Got Ostinatos? An interview with
Florida's own Joey Dahlia
Interviewed by: Nick Martinelli
12/14/2001
 SZ:
Give us some background and personal history about yourself.
I am 34 years old and I live in Tampa Florida. Along with mastering
guitar I was also an amateur bodybuilder for 10 years. The same
music that inspired the guitar players/shredders to play the guitar inspired me
to be a bodybuilder.SZ: When
did you pick up guitar and how did you get interested in it?
It
was flat out Malmsteen that inspired me to play the guitar.
SZ: What drove
you to become the player you have become today?
Practice,
I can’t explain it but when I have a desire to do something it consumes
my soul and I take it to the extreme. I started teaching guitar
after my first year; I practiced 10 hours a day!
SZ: Name some of the biggest influences on your playing? Who
where the ones early on that kicked you butt?It
was the raw power of Lynch, Malmsteen, Rhoades, and Van Halen.
SZ:
Name
some of your favorite bands.
Dokken, Ozzy, Priest, all early 80’s
heavy metal.
SZ:
What is your
favorite part of your playing style?The ability
to mix it up and being able to have full control of my speed, whether
it’s alternating picking or legato.
SZ:
 Why
did you drop everything else and pursue guitar playing non-stop?Again,
I gave up bodybuilding to play guitar. When I play guitar I am relaxed
and in a different state of mind. It doesn’t matter if it’s a slow
classical tune on my acoustic or rocking hard on my Jackson. I want
to be the best player in the world, even if no one knows it but me!
Haha! To be honest, I bet less than 50 people outside of my students
have every heard of me.
SZ:
I thoroughly
looked through all your technique lessons, and I really enjoyed viewing
them and learning new techniques. Can you describe what guitar players
will get, if this where a sales pitch?
I am 100%
self taught and because I play so many hours a day, you would have to
say that I have the most up to date techniques available. They are
not Van Halen licks, Rhoades licks or Malmsteen licks – they are all mine.
I don’t believe in playing someone else’s music. I have never learned
anyone else’s music. I will help anyone no matter what stage of
guitar they are in, beginner to advanced, I will work one on one with
them through video emails if necessary to get them started. Basically,
each person could have a lesson created just for them. I do require
one thing, they must agree to practice.
SZ:
What can a viewer
expect, when first viewing your instructional technique lessons?The
lessons on my website are short close up videos of my guitar playing showing
different techniques of my style. I created the Excel sheet, which
I call Dahlia Tab to show finger placement on the frets and in the order
that they are played. My CD Rom video lessons are short segments
of my VHS instructional video. The CD Rom shows several different
techniques, usually played a little slower and then of course at full
speed. The VHS tape is about 45 minutes, it was in the early stages
of my playing, is an amateur video but it goes into more detail on ostinatos,
legatos, arpeggio’s, and verbrato. I thought that it was a good beginner
lesson but now realize that the playing was actually a little too advanced
for the average player. It has a bit of a comical side to
is as well, since I’m not a good actor.
SZ: Why did you start producing online guitar technique lessons?
One of my
students mentioned that there are other people giving lessons on the internet
and so I thought – Why No!? It is my goal to have my music live
on “Surviving the Centuries” (the name of my CD that I hope to release
in early 2002) Anyone know where I can get a recording contract?
Haha!
SZ:
Can you list
some of the lesson topics that you cover?Ostinato,
Verbrato, Legato, Arpeggio, alternating picking, 3 and 4 notes per string,
string bending, single note phrasing
SZ:
What is your
mission as an instructor?
I want to teach people that along with
shredding and arpeggios there is ostinato, verbrato and legato.
SZ:
What makes your
instruction technique lessons different from all the other guitarists who
offer online lessons?Because I am self taught and I do a
lot more single note phrasing, ostinato and smooth legatos. I do
less scale work and hardly any arpeggios.
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