Frank Zappa was and remains a prolific figure in progressive, experimental, and improvisational rock. He was a guitar master, a compositional genius, and his influence as a band leader and a solo artist continues to make deep ripples in the pool of true artistry. In an allegedly rare 1984 interview with MTV, Zappa spoke about his process of improvisation, revealing some enlightening details about how he worked.
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When asked if he considered himself a “great guitarist,” Zappa answered, “Well, I’m specialized. What I do on the guitar has very little to do with what other people do on the guitar.” Which, isn’t that what it all comes down to with guitar players? Each person has a distinct style, method, tool set, and ability that makes them all different. However, Zappa elaborated on this comment and spoke to his skills of improvisation.
“Most of the other guitar solos that you hear performed on stage have been practiced over and over and over again, they go out there and play the same one every night. It’s really just spotless,” he said, with a possible hint of disdain in his voice. “My theory is this,” he added, “I have a basic mechanical knowledge of the operation of the instrument, and I got an imagination. And when the time comes up in the song to play a solo, it’s me against the laws of nature.”
Frank Zappa Once Spoke About Improvisation and Spontaneity in Guitar Solos
Zappa continued, “I don’t know what I’m gonna play, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I know roughly how long I have to do it, and it’s a game where you have a piece of time and you get to decorate it.”
Frank Zappa was a master at decorating those pieces of time. Later, he would often transcribe his live solos with help from Steve Vai, who was hired in 1978 when he was just 18. According to Vai’s website, Zappa and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta would experiment with rhythms and phrases, and then “my task was to transcribe the stuff the best way I thought possible.”
In the interview, Zappa continued, “Depending on how intuitive the rhythm section is that’s backing you up, you can do things that are literally impossible to imagine, sitting here.” But, he added, “you can see them performed before your very eyes in a live performance situation.”
He then admitted, “I’ve never liked any of the guitar solos that have ever been released on a record, and I think that the real fun of playing the guitar is doing it live, not freezing it and saving it on a piece of plastic someplace or putting it on video.”
Featured Image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images
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