Yngwie Malmsteen

By
Pranay
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INTRO

June 30th 1963 Lars Johann Yngve Lannerbach (Later became Yngwie Johann Malmsteen) was born in
Stockholm, Sweden, to Lennart Lannerback and Rigmor Malmsteen. The youngest child in the household
that included his mother Rigmor, sister Ann Louise, and brother Bjorn. On September 18, 1970 when
Yngwie was 7 years old he saw the TV special on the death of the greatest guitar icon Jimi Hendrix, that
was the day the guitar playing Yngwie was born.

On June 30th 1968 Yngve received his 1st guitar on his 5th birthday from his mother, Rigmor an old
Mosrite and then later on he gets a cheap Stratocaster. On Yngwie’s 8th birthday Ann Louise gifted
Yngwie with the then new Deep Purple album Fireball that was where Yngwie 1st discovers the Harmonic
minor scale. Yngwie spent long hours practicing music from Deep Purple, he admired Ritchie
Blackmore’s classically influenced playing. His sister Ann Louise a classically trained flute player
influenced Yngwie with Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven and Mozart. And slowly Yngwie began to absorb the
classical structure of the great masters and it start to form his prodigious style which was later termed as
Neo-Classical. By age 10 Yngwie focused all his energies into music his mother and sister recognized his
unique musical gifts and supported him, he was also playing in many local bands and was fronting
powerhouse and powerrio. In his early teens Yngwie saw Russian violinist Gideon Kremer perform 24
Caprices by Niccolo Paganini. That performance had profound effect on young Yngwie and he
understood how to combine his love of classical music with his burgeoning guitar skills and onstage
charisma.

At age 15 Yngwie was tired of school and rode his Harley through the hallway of his school and left
school for good, also the same year he bought the 1971 Stratocaster. While working at as a luthier at the
shop Tord’s Guitarr Verkstad in Stockholm he first time saw scalloped necks as some 17th century lutes
come in the store. He tried making scalloped neck on some of his old guitar and was impressed by the
control of the guitar he had, that became a permanent alteration to his equipment.

At age 18 Yngwie with some friends recorded a demo tape for the Swedish CBS, but it was never
released. Frustrated, Yngwie began sending the demo tapes to record companies and music contacts
abroad and after sending numerous demos “Practically to millions of people”
(myspace.com/yngwiemalmsteen) one tape found its way into the hands of Guitar Player contributor and
founder of Shrapnel Music Mike Varney. That was when Yngwie was invited by Shaprnel records to
record with their new band Steeler, so Yngwie left with just his 1971Stratocaster and an extra pair of
pants. After playing with Steeler, Yngwie forms Alcatrazz with former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet.
Yngwie soon realizes that in order to reach his full potential he would need to go solo, and in 1984 he
starts his solo career with his debut album Rising Force.
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STYLE AND PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUE

Yngwie Malmsteen is arguably the most technically accomplished hard rock guitarist to emerge during
the '80s. Combining a dazzling technique honed over years of obsessive practice with a love for such
classical composers as Bach, Beethoven, and Paganini, Malmsteen's distinctively baroque, gothic
compositional style and lightning-fast arpeggiated solos rewrote the book on heavy metal guitar.

Shredding

Yngwie unknowingly was one of the first to come up with the technique called Shredding. What exactly
shredding is has been a major point of debate over the past few decades, but where Yngwie got this was
by simply playing Niccolo Paganini, Beethoven and other classical composers and fusing that with his
love for rock. Shredding is staccato notes played fast (ex. 16th notes played at 200bpm) with alternate
picking. Many people mistake sweep picking, legato and tapping as shredding. Shredding has become
very unpopular among the masses as after Yngwie there were many imitators which lacked musical
quality. Yngwie has used classical phrases from Bach and other composers and played them in the right
context rather then playing scales in groupings of 3 up and down the fret board like many of his imitators.

Sweep Picking

Yngwie normally uses the arpeggio shapes on the E-B-G strings as they can be played faster as compared
to the shapes which use all the strings. However occasionally he plays arpeggios on all 6 strings
sometimes using extensions to other shapes and also sometimes incorporate tapping with his arpeggio
runs. One of Yngwie’s favorite arpeggio run is the diminished arpeggio from the 1st fret right down to the
22nd and then bent to the 24th.

Tapping

Yngwie uses tapping to extend arpeggios and for some licks but does not play long segments of tapping
only like Eddie Van Halen or Joe Satriani do.

Legato

Yngwie uses legato for a more classical flavor like trills, hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Harmonics

Yngwie uses a verity of harmonics, commonly like pinch harmonics with bends and natural harmonics
with the whammy bar.
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Dive Bombs

Since Yngwie has fixed bridge American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo he can only lower the pitch with
his dive bombs unlike the floating bridge Floyed Rose used by Steve Vai and Joe Satriani who can use the
tremolo both to higher or lower the pitch. Yngwie uses the tremolo to add a wild vibrato effect to some of
his notes. He also uses the tremolo on the open E bass string to end phrases.

