Paul Gilbert: Randy Rhoads Riffs and Reverence 

Randy Rhoads is one of our all-time favorite guitar players! Randy fans, how has he inspired your playing? Let us know in the comments!

More than honored to have been mentioned in this awesome video. Thank you Nick!

40 years on, we're still talking about him. What a Legend!

Nick hit it right on the head. The ferocity and musicality while doing metal and classical at the same time. Randy is the best.

I'm seriously impressed that Paul has matched his guitar with his boots and hat :)

Randy Rhoads changed my life. In 1980, I was 13 and six years into studying classical piano, but I was a huge rock & metal fan. Blizzard of Ozz inspired me to drop the tennis racket air guitar and start learning it for real. I figured out the F# opening riff to Crazy Train by ear and was off to the races...Randy was gone before I turned 15, but his legacy still lights a fire under me to this day. R.I.P. my friend, and thank you.

paul gilbert will be and always has been the coolest guest to have on a guitar show/interview/ just EVERYTHING

My favorite RR riff is the outro solo for "Tonight". Every time he rides the toggle switch I tear up & just lose it.

Randy And the guys in Judas Priest and Iron Maiden are the reason I started playing guitar.

Paul's too modest; he's literally up there with the all-time greats!

Paul Gilbert is the reason i started to play the electric guitar . I must of heard “Racer X” cassette a million times . Amazing ….

The final solo in Mr. Crowley is one of the greatest guitar solos of all time. Even to this day. The shredding, the ripping, the melodic nature of it, just fantastic.

Paul Gilbert Playing Randy Rhoads = Awesome Sauce ✌🤘

It's super cool that Paul is just as big a fan as the rest of us. You can tell how passionate he is talking about Randy.

Paul Gilbert - Always the class act, he's one of the best. RIP Randy, glad we all got to witness your talent.

This is literally one of the best videos about Randy that I've seen. In the 40 years since he passed, it feels like the understanding of what a true genius he was has finally spread widely within and outside of the guitar community and this does my heart good. I was truly blessed to have been a teenager back in the late 70's and living in the San Fernando valley where this movement of metal was starting to really take hold. I went to see Quiet Riot (with Randy) at the Starwood one night and the guy next to me told me Randy was a guitar teacher. I was blown away by the idea that you could actually take lessons from the guy in Quiet Riot. So the next day I followed this guys directions, down Laurel Canyon, left at the muffler shop and there on the right side of the street was Musonia. Walked in and was bombarded by the sounds of Randy giving a lesson in the back. I asked his mom (like I didn't already know) who it was playing like that. Her answer, and I'll never forget, was "Oh, that's a young man named Randy Rhoads. He's our best guitar teacher". And so, the next week, I began my 3 year journey learning how to play the electric guitar from who would turn out to be one of the all time greats. What I took away from those days, beyond anything, was the work ethic and the realization that to succeed as a musician (whatever success means) you had to truly have passion for your instrument. You can't look at practicing as a chore. And you can't learn to love it. It just has to be in you. It was definitely in Randy. Still think about him every day. Again, thank you guys for this truly wonderful video. I know there are a few hundred of us out there who were lucky enough to have been his students and it means the world, trust me.

The part where Paul is talking about Randy’s live tone with stereo chorus and how big and full it was… I think he said, “…there was some kind of global, harmonizer/chorus effect”. He’s talking about Randy’s live guitar sound, with “live” meaning: At the actual show - not his recorded live sound, like what we hear on the Tribute album. That sound, as awesome as it is, is heavily fucked with. I believe Randy’s 2 Marshall heads were being run in stereo by simply coming out of the Stereo Chorus pedal that way. Even though sitting side by side, the 2 stacks of Marshalls were run in a left and right stereo manner which was divided by the chorus pedal. A chorus pedal does not have a typical chorus sounding effect when used this way. Instead, it has a huge & full, almost moving stereo effect that seems to fill the entire room. The further you spread the left & right signals apart - the more intense the effect becomes. You wouldn’t notice the huge stereo effect coming out of the 2 stacks of Marshalls unless you were standing directly in front of them & kinda centered, where you could actually hear the ‘left & right’. Now, using 2 separate channels, on the soundboard, for Randy’s guitar, mic 1 speaker from each of the 2 amp stacks in a left and right manner and balance it this way at the soundboard. Example: Stack #1 on channel 1 is panned 75~100% to the left and Stack #2 on channel 2 is panned 75-100% to the right. The effect is now huge and fills the entire room with an almost indescribable stereo sound. It’s the only way to get that huge, full, moving, room-filling sound and it can only be achieved with a single guitar player playing live. Two guitarist, being split in a stereo way (one to the left and one to the right) cannot create anything even close to effect I described. It has to be done starting with a single guitar signal in which you’ll be modifying. It probably all sounds fucking stupid and rambling but I don’t know how else to lay it all out and explain it clearly. Just try it using 2 separate guitar amps and a stereo chorus pedal and spread the 2 amps apart and stand in the center when you play. You’ll get it then.

