In a 2025 interview with North Coast Music Beat that has just been uploaded to YouTube, hugely influential German guitarist Uli Jon Roth was asked what advice he would give to a young player trying to find their own unique voice in today’s music. Uli responded: “Maybe don’t listen too much to other players. Get your chops in order. Yeah, that is important, but don’t put too much emphasis on it.

“Nowadays there is a lot of talent out there,” he continued. “However, I find the journey at the moment is maybe a little bit too much in pursuit of technical brilliance, and the personal sound and personal touch and expression is wanting. Too many players start sounding like typewriters, I would say. And I’m not saying that derogatorily — there are amazing people around, but I would say, for a young player who wants to be different and stand out, do the opposite. Don’t play all the fast notes. Play the notes that go straight to the heart and not too many — not too many notes. I’ve done that in the past. I still do sometimes, but the older I get, the more I aim for just the most meaningful notes. And so it doesn’t matter how fast you can hold a speech to someone; it matters what you’re actually saying… They speak really fast and then when you listen closely, they’re not saying anything. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just empty gobbledygook, as we would say in England. Empty hogwash — I like that word. Poppycock. Yeah, these are all English terms.

“So, no. For a young player, do it differently from everybody else,” Uli added. “Just go for your own voice and yes, do learn the craft. Become a really good craftsman. You should know music, not just the scales and arpeggios. Understand the harmonies, understand the rhythms, and understand music from deep within and connect with it on the deepest level you possibly can. And then get inspired. And then the rest will come.”