Yngwie Malmsteen.

As you notice people, I always start my sentence with ''Back in the times I was 16''. Wanna know why? Because all this music-need that my flesh pumped was coming out. I always had it, since I was a kid, but then all of sudden, it exploded.

After hearing / seeing a Metallica video *Too bad I live in a Third World Country, where only you got to see the poppy-toppy acts like Shakira and all sorts*, I started to take guitar seriously, like an obsession, like a complete madness. It started to become a part of me, and I couldn't help it. It was happening, and I was damn happy it was happening. Oh dear, the days of the boy tryin' to show off and play some nice tunes to the chicks were gone. I just wanted to play the hell out of my guitar, loud, and as good as I could.

I had this friend at high school who, had the luck to be friends with the music department guy. And he played the guitar really good, really good. He was damn fast, playing some notes over here, over there, and soloing. And we eventually became friends, 'cause my best friend was a guitar wannabe, and asked him to teach him some licks and all sorts. But my friend wasn't that much disciplined.

But I was eager, to learn, and all that. I actually took with him just one single class. But I remember clearly, what he said: ''If you want to play good, listen to what you think you could play, and what you need.'' And he named me this particular guy, a Swedish man called Yngwie Johann Malmsteen.



He was perfect. I mean, he played the hell out of his fender Stratocaster, and did it in a way that showed CLEARLY, the classical music influence. Specially Nicolo Paganini, an infamous violin player who REALLY could SHRED... and really good.

So, the first song I heard was ''Far Beyond the Sun'' and I was like ''FUCK, that's what I want to learn''. And, then it started this obsession for finding his music, a thing that was virtually impossible for me at the time. But I did, I met this friend who sold music cd's and, he had Yngwie Malmsteen's ''Rising Force''.

I purchased that cd, among with 2 other ones... I was researching through the net how guitar have evolved, and how people could shred, and artists who were really good guitarists. So, the same day I met Yngwie, I met Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.

But I'm talking now 'bout Yngwie... I read his history, I even downloaded a book of his complete tabs, I read through it, played it, and DAMN, I was like ''This is pretty cool''. So then I realised I wanted more, I wanted more things to learn... and start taking lessons with my guitar master, a great guy I've had the luck of meeting just by coincidence.

So, my first lessons were just polishing my neo-classical driven technique... but that's another story.

Yngwie, thanks a lot for starting this obsession I have for the guitar. I don't shred anymore but, you started the fire... And that's something I will never forget.