Ex-NITRO guitarist Michael Angelo Batio, who recently crushed rumours of a reunion with vocalist Jim Gilette, is featured in a new interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com. An excerpt appears below:

Q: When it comes to speed playing in general, what do you think are the integral elements a guitarist needs to be aware of?

Batio: "I would say that in order to play fast, you have to first learn how to play slow. It is all about coordinating both of your hands so that they’re able to play together. I used to make my students play slow first. I learned this technique from having taken piano lessons and I used that to teach speed playing on the guitar. When you slow it down and force people to physically and mentally concentrate, it gets more ingrained in their heads and because of that, they can become a better and fast player. And only then would I show them other exercises. So it really comes down to the discipline of concentrating on what you’re doing really slowing and getting that right movement correctly. And I pick unusually too, because I’m left handed and I rest my hand on the guitar like this (demonstrates). I did a study of lot of different guitar players and found that though there are some that pick from the wrist or elbow, I found that its not that important. The majority of players like Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci, Vinnie Moore, myself and anybody who plays really fast and accurately, when they’re playing medium to fast speeds, they never move their thumb and index finger. So it doesn’t matter if you use your wrist or elbow, what matters is the motion of your thumb and index finger. It has got to stay stationary. There are exceptions to the rule though but 95% of all guitarists do use this common technique."

Go to this location for the complete interview, which includes comments on why there won't be a Nitro reunion.