While most rock musicians are scrambling to fit rap and digital samples into their repertoire, Joe Satriani has stuck with what he knows best: guitar. And thereâÂÂs no argument that the man truly knows it.

The Grammy-nominated artist first came to prominence as a âÂÂguitar teacher to the stars,â with Steve Vai, MetallicaâÂÂs Kirk Hammett and Counting CroweâÂÂs David Bryson spreading kudos as pupils. Soon, however, the teacher had become renowned on his own, following the 1987 release of his platinum-selling âÂÂSurfing With the Alien.âÂÂ

Although heâÂÂs spent time filling in as a member of noted bands (Deep Purple) and as a sideman for other stars (Mick Jagger, Alice Cooper), Satriani has never lost concentration on his main focus as a solo artist. With his latest, âÂÂStrange Beautiful Music,â the 46-year-old New York native has crafted one of his most dynamic albums in years, and has actively taken over the reins as producer. The project showcases his instrumental mastery while evincing a much deeper leaning toward songwriting.

In other words, itâÂÂs flashy without being trashy.

Fresh from performing the national anthem at the Seattle Seahawks-Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday, the guitarist is en route from his Bay Area home to the airport to kick off his next leg of the tour. Within hours heâÂÂll be back at work delivering more âÂÂStrange Beautiful Music.âÂÂ

How did you first get hooked up playing the national anthem for sports teams?

âÂÂThe AâÂÂs had actually been asking for years, and I had such a fear of doing it. Because I kept thinking itâÂÂs such a hard one thematically to grapple with, since I grew up with Jimi HendrixâÂÂs two versions in my head.

âÂÂI think we were on tour a couple years ago in San Diego and the Padres asked me … I came close, but I asked Stu (Hamm, bassist) if heâÂÂd do it instead. I remember watching him on TV and thinking, âÂÂ’If Stu can do it out there with a bass, and people can take this new interpretation, maybe I should say yes the next time.âÂÂ

âÂÂSince then IâÂÂve been invited by the San Francisco Giants and 49ers and Oakland AâÂÂs, and now the Seattle Seahawks. ItâÂÂs always exciting.âÂÂ

In terms of pop culture, is the guitar as significant as it was 10 or 15 years ago?

âÂÂNo. I think every modern instrument that we think of goes through waves of popularity. It goes a bit quicker than it used to now, because the context in which we hear music is so numerous. When I started learning how to play guitar, it was hard to find rock music. There was no music television, other than âÂÂ’The Ed Sullivan Showâ or âÂÂ’Sonny and Cher.â That was hardly what was really happening in the music world. It WAS counterculture; now itâÂÂs not. Now Led Zeppelin sells Cadillacs. Now rock music is heard more on video games than actual CDs.âÂÂ

Your guitar skills are indisputable, but how do you rank your songwriting?

âÂÂI never really bother being judgmental like that. I learned that from Lennie Tristano when I was taking be-bop lessons from him when I was 17. He said, âÂÂ’Kids from suburbia have this subjunctive disease: TheyâÂÂre always worrying about what they should have done, what they could have done and what they would have done. TheyâÂÂre never concentrating on what they want to do.âÂÂ

âÂÂEver since then, IâÂÂve decided IâÂÂm not going to be judgmental, IâÂÂm just going to do what I want to do. ItâÂÂs kind of an ongoing catharsis.âÂÂ

When is the last time you taught a guitar lesson?

âÂÂI wound up doing that quite a bit on tour with contest winners. And IâÂÂve been teaching my son guitar. ItâÂÂs always something IâÂÂm doing once or twice a month.âÂÂ

Do you feel like it helps your own playing?

âÂÂI did when I was teaching full time. Because you have to consistently gather information, distill it and make it understandable in a very short period of time. That process is helpful because you wind up explaining it to yourself. It aids in the digestion of new ideas.âÂÂ

What is the worst live show youâÂÂve ever played?

âÂÂThat would be the Malaysian show we did about a year and a half ago. It started four hours late, so we went on at four in the morning. It was in this stadium that holds 100,000 people. But it was raining so there were only about 2,000 people there. Before us there was Sugar Ray and Jethro Tull – just the weirdest group of bands ever. It was a two-day festival.

âÂÂAnyway, someone wakes me up at 3:30 a.m. and says, âÂÂ’YouâÂÂre going on in a half hour.â I get down there, IâÂÂm in the middle of the second song – which is âÂÂ’Satch Boogieâ – and the army comes on stage with machine guns. They threaten to put us in jail unless we stop immediately. So I put down my guitar, picked up my backpack, left the stadium and flew home.âÂÂ

What is the most misunderstood aspect about the guitar?

âÂÂThat technique is diametrically opposed to feeling. When people say, âÂÂ’WhatâÂÂs more important: technique or feeling?â You canâÂÂt even answer that question, because itâÂÂs so screwed up. If youâÂÂre listening to something and youâÂÂre feeling it, that means technique is at work. If youâÂÂre listening to somebody and youâÂÂre not getting it, that means technique is wrong. LetâÂÂs not give the word a bad name.

âÂÂThe idea is to move people with your music, and you canâÂÂt think that technique is on the opposite side of that. Technique is actually working to make that happen.âÂÂ