Is it just me or does Paul Gilbert sound exactly like David Letterman?...

13 when Blizzard dropped and he was the soundtrack of my youth. Best ever writer/player in metal. Hes why I play.

Bringing in Nick Bowcott for these videos is one of the best decisions Sweetwater has made for their RU-vid channel. These videos are absolutely fantastic.

It's fun seeing Paul play Randy riffs, and saying kind words

Tommy Aldridge?,What about Lee kirslake He was a beast. Poor guy! Thanks for the tribute.

Highly encourage everyone to check out "Ozzy Osbourne | Live At Long Beach, California 1981 Full Concert" on RU-vid. I believe its his all-time best performance. What a legend

This was great! Randy was always my favorite guitarist!

Randy will always be my favorite guitarist. His technique and phrasing was unique for the time. Bob and Randy wrote amazing songs. They are enduring, subtle, and powerful at the same time.

I wanted to thank Nick for mentioning Lee Kerslake. I really feel that he and Bob Daisley were mistreated by the Ozzy camp. I have nothing against Rudy or Tommy, but those two albums wouldn't have been what they are without Bob and Lee.

Paul Gilbert the greatest teacher ever, still remember sitting down and revwinding the VHS trying to learn what he was explaining. Awesome guitar player and person.

John Sykes was doing "that lick," too. Randy always sounded to me like he was composing and Yngwie sounded to me like he was playing violin lines on the guitar.

Much respect to Nick, Paul, and Sweetwater for remembering Randy. 40 years and Randy is still alive in the ephemeral notes of millions of us playing his songs and style.

Randy created a legacy despite his limited work. A sad loss but he lives on through his music. ❤️

Paul Gilbert doing Randy.. the best playing the best.. absolutely love the tribute! Great stuff. RiP Randy!!!

Paul Gilbert the unrivaled champion of the guitar face

there's a vid here on youtube with the audio of the greensburg clinic paul is talking about. it's accompanied by pictures taken during the clinic. one shows randy with a young paul gilbert.

S.A.T.O. Is one of my fav Randy riffs! So cool seeing another one of my fav guitarists playing it!

Can we just take a second to appreciate Paul matching his guitar with his shoes and hat?

Awesome! Paul’s enthusiasm is always great! The love of music and guitar always shines through!

Paul Gilbert the G.O.A.T 🐐 🤘😬🤘

Eddie Van Halen made me want to play the guitar but Randy Rhoads gave me that appreciation for classical music and how to integrate the scales into Rock/Metal music. Plus he put the single greatest guitar company on the map... Jackson! 😉🤘

Steal Away the Night is my favourite Randy riff. :) I remember getting Blizzard of Ozz on CD when I was... 10? I'm 30 now and still listen to it a ton and Randy is my favourite guitarist (with Paul close to Randy!)

The name Randy RHOADS is etched in guitar history. Still haven’t met a Guitarist that wasn’t influenced or inspired or at the very least respected the Caliber of Guitar player that Randy was. To many of the greats were taken way to soon 🙏

Only, if only I could have the same energy and enjoyment as Paul!! He has always been such an inspiration for me and when I feel like I need to take any "supplements" to get through the day I think about Paul and just grab my guitar!! It's probably not a replacement for AA , but it has been the cornerstone that has worked for me through 5 years of sobriety and I just wanted to say.... thanks Paul, and to sweetwater for the great video!

This is probably the closest I'll ever see Paul Gilbert to Dimebag Darrell.

"Fighting invisible pirates and winning." Paul always makes me laugh.

Nick and Paul, Thank you so very much. Randy is the reason why i picked up the electric guitar. They say he is not the great guitarist and i know he might not be. However he will always be my number guitar hero. Just can't believe it's more than 4 decades since he've been gone and we still talk about him.

You can always tell who learned by dropping the needle and tab in the back of GFTPM vs YT and Ultimate Tabs. Paul goes without saying but Nick is a legend too! I’m showing my age but Grim Reaper was as common as ‘Priest and ‘Maiden in our tape decks at rehearsal.. in fact I don’t think any band was allowed to leave the Palmdale desert dirt party until you played the trilogy of See You In Hell, Wrathchild and Livin’ After Midnight. Kick ass content

Randy was phenomenal. The Tribute album blew me away. His live sound was so much better than his studio sound. Randy had the best of both worlds, he played fast but he also rocked and everything was so tasteful and his fills were gorgeous.