Phrasing/Rhythm

Yngwie’s Phrasing is very classical using Bach style melodic runs. He phrases his arpeggios using ideas
of Paganini. Although Yngwie normally uses only Major, Minor and Diminished arpeggios it’s the way
he phrases them that make his arpeggios truly stand out.

Rhythmically Yngwie’s music uses things like sudden stops and galloping rhythms. Yngwie’s band play
an equally important roll in the rhythm as his drummer would fill an appropriate roll with his shredding
lick and many places the bass also shreds the similar passage.

Scale Choice

Yngwie obsessively uses the Harmonic minor scale and its modes in his licks the reason for that is that in
previous centuries classical music took Harmonic minor as the minor scale and not the Natural minor as
we do today. Phrygian is another of his favorite scales for phrasing his riffs around. He uses Melodic
minor and other scales but only for an instance.

Sound

Yngwie’s basic setup for electric guitar would be DOD 250 Overdrive, IBANEZ TS-9
TUBESCREAMER and in the end BOSS NS-2 NOISE SUPPRESSOR before connecting it to the
Marshall 1987X amp. For his nylon string Ovation he uses a Fender Roc Pro amp. Yngwie’s sound is
generated more by the volume of his amps than the amount of over drive he uses.

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Guitars

Yngwie has collection of Stratocasters that totals over 200 with models ranging from early 1950's model
to present day Custom Shop instruments. Yngwie's favored period of Stratocasters is those built
between 1968 and 1972 and those in a Vintage White color. Yngwie's best known Strat is a 1971 model
nicknamed 'The Duck' (due to a Donald Duck sticker on the headstock).
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Other guitars used by Yngwie:-

Ovation Viper EA36 in white (nylon string)

Ovation 2002-AC (steel string)

Carvin AC175 custom made electro acoustic (steel string)

1969 Gibson Les Paul Standard

Jerry Jones electric sitar

Carvin AC175 Custom made electro acoustic (steel string)

Alvarez Yairi Luteback acoustic scalloped (steel string)

Alvarez Yairi custon made doubleneck scalloped (nylon and steel string)

Gibson Flying V

Fender Nylon String Stratocaster

Fingerboard

Yngwie uses a maple wood scalloped fingerboard. Scalloped fingerboards are carved between the frets
to create a playing surface where only the strings themselves are contacted by the fingers. The fingers
never touch the fingerboard. Friction is reduced during string bending and vibrato, and increases
command of the strings. Yngwie uses the Dunlop 6000 Frets a super jumbo fret wire #6000 replaces all
the standard Fender frets.

Setup

Yngwie when playing live has the action set up pretty high, although in the studio he tends to lower it a
bit. He also tunes down a half-step to E flat.

Strings

Yngwie uses Dean Markley strings with .008|.011|.014|.022|.032|.043 gauge.

Pickups

Yngwie uses DiMarzio Pickups. The DiMarzio HS-3 is in the bridge position, the DiMarzio YJM Yngwie
signature pickup in the neck and middle.
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Amp

Yngwie always uses Marshall Amps, his amp of choice is the Marshall MKII 1987 head. Yngwie uses
vintage models dating from 1972-73 in the studio and live. Yngwie always runs the volume control on 10
with the tone controls varying between amp heads. Yngwie currently has an endorsement deal with JJ
Tesla tubes/valves and uses the E34L power tube (a variant of the EL34 tube).
Yngwie has used the Marshall 1987 50 watt non master volume amp as long as he has been in the
spotlight.
In studio Yngwie uses 6 vintage Marshall 4x12" 'Basket Weave' cabs model #1982 loaded with vintage
Celestion G12 H30 speakers set up in a concrete "bunker" which is approximately 20 x 15 feet, these
cabs are hardwired to the Marshall 1987 heads which are in the studio’s control room. Yngwie never
plugs into his top cabinets live and he only records with straight front cabinets.
Depending on the country seems to affect what cabinets Yngwie uses. When he is in USA there tends to
be a couple of Marshall 1982 4x12 'basket weave' cabinets in the back line - presumably these are
loaded with vintage G12H30 speakers. But photographs also show that the back line is often made up
with Marshall 1960A + B cabs probably loaded with Celestion G12T-75's [75w] or occasionally Celestion
Vintage 30's [actually 70w]. These cabs vary between JCM800 and 900 badges so are probably supplied
by the Marshall distributor in whichever country Yngwie is touring. Yngwie currently has an
endorsement deal with Celestion speakers.
Yngwie also uses MARSHALL MG15DF-X as a practice amp.
Settings-Tone-Sound
Yngwie’s rack components:-
-Sampson Wireless System
-Furman Power Controller
-E-MU Vintage Keys Module (for the bass pedals)
-2x Korg DL8000R (digital delay units)
-TC Electronics G Force (guitar multi effects processor)
-DOD 250 Overdrive
-Boss OC-2 Octave
-2x Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor
-Boss BF-2 Flanger
-Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer
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Yngwie Malmsteen’s stage gear setup

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Selected Discography

Rising Force –

Is the debut album by Yngwie released in 1984 under Polydor and reached #60 on the Billboards. An
impressive feat for a mostly instrumental guitar album with no commercial airplay. The album also
gained Yngwie a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. He was voted Best New
Talent in several reader’s polls, Best Rock Guitarist the year after and Rising Force became the album of
the year. It has two major hits on Rising Force were Black Star and Far Beyond The Sun, other tracks
with some success were Evil Eye, Icaru’s Dream Suite Op:4 and Farewell.

