Steve Vai 'How to be Successful' Private Sessions Guitar Center

Steve answers questions related to success in the music industry at his Private Sessions Event at Guitar Center in Hollywood, CA. The audience included 10 courageous and talented guitarists who were hand picked by Steve to attend as part of a contest through Guitar Center.

[PauloNideck]

" The level of achievement that we have at anything is a reflection of how well we were able focus on it,
Because the only thing that's holding you back is the way you are thinking."

Steve Vai

[timothypulliam]

I love that his advice doesn't just apply to guitar or music.

[brothercartman]

This could be the best video on YouTube, no joke.

[KRHEE]

This is the greatest church sermon I’ve attended in my life

[NickNeblo]

So inspirational, a philosopher, an educator.

[adityaravishankar]

"The level of achievement we have at anything is a reflection of how well we were able to focus on it." Fucking legend!

[virra]

Steve Vai doesn't struggle with practice, practice struggles with Steve Vai

[fadtayaysgaygeyag]

7:03. That note put tears in my eyes. What a great musician. What a great professor. What a great person. Thank you Mr. Vai. Your brilliance goes beyond the music.

[HevyDev]

"Whispering A Prayer" - one of the greatest guitar compositions in history of music.

[jewelsreumund]

I think every guitar player needs to listen to this that has dreams bigger than a living room rockstar.. including people that have had their rockstar dreams put on hold due to life's challenges.

[MudderFukker-mg]

"The *only* thing that holding you back, is your *thinking*... Picture yourself playing it... see and hear yourself playing it, elegantly, yourself playing it from beginning to end, perfectly, with confidence, the more you're able to crystallize that vision, the more you're gonna become a self-fulfilled prophecy ... whenever you get discouraged, go to the big picture, go back to that place of *excitement*, go back to that 'picture', and you can see yourself doing it...that's how you get through it.... I never struggled... I've had challenges, I've been through a lot, but for me, playing guitar, was my juice... It's not *work*.... because it's all a *joy*.... " video cuts to *Epic* orgasmic crescendo... "break it down, piece by piece, and do one bar, and then the next bar...eventually you'll be able to play through this piece of music, you won't play it great, but you'll be able to play through it, and *that's* when ya gotta stick at it, and stick at it, and *keep playing it* ... and then, once you *own* this piece of music, then it flows, then it's like this whole other thing comes over you, it's this ability to *become* the music."
==
Pure inspiration.... I've listened to this clip *SO* much, Pure *AWESOMENESS* :)

[triagrammer]

Great advice for anything in life, not just guitar or music... 

[juliancro]

5:26 I cried when I saw the look on his face...
his emotions + beautifull tones while playing...
duude...

[rahuljoshi]

I met Steve on last December here in India. As anyone can be, I was totally startruck. I couldn't really speak, I simply had tears in my eyes within first 2 mins of our meet. And God i swear, he was really the most down to earth, most receptive and most genuine human that i got to meet. I touched his feet out of respect cause that's a tradition here in India. He read a small paragraph that i had written for him. He truely acknowledged it and at the end he said " i will remember this". I know i am such a fanboy but to be able to acknowledge, to genuinely accept one has to really be receptive and down to earth. I could feel those qualities emitting from Steve. It was one of the biggest day of my life. I am looking forward to meet him again. I know the day will come too. Untill then,

All my love and respect stays with you,
Sir Steve Vai.

[jbl]

I learn so much from this guy.. And I am not a guitarist.. He is just so educating to watch...

[dzonobraz]

I'm a guitar player but I also have something else I'm doing for my life and lately I've struggled and gave up on my dreams and life generally.
But when he said just get back to the place and thought when you have it crystalized in your mind that you can do it, and you can really do it.
This video has cheered me up and tought me something, most likely even changed my life. Thank you Vai ! 
 

[guitar]

Thank you Steve, I wish I'd have found this about 15 years ago. I'm now going to use your words of inspiration to focus on helping others in my life.

[pedroribeiro]

That's one of the reasons that Steve Vai will be always one of the best guitar players in history. He is one the best playing guitar, but he is also that kind of musician that really feel the music, realy love what he's doing. Great example and inspiration!

[guitarchallengestv]

This is one of the most inspired speak concerning guitar playing I ever heard.

[knucklehead-zw]

Wow! I am REALLY impressed with this cat. I've listened to his music for 25 years but never heard him talk. Fantastic!