I know what you mean. You can play something insanely fast and most people will just nod their head and say 'whatever . . . ', but you can play some simple little melody or some popular song that they know and they'll think you're the greatest guitarist in the world.

When I first heard Satriani, I was like 'what the hell?' because I was used hearing all the popular crap. Satriani's stuff was completely foreign to my ear. So from this experience, I can say that it definitely takes time to develop an ear for more complex and fast music. Now when I listen to the radio, I find myself bored because all the crap music that they play on there seems so simplistic compared to the complex music of guys like Satch, Vai, and Gamble. These guys definitely play fast melodies, which, as you say, probably go over the heads of most people.

The select few, that would be us, can appreciate it because we're used to it.

-Christoph