Members jrockbridge Posted February 18, 2013 Members Share Posted February 18, 2013 People around this board and elsewhere like to bash Shredders. From most of the comments I've read, many people seem to think that the only thing Shredders can do is play fast runs. Also, this leads to the characterization of ANY player who plays fast as a Shredder, yet the term refers to Neo Classical Shred. For example, Al Di Meola can play really fast runs but he's not a Neo Classical Player, nor Shredder. He's also a master of multiple techniques, not just speed. IMO he plays with lots of intensity and feeling. His excellent mastery of techniques does not work against his ability to express beautiful music. I can certainly understand that Neo Classical Shred is not a genre that appeals to everyone. It's not my favorite genre...although I do like to listen to it, sometimes, in small doses. But, even Michael Angelo Batio, a high profile Shredder who has built his reputation on speed, is not one dimensional. He's mastered multiple techniques, not just fast runs. He can play slow stuff with lots of feeling. Honestly, he's not one of my favorite players. I've never bought any of his music. But, while digging around YouTube, I've listened to enough of his stuff to realize he can play slow stuff with feeling just as well as the fast music. Even though I'm not a fan, I respect his skill and talent.Personally, I'm a fan of minimalist players who write great songs like Mike Ness of Social Distortion, for example. I'm a fan of Ritchie Blackmore who is a master of multiple techniques and has also composed some great tunes. I like and hate some of Buckethead's music, which is both slow and fast. I like the Edge who makes the most of his minimal skills and fx.Bottom line, I think it's pathetic when players who aren't great song writers, can't play fast and haven't mastered any guitar skills, bag on other players for having skill and talent. /rant.Here are a few examples of players, who are capable of fast speed, playing tastefully.... Paco De Lucia, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin.... Buckethead.... MAB...igonore the 1st 20 seconds.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted February 18, 2013 Members Share Posted February 18, 2013 What's become clear to me is that for many...especially the classic rock lovers..."shred" is as much a style of music as it is just technique and playing fast. And they simply don't like that style of music. Perhaps it's closed mindedness, perhaps it's a generational thing..I'm not sure. But shred guitar generally has it's own "tone". The sound of ibanez or Jackson through a high gain amp. You know. There are lot's of players who play super fast but don't do it in a "shred" style. Jazz guys come to mind. In the end it comes down to what it ALWAYS comes down too. People like a certain kinds of music and come up with all kinds of "reasons" for why the music they don't like is {censored}. You know...so and so has no "feel". It's "robotic"...and all that nonsense. "Feel" is subjective, but people think it's some kind of inherent quality that can be measured. Funny how they always find it in music they like but it's never there in music they don't like....lol. Like for me.....I think paul gilbert plays his "shred" with a lot of feel. It's great. SO many people here would disagree with that and say he's "robotic". Those same people might say that Joe Bonamassa has great "feel". But when I listen to that guy all I hear is a suburban white kid who chose a career in the "blues" like other people "choose" to be a dentist. He's completely boring and uninspiring to me.Who's right? Neither. It's just an opinion. Classic rock is more popular than shred. plain and simple. Therefore there will be MORE people who put down shred music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jrockbridge Posted February 18, 2013 Author Members Share Posted February 18, 2013 soundcreation wrote: Classic rock is more popular than shred. plain and simple. Therefore there will be MORE people who put down shred music. Honestly, I like Classic Rock way better than Shred. But, I can still recognize that Paul Gilbert has mad skills and appreciate his talent. I get that people don't like the Shred genre. But, I don't understand the inability to recognize a talented player even if you don't favor their style. I don't have to like a player's music to respect their talent but I guess it does not work that way for everybody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kevman Posted February 18, 2013 Members Share Posted February 18, 2013 Subjectivety is a tough one. Its frustrating when others cant hear the things you hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kayd_mon Posted February 19, 2013 Members Share Posted February 19, 2013 Wow. Never heard any one refer to Tommy Emmanuel's playing as crap before. Just proves that everyone has different taste. Anyway, I have a couple of Paul Gilbert's solo CDs, and I like them. "Space Ship One" is a really cool song, as is "Mr. Spock" off that same disc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonny guitar Posted February 19, 2013 Members Share Posted February 19, 2013 kayd_mon wrote: Wow. Never heard any one refer to Tommy Emmanuel's playing as crap before. Just proves that everyone has different taste. "percussive crap" I love his stuff when he plays fingerstyle and cuts the theatrical side of his show: he has an impressive talent but some of his stuff just drives me nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members genesis3 Posted February 21, 2013 Members Share Posted February 21, 2013 gee, how can you play a geetar and NOT like some degree of shredding? When someone argues how they see it as a negative thing, I'm only hearing 'I can't play that way, and I really wish I could to one degree or another, but since I can't, I'm pissed about it and will badmouth anything I hear that sounds shreddy lol.' And the louder and more passionate they argue , the higher the degree of being pissed they are that they can't play that way. Not to embarrass anyone , but that always goes thru my mind, so FYI haha! Shredding doesn't only have to be neo-classical rock and metal too...Greg Howe plays very jazzlike stuff on a lot of his CD's and definitely shreds....good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StuartBahn Posted February 27, 2013 Members Share Posted February 27, 2013 I agree. The line between shred and fusion (which is probably what Greg would say he plays) is pretty blurred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thecornman Posted February 27, 2013 Members Share Posted February 27, 2013 genesis3 wrote: gee, how can you play a geetar and NOT like some degree of shredding? When someone argues how they see it as a negative thing, I'm only hearing 'I can't play that way, and I really wish I could to one degree or another, but since I can't, I'm pissed about it and will badmouth anything I hear that sounds shreddy lol.' And the louder and more passionate they argue , the higher the degree of being pissed they are that they can't play that way. Not to embarrass anyone , but that always goes thru my mind, so FYI haha! Shredding doesn't only have to be neo-classical rock and metal too...Greg Howe plays very jazzlike stuff on a lot of his CD's and definitely shreds....good stuff. This is what I always think as well when people trash others that have put the time in to be better! It is a lot easier to cut down others then to put the time in yourself to improve. Every person I have played with that cuts down people that can play fast with good technique struggles to put together a decent solo with the one scale they know, but talks about how they play with more feeling even though they can not bend a note to pitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kayd_mon Posted February 27, 2013 Members Share Posted February 27, 2013 Maybe bending off-key notes is what they consider 'feeling.' It's all opinion anyway. Sort of lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Marko Posted February 27, 2013 Members Share Posted February 27, 2013 I think there are lots of good guitarists who have no interest in shredding, maybe because they like music as opposed to just guitar wankery. I personally don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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