“Eddie Van Halen and Gary Moore were kind of animal players!”: Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith says he never wanted to be a virtuoso

Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith has spoken to MusicRadar about his formative influences - and why shredding isn’t for him.

Taking time out from Maiden’s US tour, Adrian says: “When I first started playing, my hero was Ritchie Blackmore. But obviously you can't play like that when you start out.”

Instead, when Adrian and fellow Maiden guitarist Dave Murray formed their first band as teenagers in the early ’70s, they took inspiration from boogie legends Status Quo.

STATUS QUO - ROLL OVER LAY DOWN *LIVE* (1970's) - YouTube

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“We were playing Stones and Beatles stuff, and lots of Quo. You could get away with playing Quo. So Dave taught me barre chords, which is what Quo was all about.

“When I perfected that, I thought, well, if I can play one chord, I've got ‘em all. But my dad said, ‘You’re gonna learn properly’, and sent me to a guitar teacher. The teacher said, ‘Play an open C.’ I didn’t have a clue how to play any open chords.

“The guitar lessons didn't last. But Status Quo were the thing when I was a kid, because you could play it, you could get something going, it was very simple.”

He continues: “You get guys that have been playing guitar since they were kids, formal lessons, practicing three or four hours a day. I never did that. I wanted to be in a band. I wanted to sing, I wanted to play, I wanted to write. I didn't necessarily want to be a virtuoso.

“To me, the Thin Lizzy guitarists, Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham, they weren't really shredders, they were tasteful players, so that’s what I always aspired to. Something memorable, a bit of melody and feel, rather than just sheer technique, which I respect it, but it's like maths or something to me.

“I suppose if technique comes fairly easily to you, you can get carried away with it, because it is impressive. You can impress your girlfriend and then go and impress everyone else!

“But a guy like Eddie Van Halen was so much more than a shredder. He had great songs, great riffs, melodies, feel.

Van Halen - Unchained - 6/12/1981 - Oakland Coliseum Stadium (Official) - YouTube

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And there’s also a physical thing. Eddie Van Halen and Gary Moore were kind of animal players. They had huge hands, they were strong guys. [Yngwie] Malmsteen’s like six foot three and he’s just like a beast!

“So it's like sports. You are directed by your physical limitations. So just make the best of what you got.”