Wolfgang Van Halen talks about his father being a bad guitar teacher

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen unfortunately left us at the age of 65 victim of throat cancer. His son Wolfgang is currently protomoting his first solo album and talked in an interview with 102.9 The Hog about his father being a bad guitar teacher.

Wolfgang Van Halen talks about his father being a bad guitar teacher:

“He didn’t teach me – he was a terrible teacher. He only taught me how to do power chords on a guitar, and then I taught myself. [Laughs] I would ask him how to play something and then he would just be himself, which is being a legendary guitar player. He couldn’t really help me connect point A to point B.

“He would just do it and go, ‘Do this’ – because it’s so easy for him – and I would just laugh and be like, ‘OK…’ [Laughs] I guess it’s the same thing with Einstein. He couldn’t tie his shoes. There’s a saying where it’s like – you’re such a genius that it’s hard to impart that to others. It’s just kind of what you are. [Laughs]”

In another recent interview with Howard Stern he talked about learning to play with his father:

“I’ll ask him how to play something, and then he just proceeds to be Eddie Van Halen, and that’s a very tough bar to reach as a beginner. So it’s like, ‘Oh, OK…’ He’s like, ‘Well, do this…’ And it’s like, ‘Fuck you! You’re Eddie van Halen – how the hell do I do that?!’”

Wolfgang recently released a single called “Distance”, paying a touching tribute to his late father that unfortunately left us at the age of 65 in October, 2020, losing his battle against throat cancer.

The video ends with an heartbreaking voice recording of his father saying: “I’m just so happy to have you as my son and I’m so proud of you. I love you so much. Call me if you get a chance. I wanna hear your voice, okay? I love you, bye.”