he perfected) and virtuosity on the scales to his sheer speed, precision, and many gear innovations, Van Halen is arguably the most influential musician to ever play on six strings. Although he wasn’t much of a lyricist and wasn’t the frontman of his band, he still managed to transcend labels and become the most recognizable name in rock in the 1980s. While there are many who will claim that someone else was the “best of all time,” nobody disagrees with the fact that Eddie Van Halen was an absolute genius.
The following accomplishments help demonstrate both the breadth and depth of Van Halen’s talent on the guitar, and why he might just be the all-time great.
The Tapping
It is impossible to talk about Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing without referencing his two-handed tapping. Virtually ubiquitous throughout the Van Halen catalogue, this approach demonstrated exactly what the electric guitar was capable of. It collectively blew the guitar world’s mind, gave birth to tens of thousands of imitators, and went a long way toward establishing the band’s signature sound.
Van Halen single-handedly turned two-handed tapping into the biggest, newest thing in rock guitar, but he wasn’t content with perfecting a new form of playing. Instead, he found ways to innovate on his own innovation, tweaking the tapping technique in any number of crazy ways, such as using his right hand to modulate the volume knob on his guitar in time with the tapping he was doing with his left hand. The electric guitar was never the same.
The Frankenstrat
For all of Van Halen’s innovation as a musician, he was equally influential as an inventor when it came to equipment. From the D-Tuna and 5150 amp to titanium frets, a kill switch, and EVH Phase 90 pedal, Eddie experimented with and modified his gear to get exactly the sound he wanted. But it was the Frankenstrat that fully encapsulated his mad scientist approach to the electric guitar. A home-built hybrid that integrated everything Van Halen wanted in a guitar, the Frankenstrat gave him the tool to create a sound that changed rock and roll. It also pioneered an entirely new style of electric guitar, which quickly became known as the superstrat.
Stripped-Down Perfection on “Spanish Fly”
Eddie Van Halen is best known for his mind-melting speed licks, power riffs, and innovative use of effects to create a loud, raw sound that transcended the conventional understanding of guitar in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
However, anyone tempted to write him off as being only as good as his effects needs to listen to the acoustic instrumental “Spanish Fly” to realize how supremely talented Van Halen was on the guitar—style, genre, or equipment notwithstanding. On this short but enthralling tribute to the acoustic virtuosos who came before him, Van Halen takes his iconic tapping and mastery of harmonics and applies them to the classical guitar, creating a minute of mastery that many argue is the acoustic equal of his “Eruption” solo.
Pop Crossover on “Beat It”
When Quincy Jones contacted Van Halen to ask if he wanted to play a solo on a Michael Jackson song called “Beat It,” which would feature on the King of Pop’s upcoming album, Eddie thought someone was pranking him. Nevertheless, he went into the studio, laid down one of the most savagely recognizable solos of all time, and reportedly caused an amp to burst into flames. He also helped rearrange the song, cutting and reorganizing it to improve Jackson’s tough yet danceable sound.
Eddie kept the collaboration secret from his bandmates until after the record was released, and he didn’t even charge Jackson for the performance—which caused his bandmates to tease him endlessly, especially after Thriller went to number one on the charts. Eddie’s contribution was pure music for its own sake and resulted in one of the most iconic songs and solos of all time.
“Eruption”
The catalogue of mind-blowing solos by Eddie Van Halen is too long to list, although radio hits like “Hot for Teacher” and “Dreams” are easily recognizable examples of his insane talent on the fretboard. But “Eruption”—the 1:42 instrumental that changed rock guitar forever—is all anyone really needs to hear to understand the man’s sheer genius as a musician. Between innovative use of effects, raw, note-perfect scales played at blistering speed, and the signature tapping that came to exemplify his approach to the guitar, this is Eddie at his best. It’s an original performance that broke barriers and remains as relevant today as it was nearly 50 years ago.