by Cake guitarist Xan McCurdy recently opened up about his experience taking guitar lessons from legendary instructor Joe Satriani. He criticized Satriani’s teaching methods in an interview with Guitar Player.
McCurdy explained that Satriani’s approach focused heavily on technical exercises rather than musicality. This didn’t align with his own interests.
“I felt like he was trying to build an army of shredders,” McCurdy said. “Like nonsensical, not musical things; just finger exercises. It was not even scales, just, like, getting your hands to flow, and have the ultimate dexterity, you know? And that was not what I was into because I did not care at all.”
The guitarist went on to describe how his musical preferences diverged from the shred-focused curriculum.
“I mean, there was a moment when we all got into Van Halen,” he continued. “But I sort of found my little niche subculture world, and I was all about Chuck Berry and the blues guys.”
McCurdy admitted the relationship with Satriani became strained due to his lack of practice commitment.
“I didn’t take a lot of lessons, and he hated me because I didn’t practice his stuff enough,” he said. “And then I found a guy who, instead of having this long-hair shred-master [vibe], this guy would just smoke a joint, and be like, ‘All right, so what do you wanna do?’”
McCurdy’s critique stands out as a rare departure from the overwhelmingly positive experiences of Satriani’s other students. It highlights a fundamental mismatch in learning styles and musical philosophy.
Guitar World reported that Satriani began teaching guitar in the early 1980s in Berkeley, California. He became famous for cultivating several future stars in rock and metal through his methodical and patient approach focused on technical exercises, music theory, and improvisation. His structured teaching style helped shape the playing styles of numerous guitarists who went on to achieve international recognition.
Satriani’s reputation as an instructor is built on an impressive roster of students who became guitar virtuosos. Guitar World noted that his most notable students include Steve Vai, one of his earliest pupils who went on to play with Frank Zappa and later became a solo artist, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Alex Skolnick of Testament, and Larry LaLonde of Primus. This diverse group demonstrates the breadth of Satriani’s influence across multiple genres, from thrash metal to progressive rock.
McCurdy’s musical journey took a distinctly different path from Satriani’s other students. Consequence revealed that McCurdy’s earliest musical influences were the Beatles, children’s records, and his brothers’ love of 1970s hard rock. He picked up the guitar at age 12 in 1982 to impress his older brother, largely skipping the 1980s music scene. This background in British rock and pop sensibilities naturally clashed with Satriani’s technique-heavy curriculum designed to produce shredders.
The Sacramento musician’s approach to guitar playing reflects his divergent philosophy. Fat Sound highlighted that McCurdy is renowned for using a simple live rig consisting of a customized Gibson Chet Atkins Tennessean and a Fender Blues DeVille amp with only a Rat Distortion pedal for effects. This demonstrates his minimalist, tone-focused approach that prioritizes musicality over technical complexity. This practical and intentional simplicity stands in stark contrast to the virtuosic shredding style that Satriani’s teaching methods were designed to cultivate.
