Is Technique Important in Music?

Cafe Society
21

Again - more power to you, in terms of going for what you want to go for. I own Alien Love Secrets by Vai and have heard countless other tracks by him, and would argue that he has a great sense of melody in his phrasing, and typically uses a verse/chorus/verse type of structure in his instrumental work, with obvious departures for solos/bridges.

Put it this way: Is Dance the Night Away by Van Halen (youtube link; technique seen most prominently at 2:25 in) a memorable, charting hit because Eddie did harmonic tapping throughout the song - OR because it was a cool, catchy melody, that Eddie happened to have created in a cool way?

22

Technique is important only in that it supports the execution and emotion of a performance.

In the studio, I’ve often used sloppier takes with feel over well-executed but flatter performances.

As a producer, this is my priority list:

Emotion
Groove
Time
Energy
Tuning
Technique

In that order.