Marching Out –

Is the 2nd album by Yngwie it was released in October 1985 under Polydor and reached #54 on the
Billboards. Overture 1383 and I am a Viking are two tracks on Marching Out that show the masters
composition skills. Overture 1383 shows great guitar harmonies as it kicks in with a heavy riff with bass
and drums backing guitars. The section that follows has three guitar one playing a medieval style acoustic
guitar with a beautiful two guitar harmony.

Trilogy –
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Is the 3rd album by Yngwie released in 1986 under Polydor and reached #44 on the Billboards. This
album was produced in honor of the slain Swedish prime minister Olof Palme. The three remarkable
songs on the album are ‘You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget’, ‘The Queens In Love’ and ‘Trilogy
Suite Op.5’.

Odyssey –

Is the 4th Yngwie album and the 1st after Malmsteen was nearly killed when he smashed his Jaguar XKE
into a tree in Los Angles. He was in coma for a week and sustained several Injuries, including nerve
damage to his picking hand. Odyssey was released in March 1988 under Polydor and it reached #40 on
the Billboards, this was also the last studio album Yngwie did with legendary Swedish keyboardist Jens
Johansson.

After Odyssey Yngwie did three more albums with Polydor - Trial By Fire: Live In Leningrad, Eclipse
and The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection. Trial By Fire was his first live recorded album, It reached #128
In the Billboards. Eclipse was his last studio album with Polydor it reached #12 on the Billboards. And in
November 1991 his first compilation album called The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection was released this
was his last album with Polydor.

Yngwie left Polydor in 1991 and signed a new contract with Electra Records. His album Fire & Ice was
released in1992 under Electra and reached #121 on the Billboards. At the time of release of his album
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Electra’s management was in war to choose a leader for the company. When finally in 1994 Sylvia Rhone
became Electra head she tried to remove all 80’s bands from the label by bankrupting them, which was a
major blow to Yngwie’s carrier. The album failed to be a top of the charts success in the U.S. but was
3xplatinum in Japan where Yngwie still sells out. The cause of this was the lack of promotion in U.S. by
Electra as they were more interested in signing Anthrax, and also by then Nirvana was the top ‘Rock’
band and Grunge had taken mainstream music.

After that Yngwie has recorded 16 more albums with Pony Cannon. The ‘Concerto Suite For Electric
Guitar and Orchestra in Em Opus1’ album released in 1998 and was recorded with Czech Philharmonic
conducted by Yoel Levi. This was later performed live with the New Japan Philharmonic on January 9th
2002. Personally this was the greatest musical masterpiece of all times that I have every heard!

2008 has been a very successful year for Yngwie as he had a sold out tour of Europe and after more than
two decades on October 14 2008 Yngwie released ‘Perpetual Flame’ under Rising Force Records.
Perpetual Flame a perfect name for his 27th solo album after all that he has been through as an artist for
still loving his music against all the odds. Perpetual Flame has done very well and has been remarked by
many critics as one of the best albums by Yngwie.

Noted Examples-

Example 1– Yngwie Style Sweepicking

The way Yngwie sweep picks is normally just on the G-B-E strings and slightly palm mutes them by his
right hand. He does not base entire sections on sweep picking all six strings but only uses for a certain
effect.
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Example 2– Yngwie’s Neo Classical Phrashing

Yngwie uses scalar patterns normally in groups of 3 notes, this makes him achieve a very neo – classical
flavor also it makes improvisation very easy for him as when he is live he stays in the scale shape and
plays random licks or phrases as he would feel appropriate. His live work have long instrumental sections
and mostly they are improvisation around a catchy motif using Melodic minor, Harmonic minor and other
major scales.

Example 3– Yngwie’s use of Delay and Feedback

This section is from “Echo Elude” where Yngwie is using his volume knob for the volume sweels and has
feed back set to 33ms with only one repeat. I would assume he got this idea from Van Halen’s Cathedral
guitar solo in with Van Halen uses volume swells and taps the strings to give a cello effect.
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Example 4– Yngwie Blues

Here are soome great blues licks Yngwie has used over the years on many Jimmy Hendrix covers.
Yngwies blues playing is some times thought to be as too aggressive by some people but one needs
develops the taste for it to like it.