Secrets of the Guitar Heroes: John Mayer

How do you feel about the whole Guitar Hero-game phenomenon?
I don't ever want to be the kind of guy who rails against whatever progress has taken place. But Guitar Hero was devised to bring the guitar-playing experience to the masses without them having to put anything into it. And having done both, there's nothing like really playing guitar. I mean, what would you rather drive, a Ferrari or one of those amusement-park cars on a track?

What about how easy it is for kids to get into music and produce music now?
The fact that you could record a song tonight greatly dements the creative process. The fact that if you wanted to right now, you and your friends could get together, do a photo shoot. Within 20 minutes you could have a band name, a photo shoot, a Website, a logo. The first time I ever got a four-track recorder I didn't write a song. I did like as many-part harmony to "Star Spangled Banner" vocally as I could do, because you just want to experience the technology. So I think that's part of it too. I'm trying to be compassionate about it and not say oh, these fuckin' kids, you know? But it is.

What would the 16-year-old John Mayer say if he saw what you do now onstage and where you are?
Man, I'd say I like the blues stuff. I like your Blues stuff, me. 'Cause it is going for a sophistication. I'm not leaving my mark on the way that I soloed, you know? I'm gonna leave my mark on sort of the combination of lead playing, rhythm playing, vocal. I'm just trying to build one solid sound out of these elements of singing, songwriting, chord changes, lead playing, rhythm, melody, harmony, all these things that really are trying to get funneled into one sound. And like that one sound — I feel like that's my mark.

[From Issue 1054 — June 12, 2008]

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