What you think of guitar shredders?

[Robert****]

By shredder, I mean guitarists who play in a style similar to players like Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Rusty Cooley, Joe Satriani, Michael Angelo Batio, etc.

They play fast and with many notes. They use techniques like
Alternate picking
Legato
String skipping
Sweep picking (often arpeggios)
Tapping
and they usually use their techniques in "flashy" ways.

Their tone is usually heavily distorted, with delay and other effects added in order to make their tone sound smooth and to make it easier to play fast.

[abraxas]

I voted (C), but I'd like to point out that I don't regard Vai or Satriani as shredders per se. For them it's the composition and arrangement above all, and the virtuosity seems almost like a side effect.

I believe most shredders and like-minded wannabees, have mixed up music with athletics.

There is a long tradition of "flashy" playing in every genre, for example, listen to early Les Paul for a full "shredding" experience! On the other hand I can't stand listening to sweep picking all over the neck, all night long. I fall asleep.

All IMHO and YMMV and all.

[marnold***]

I've always enjoyed the neo-classical guys. The comparisons to Vivaldi, for example, are obvious. I like how they apply Baroque ideas to hard rock. I'm not sure I'd ever be able to get that level of manual dexterity. I've been listening to MAB more recently. Yes, he is faster and flashier than almost anyone else, but he also allows things to breathe. He also has a nice and accurate vibrato. I've been listening to Dragonforce, a group that seems devoted to bringing shredding back. I love the album "Inhuman Rampage" but it is a very intense album to listen to. Not something you want to listen to as you're napping, but that's hardly the point.

Sure, shredding can become a pointless wankfest, but given the fact that in the 90s Kurt Cobain and Billie Joe Armstrong could be considered guitar heroes, a return to musicianship and technical ability is a welcome thing.

Personally, the one technique I'd love to master is sweep picking. I love the way it sounds. I've got to go back to working on that again.

[Jimi75]

I voted B, because I have phases where shredding appeals to me and if I told you that I do not have albums of Vai, Satriani, Yngwie etc in my collection I would lie!

There is a lot of poeple like Vinnie Moore or Satriani that write great songs.
I respect the way they chose to express their music.

What I like the most is if you can hear the BLUES background in someone's shredding. Listen to BLUES SARACENO. This guy has a phrasing that is totally from another world!!!!!!

Anyone here who doesn't like Govan Guthrie??? See....:

One question:
Do shredders always drive fast cars?

[t_ross33]

I could never get into it that much. Paying more attention now that I'm a leadish-guitar player, but the style never has appealed to me.

Coming from a country background I'd rather fill my boots with some turbograss pickin' the likes of Brent Mason or Steuart Smith.

And Marnold, how can you slam Billie Joe Armstrong! He's my hero: technical prowess not withstanding, he plays with STYLE Like me, it's all about LOOKING like you know what you're doing

[Tone2TheBone]

I liked Vinny Moore and Tony McAlpine a lot back in the day. Even Wingie. I too am into the baroque style from my love of classical music.

[sunvalleylaw]

I picked "C". I have not listened to a great deal, and only recently with input from folks here have even listened to people like Satriani. Like Marnold, I think neo-classical and baroque is cool, and I do like Vivaldi and work that invokes that feel. But I like Green Day, Nirvana, MxPx, Social D, etc. too. Ultimately, getting a sense of feeling and heart in playing is more important to me. I have never been hugely impressed by a lot of flash as alluded to by Robert. Musicians that come off as Popinjays are not appealling to me.

[SuperSwede]

Their tone is usually heavily distorted, with delay and other effects added in order to make their tone sound smooth and to make it easier to play fast.

If you listen closely to Yngwie you can hear that he actually uses very little effects and distorsion.

[tunghaichuan***]

I voted for the second one down from the top.

Shredding is like any other guitar playing style: there are the visionaries who innovate, and the imitators who rehash what has done before.

tung

[just strum]

I went with C - I'm not really big on it, I don't seek it out, but I do appreciate the ability when I hear it or see a clip.

[abraxas]

What I like the most is if you can hear the BLUES background in someone's shredding. Listen to BLUES SARACENO. This guy has a phrasing that is totally from another world!!!!!!

Anyone here who doesn't like Govan Guthrie??? See....:

+1000 on those remarks!

Blues is a great player! And Guthrie is god, period. Please consider the following, in contrast to your average fire-breathing, fleet-fingered shredder. The experience is almost humiliating:

[Tone2TheBone]

Yeah now I like that.

[Justaguyin_nc]

I do appreciate what they can do..I just don't listen to it that much...

I guess this was all that I cared for in the video menu above



But I prefer these shedders over the newer ones..



ude:

[Tone2TheBone]

Jerry Reed is a god thanks Justa.

[Adrian30]

I voted C, too. I greatly value the skill and technique that goes into playing that fast. I also listen to some Malmsteen, Vai, Satriani etc.:

[Spudman***]

Guitar shredders? Why would anyone want to shred their guitar?

I appreciate the ability that it takes to play shred guitar and like to listen to a lot of it on a non-steady basis, and I think there is a lot of art and musicianship involved.

But...I don't think I can sing a single shredder solo off the top of my head, but I can sing the solo to "Old Brown Shoe" and "Something" by the Beatles off the top of my head. I generally come back to melodic non-shred for the mainstay of my diet.

[Adrian30]

But...I don't think I can sing a single shredder solo off the top of my head, but I can sing the solo to "Old Brown Shoe" and "Something" by the Beatles off the top of my head. I generally come back to melodic non-shred for the mainstay of my diet.

Nicely said, Spud.:

[jpfeifer]

I guess I'm kind of old-fashioned, but for some reason this style of playing doesn't get me excited like it used to when I was in highschool. I just get kind of worn out listening to someone play like that for too long, especially if the chord changes aren't all that interesting.

-- Jim

[Lev]

Jerry Reed is a god thanks Justa.

Now if we just had a video of Jerry Reed Jamming with Guthrie Govan

I think shred has it's place - I don't necessarily want to listen to a whole record of shred songs but I would love to master some of the techniques and add it to my arsenal. Knowing when 'not' to shred is a talent that many shredders seem to forget though!

Also, just thought a shred discussion would be incomplete without a mention for Jason Becker