Nick Bowcott of Grim Reaper ? amazing.....Paul you are the man. Thank you. You're a legend yourself and you took time to honor RR. Props !

13:56 re: Diary intro. Cuban composer Leo Brouwer's Etude No. 6. Randy inspired my playing in many ways but especially the scalar sequences with those mordent (?) ornaments (e.g. solo in Over the Mountain). Thanks for the video! this is great

Incredible interview. Randys tone in those fingers was mindblowing and changed music forever. RIP Randy Rhoads. On a sidenote, Thank You sweetwater for the excellent gear and service You guys provide! Paul Gilbert is a national treasure

I love Paul, he really plays Randy's stuff like a true fan, i've been a fan of Randy since i was 12 and met Paul in 1991 with Mr Big so to see this is a real treat.

Kerslake and Daisley were better than Sarzo and Aldridge, Not to mention how much they contributed to the writing of the greatest songs of all time (imo) The only thing that bummed me out back when I saw The Blizzard (twice) is that they weren't there.

Seeing these guys playing some of Randy's stuff just shows how freaking good Randy really was. It's mind-blowing to think these songs are over 40 years old. Randy will always be one of my favorite rock metal guitarists of all time and there's been no one with his style and feel since. God bless you Randy you were an amazing talent and gone far too soon...

Wonderful video. Thank you, Nick and Paul. As Nick said, may Randy rest in peace and continue to inspire.

As I recall Gary Moore claimed he taught Randy the two finger trill thing before a show! Both were amazing, sadly missed

i’m 20 and have been playing for about 2 years now. Crazy train was the craziest rock song i’ve ever heard and that was the first thing i learned. Randy after 40 years still inspiring young guys like me for the next generation. LONG LIVE THE KING

He was my favorite the first time I heard him. I was just like in 7th or 8th grade when Blizzard came out. He still blows my mind speed wise. I sometimes think he was just about as fast as Yngwie or at least close to, but it's hard to hear that because of the production style and the doubling and quadrupling of parts. The fills he played in I Don't Know are the ones that come to mind as far as just face-melting speed.

I just want to say that Randy Rhoads has been my favorite guitar player since the first time I heard him play circa 1981/1982. And Blizzard and Diary have stood the test of time. Somehow he managed to put all his skills to use and took his playing to another level from what he had been playing in Quiet Riot. Randy and EVH. I miss the late 70s and early 80s. Soon after Randy died Yngwie hit the scene. I wonder what Randy would have thought of him and how it would have affected his playing?

8:05 Randy used to use really fast (20-30 millisecond) delays at the end of his signal chain to create a psuedo-chorus effect. I think I even read that when playing live they used to separate the delayed signal and the main signal and route them to the left and right amp clusters to create an even bigger chorus sound.

I never get tired of this type of video. To hear another world class guitarist play riffs of colleagues is always fascinating.

This is such a beautiful tribute to Randy and an analysis of made his playing so special. There are a select few players that you can listen to them 40-50 years after you first heard them and they hit you just as hard. Randy is right up there

Randy Rhoads is the very reason why I picked up a electric guitar. Thanks RR! You may Rest In Peace! 🙏👍❤️

I love Sweetwater. Who ever runs it does the company good putting out all this great RU-vid content

RR was such a technically gifted player, massive distortion and sound, yet crisp & clear on every note. I remember when those two Ozzy albums came out & later hearing live bootlegs, just incredible.

This is great analysis of Randy Rhoads' playing. It shows how much depth he displayed as a player 40 years ago! Randy was a great player. More than that he was a great guitarist. More than that he was a great musician. More than that he was a great composer. And more than that he was a great artist!!! And that is why we are still talking about him 4 freaking decades later!

Randy was unbelievable. His playing changed the way rock players looked at playing the guitar and was completely ground breaking. To me, he was the most innovative and best player of that time. Imagine what he could have accomplished had lived.

Paul has really been that guy that is an incredible player, a heck of a nice guy and he’s also really good at being accessible in the way he is online.

The end solo on the song, "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll" has always haunted me. I wish it didn't fade out as I wanted to hear where it continued onto before the band stopped. Because Randy was killin' it! Listen to that solo again really close when you can. It was like nothing else.

Love Paul's enthusiasm about all music.

