It's like the guitar version of that Yo-Yo trick I never quite found the Eleventy Billion hours to perfect back in School.

Snowy

I actually don't like shredding. I am a melodic, '60's style player, but there are times in songs when I need to pour on the picking speed and I cannot. I just want to learn to shred a bit so I can whip it out when needed in songs.

Nothing wrong with learning a different technique or style. Like I said in an earlier post, I'm a bluegrass player and I know a lot of the guys here would think that is just noise.

There are many different styles of music and I reckon each has its place. The 2 videos posted in this thread hurt my ears. But that does not mean it sounds bad to everyone, just me. NO problem there.

From what i saw on these 2 videos (and thay are my only reference point to shredding) it looks like learning scales in whatever key you're playing and then working up speed on those scales to the point you don't have to think about where your fingers are going so it just comes naturally (muscle memory) is the key.

Like with bluegrass music, start slow, get comfortable with the style and build up speed over time.

Good luck in learning. Post some vids when you've got it.

Jeff

This is only my opinion, but shredding is to guitar playing like rap is to singing.

There is certainly nothing wrong with putting some fast runs in a lead, but there MUST be enough room to make each note breath a little.

David Gilmour can walk onto a stage, play 3 notes, and make 30,000+ people cheer.

Why do you think that is?


~just sayin~

Listen to B.B. King's recordings and try to copy his licks. That guy can say more with ONE NOTE than the shredder in that video did with 34,765 (est.) notes. Timing and phrasing are far more important than speed. Blazing speed may make an audience go "WOW," but what are you saying musically? Something to consider. . .

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"It's about sound and sound alone. Looks are irrelevant. You can have the best-looking guitar on earth, but if the sound isn't there it is nothing more than a beautiful piece of trash. The sound it makes is the soul of any guitar."

/offtopic

Alex Lifeson can go on stage, play chords, and make audiences wild. Paul Gilbert can shred, and make audiences just as wild. The point of this comparison is, "so what if they're different ways of getting an audience riled? They're getting the audience riled just them same."

/ontopic

+1 to the advice of learning whatever you're trying to learn at 70% speed, then 10% above the speed you can actually play it. Shawn Lane used it in his time to develop his speed too. RIP.

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1987 Fender Squier Strat - Lake Placid Blue
1981 Yamaha Eterna Folk Acoustic
2006 Peavey Bandit 112
2007 Roland HP-207 Piano

Good afternoon passegers. The flight heading for "Need Shredding Advice", has been given a slight course change, and now appears to have been hijacked . I am unable to privilege you with any further information on it's destination at this time, but was given this note... "Someone better get the President on the line soon, or Strats start lousing their Mutha-F@#K'in head-stocks every 30 minutes starting at High Noon! I ain't Bull-$#!+'in!" End of note...

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"Bring me four fried chickens, and a coke."
HOUSE-OUT!