With an illustrious career that spans performances with iconic bands like The Killers, Deep Purple, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, violinist Nina DiGregorio has carved a niche for herself as a remarkably talented musician. She's shared the stage with legends from Shakira to Stevie Wonder, demonstrating her versatility and skill across genres.
However, amidst this impressive repertoire, one performance stands out—a breathtaking rendition of Eddie Van Halen's iconic instrumental piece, "Eruption," on a 7-string fretted violin.
"I struggled and fought the limitations of the instrument," DiGregorio reflects while talking to Classic Rock. "I had some really hard practice days, but the best motivation for me is 'it can’t be done.' It took a combination of newly learned left and right-hand techniques, played precisely, practiced slowly for clarity, forever to even make the right sound. The spaces that you need to hit, quickly, on a fretted violin are much smaller than that of a guitar."
Her journey to perfecting this piece was filled with intense practice sessions and countless adjustments to her technique and equipment. Yet, it was a single breakthrough day, when her husband mistook her practice for the original recording of Van Halen, that reaffirmed her commitment and brought her closer to achieving her goal.
"I tweaked the effect chain and technique right up until the 11th hour on the very final day of doing this. One day near the end of it, I was practicing in the studio, and Brody – DiGregorio's husband – was taking a shower. When he got out, he said to me he thought I was playing the recording of Van Halen. That was my breakthrough day. I knew I was close. I haven’t worked this hard since my master's recital on classical violin. I’ve ripped up my fingers to shreds, they bled, they blistered."
"Eddie Van Halen was unparalleled in his artistry," DiGregorio acknowledges. "His sound, technique, rhythm, and musicality changed the game for all guitarists (and this electric violinist) that followed. I am a far better performer, a far better violinist, with a much larger range of abilities, thanks to the months (or years) I put into dissecting his style and taking the time to do this on a violin as close to how he did it (so effortlessly) on a guitar as possible. Thank you, EVH, for making so many of us better musicians."
