Guglielmo Malusardi

You need to roll up your sleeves. Play well, have a great sound and offer a proper show - not just a demonstration of your skills and abilities.

I got picked up by Mike (McDowell) at Shred Guy; apparently Mike was interested in adding a "fusion" flavor to his rather "metal" guitar-oriented label, and my sound seduced him.

To play in places where they cannot pay the expenses for an entire band, I travel with only my guitar and a CD where I have my own backing tracks. And I noticed that the public reacts very well to these concerts!

Well, the Internet is a great thing, everyone now can have their own spot and sell their music. But it is becoming a jungle where everyone just thinks about themselves. There is too much quantity, and too little quality; too much competition instead of collaboration.

I like to compose instinctively. First of all, I imagine a theme to follow up, as if I was writing a story, using my guitar instead of a pen, and from that point on, it`s all about improvisation.

We decided to write something and we asked Gian to join this project. We were looking for something different to create separation between us and the other thousands of shredders in the world, so we decided to use the 8-string guitar.

When you play with somebody else, you have to worry about playing well and being in your place at every moment. When you play your own songs, in any venue, you show how you are, because they are your own work.

Try to become a better musician every day. Listen to music actively - try to understand what those great musicians felt when they wrote your favorite song or played your favorite solo.

I will be back doing more instructional videos in January with Joe Satriani. I can`t tell you how humbling it is to work with one of your mentors. Simply unbelievable!

When Mike Varney got a copy of my mostly acoustic solo record and signed me, he suggested doing more metal. I was thrilled because at that point in time it seemed nobody cared for metal solos.

The fact that downloading is a problem can`t prevent you from doing music. And you are right, a lot of guys are actually releasing their first albums, but that doesn`t mean they are good or different from what`s been done before.

Usually when I work on my own compositions, I immediately follow my instincts, putting down ideas quickly that come from inspiration - without following any set pattern.