Joe Satriani on what made Kurt Cobain “a great guitar player”

Joe Satriani has opened up about Kurt Cobain‘s guitar playing, sharing that the Nirvana frontman was a “great” at playing the axe.

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In an interview with Classic Rock Magazine as part of their January 2025 issue, Satraini – who prior to becoming the guitar icon he has become, served as a guitar instructor and taught the likes of Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Kirk Hammett, Andy Timmons, Charlie Hunter and more – discussed the ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ hitmakers, saying that he “was very happy with those Nirvana records”.

He then focused on Cobain and added that the legendary frontman “was a great guitar player.”

“You go back and look at Nirvana clips, and you realise this guy is playing everything he’s supposed to play. He’s not looking at what he’s playing, so obviously he really knows the instrument,” he told the publication. “And he’s playing with one of the greatest drummers of all time [Dave Grohl], so that wouldn’t have worked if he was not a good guitarist.”

In other news, Satriani’s album ‘G3 Reunion Live’ – featuring fellow guitarists Vai and Eric Johnson – is set for release on Jan. 31 via earMUSIC. G3 is a concert tour organized by Satriani featuring him alongside two other guitarists.

The album marks their live album in over 25 years and features “a full album-length set from” each of the trio alongside “additional jam material of the mighty guitar trinity,” (via Loudwire). You can pre-order it here.

Elsewhere, Satriani and Vai have joined forces to create the Satchvai Band and are set to embark on a 2025 UK and European tour this summer. Check out a full list of dates below and visit here to purchase tickets.

The Satchvai Band will play: 

JUNE 2025 

13 – York, Barbican 

14 – London, Eventim Apollo 

17 – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall 

18 – Wolverhampton, Civic Hall 

19 – Manchester, O2 Apollo 

22 – Paris, Palais Des Congres 

23 – Antwerp, Lotto Arena 

24 – Amsterdam, Amsterdam Afas 

26 – Copenhagen, Amager Bio 

29 – Helsinki, House of Culture 

30 – Tampere, Tampere Hall 

JULY 2025 

2 – Uppsala, Parksnacken 

3 – Oslo, Sentrum Scene 

5 – Warsaw, Torwar 

8 – Munich, Musik Arena 

10 – Dusseldorf, Mitsubishi Electric Hall 

11 – Frankfurt, Jahrhunderthalle 

12 – Zurich, Volkshaus 

13 – Milan, Villa Casati Stampa 

15 – Pordenone, Parco San Valentino 

16 – Perugia, Umbria Jazz 

17 – Bologna, Sequoie Music Park 

18 – Saint Julien, Monts du Genevois 

Satriani’s latest album is 2022’s ‘The Elephants Of Mars’, while Vai released ‘Vai/Gash’ in 2023, a record first recorded in 1991 but never previously released.