There are times when speed and good technique are appropriate on an electric guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5bJOvIYov0

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Back to taste and preferences IMHO this is overkill. Earpiercing. But I can see what you mean! Anyway I am kind of excited to hear the result of Norwegian bluesguitarist Knut Reiersrud , his take on a Haydn concerto - he's in the studio these days.

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A-man

Great movie.

Some great players that didn't use too many notes:

Robbie Blunt guitarist for early Robert Plant solo albums. Listen to Big Log.
B.B. King
David Gilmour

I think that as a younger listener to music one can be easily impressed by technically difficult shredding but as ones mental library of music grows I think a greater appreciation of style and feeling in music overshadows string blitzing.

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...I for one, sure would appreciate the return of intelligent conversation, spirit of assistance and the simple yet effective ignoring of those who can't seem to hang with that...
Best regards,
rob

As I age, I'm less impressed with players who can't quickly transition between expressive and slow to blindingly fast, highly technical, tastefully put shreds. PDT's are cool when not over-used and are tastefully placed.

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"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a Conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists. The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst." J. Edgar Hoover

i dont think its age. im 26, and would rather watch gilmour, or BB king, or any other 'slow player' than some 20 bazillion note per second tonedeaf guy playing what sounds to me just like random noise. even Van Halen i dont like. i appreciate his talent very much, but i dont want to listen to it.

i see a lot of kids football, and it seems to be the 'trend' to try and teach your 5 year old to pull off party tricks like Ronaldo and dribble past everybody on the team twice before setting yourself up for an overhead volley. when i was learning, my dad first taught me to pass properly, then taught me to tackle properly, he never once shew me some fancy arse trick.

i guess its the same in guitar playing. lots of newbies pick up a guitar, and want to play as quick as they can, as soon as they can, bombing their FR trem and wah-ing all over the place at a million MPH. just learn how to play the basics well first, you'll be better off......

In reference to the thread title, seemed a cliched impression that getting older somehow diminishes a person reaching levels of activity, that aging past a certain number of visits from Father time one couldn't, for example, do an "armstand back double somersault tuck" or an "armstand back double-somersault with one and a half twists in the free position" (thank you wiki ). Now I would wonder, what ever gave you that impression. Typically when one is really good at something or things as they reach the time when they aren't needed to lead by example, those folks would become coaches, mentors, professors or what have you. Their acuity of mind is at a level, only with age can one achieve. In light of that, the answer to the 1st question is "you know how I feel". Your reference to "I'm getting older" had me chuckling a bit, no disrespect meant.
What they are doing is being Mozart fan-boys. What they are trying to accomplish is what I just wrote in the sentence before this. All in the show, one would hope. And, those were my thoughts Gary.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Guitarists with amazing technique in fingerstyle such as Tommy Emmanuel really impress me.

Shredders not so much. The guitar playing is cool I guess but the music just seems stale.

I never have nor ever will have any use for soulless, tasteless and usually mindless, "fingerboard diarrhea". One note played with emotion to me is worth infinitely more than any barrage of blaring loud 'diddling'.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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You dig?

Same here really. The trouble with all that is it only appeals to other guitar players who think like that Listeners who don't play are like "What is that? i don't understand it, why is he playing like that?" Honestly that's the reaction i've heard from tons of people, who don't play but are listeners, when they hear a shred player wailing away with not a breath between notes and no attempt made to slow down and actually make music.

I used to be more impressed with that when i was a young player but now it's just like "whatever" you know.

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

hi gary , i've never been into the speed metal stuff it just don't do it for me , now throw some Zappa in , technical ? yes , easy on the ears ? sometimes not but boy could he play also Alvin lee , captain speed fingers , could still put out some lovely licks with a bit of speed , , recently to get my young nephews arse in gear with his playing (x box is bad for kids) i took him to one of our rehersals a few weeks ago , which he loved , so now on a saturday he comes up for a lesson (he picked up wind cries mary in an hour and sunday he comes to watch us and get to play with big boys toys . what i'm trying to say is he was in EVH et al but i seem to have turned him onto he older more soulful stuff , which is nice , cheers
Alan

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I like great technique, not so much of the speed....of which I have little:) Although it's nice to have a great scale ready when the fingers decide to run a bit wild.

I think that appreciation (moreso than age) has made me respect good phrasing.
I used to be strictly melody over chord, and the tighter-faster-more technical - the better.
There is no way I'll ever be able to play like Steve Howe or Petrucci, just all over the neck. Love 'em and I'll always listen in awe.

But now, when I listen or learn new songs, I still go more for melody, but not for something that requires such freakish talent.
There's so much good writing and playing out there without the need for exhibitionist speed.

I am more impressed by the overall "song" and how a guitar player contributes to it. Technique is fine but, FEEL is just as important.