Thanks for covering Randy despite Ozzy being brutal on youtube channels!!! It breaks my heart that Randy isn't being discussed and studied and taught like his peers because of copyright BS. If Ozzy really wanted to honor Randy's legacy he'd open up and stop blocking content!

31+ minutes that went by quickly, and I'd do it all over again! A great balance of stories, talk and playing, and thanks for letting Paul let 'er rip! A fun, pleasant guy who can play guitar so well! So cool watching him play the intro to Green-Tinted Sixties Mind! Wow. I just watched the Randy Rhoads documentary, so this was a great add to that! Thanks Nick and Paul!!!

paul gilbert is amazing, a national treasure

Diary chords are from a Leo Brouwer etude. I love that song ❤️ hearing Paul in the end playing this just makes me smile.

It's so awesome to see Paul Gilbert play Randy Rhoads stuff.

That fast lick Paul is talking about how no one does those anymore.. Tracii Guns does a lot and I feel it's his way of showing tribute to some of his influences like Randy, Jimmy Page, Gary Moore etc. I dig it. He does riffs like that on nearly every song here and there..

Paul Gilbert is just one of the coolest dudes ever. I've been following him since the 80's. Love his outlook, his chops, and his creativity.

A friend played me Mr Crowley on vinyl in the early 80's, then my brother dropped VH 1 into my ears, it all came together after that

I could listen to Paul talk and play all day. He’s so humble, and gets so excited about playing guitar after all these years despite his obvious mastery of the instrument.

"SATO" is my favorite. There is so much great guitar going on under the verses, plus the solo section is not the usual 8 bars, AND the guitar break before and after the solo is the RR sound right there. See You in Hell, Nick!

I love watching Paul play, every pinch, every gallop, every run he hits he looks like a kid in a candy store. Just full of joy and excitement. Great video, long live the music of Randy Rhoads 🤘🎸🎶

Paul always seems like such a great, down to earth guy. Love it.

I started playing guitar 🎸 because of Randy Rhodes, I still can't play like him all these years later. the Timing Randy used added a lot of energy.

Paul Gilbert's guitar sound on this video is absolutely bombastically heavy

Randy is by far my biggest influence. Listening to Diary blew my mind as a kid! There are so many amazing guitarists but Randy was both an extraordinary player and composer! And best of all, an amazing person by all accounts.

Charvel is making some great guitars.

There will never be another Randy Rhoads he died here in FL up in Ocala when I was 12 he wasn't just great he was phenomenal!

Not sure how many others will catch it but at 12:40 Paul tells you that he uses 8's. I hear about that a few yeas back and found out that a number of players use light gauge strings. I took this to hear and stopped fighting with my guitars. Using 838s on my Steinberger is just awesome. I highly recommend trying it out.

Paul is so cool and humble. He's freaking great ! It's cool how he respects other famous guitarists. He's not stuck on himself and insecure about his talent.

Remember, fellas (and I'm positive you know)... Rudy and Tommy weren't on those albums. Bob Daisly and Lee Kerslake gave us those classic rythym section grooves.

I could watch Paul and Nick all day! Guitar greats on a guitar great! 🤘🏽🎸

Great interview with Nick and Paul explaining and demonstrating Randy’s style perfectly!!

I love it that Paul was so happy he played the riff well! That’s how great Randy was

No one like Randy Rhoads. His playing was far beyond ahead of his time and unique. To this day no one can play like him.

Randy Rhoads + Jackson = THE KING OF METAL

Mr Paul Gilbert is not just a great player and teacher. He is a very humble, down to earth person. I met him after a master class. He had kind words for everyone. He didn't hide after the class was over. He was very approachable.

Being a fan of grim reaper throughout the 80s it is just awesome seeing Nick keep our Guitar Hero name and music alive thank you so much for that Nick and keep on rocking brother

I always forgot how good and unique Randy's riffs were. And that he was only 25. I mean, those 27 year club had 2 more years. That's like 20% more life as an adult for one to make an impact.

Randy's doubling and tripling always have a psychedelic effect, for me - a psychotically psychedelic sound, perfect for Ozzy's music.

5:27 According to Dana Strum who arranged Randy's audition for Ozzy's band, Randy showed up with a little Fender Champ or something like it, and a couple of pedals and he was getting the Crazy Train tone out of it. Evidently, he made his guitar breath fire out of a little practice rig that he could throw onto his front seat..

You guys are both awesome. Paul Gilbert you're one of my favorite guitar players 😎👍

Great job Nick and Paul! May Randy live on and continue to inspire! My absolute favorite guitarist!