Are you a shredder??!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter carlosguardia
  • Start date Start date

Are you a shredder?! How fast can you play?!

  • quarter notes at 90 bpm are kind of hard

    Votes: 15 12.7%

  • eight notes at 120 bpm is my limit

    Votes: 25 21.2%

  • sixteenth notes at 100 bpm!!! Wow I can almost shred!!!

    Votes: 29 24.6%

  • Sixteenth triplets at 130 bpm... watch out Malmsteen!!

    Votes: 26 22.0%

  • 32nd notes at 115 bpm ... shredding is my game!!!

    Votes: 23 19.5%
  • Total voters
    118
I've actually gone up a notch from my original answer, mainly because I figured out that the answer to being a shredder is that there is no answer: it depends entirely on how you approach your guitar...

In any case, I spend the majority of my practice time shredding and trying to increase my speed.. but most of the stuff I play outside of it is my true love, stoner/doom metal.. so the answer to that question for me is yes: I am a groove playing one-finger bar-chorder who has the chops to shred.
 
I don't shred as much as I used to. I still can, not as good, but it's still there. Not having an RG anymore its not as easy as it was before, and I just find I'm growing out of it. To me theres nothing like a good classic rock solo, blues scale or whatever.
 
Guilty as charged... I love shredders... especially great sweepers and skippers....

FYI... I'm 41, and grew my chops in the 80's..... Great time to be a player!!! :D :D :D
 
turnitdown said:
Guilty as charged... I love shredders... especially great sweepers and skippers....

FYI... I'm 41, and grew my chops in the 80's..... Great time to be a player!!! :D :D :D
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Ahhhh the 80's :)

Paul Gilbert and Bruce Boulliet of RacerX
Joey Taffola
Tony McAlpine
Yngwie Malmsteen
Steve Vai
and so many others....

I just got a copy of RacerX in 87 live on DVD the other day :)

AT
 
Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred Shred

Oh, and if you can't do that within the context of creating music thats melodic and memorable, then screw it.... you've got nothing.

~darknail
 
Analytical Man said:
I agree that playing fast is something that has died out. in todays music it really doen't matter. Will it come back, i hope so. Not so much in leads as in rythyms. I like fast leads as well but the fast rythyms are what i think are good. Speed for speeds sake is lame, but speed to fit a song is awesome. And i agree that being able to play all that stuff is great, but doesn't mean that you always need to use it. And it is nice to know you can break it out when you need it. This thread apealed to me...i am trying to get back to a little more speed and technique.
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I've got three words for ya - Strapping Young Lad. Check em out. They are everything a metal band should be.

And there's Soilwork (Natural Born Chaos is SICK) and Fear Factory (Archetype is the best they have ever done). Both use fast rythms without mastubatory solo's.
 
Incomplete poll!

Where's the "fuck it, shredder's ain't got no soul" category?

:D

Really though, not to take anything away from the guitar gods, but shredding really doesn't excite me. I'd rather write a good song . . .
 
How many 'shredders' here can do it without their friend distortion pedal?

Some people can actually do it well and cleanly - but quite often people kid themselves and harm their playing by thinking they've mastered something when in-fact they are incredibly sloppy.

Practice the sweep-picking, tapping, legato and all those other 'fast' techniques *without* the distortion. Preferably on a steel-string guitar.

I don't generally find fast playing impressive unless it is as accurate as it is fast and actually says something musically. Too often it is done badly and is more willy-waving than musical. The only place I can see it being really useful is in minimalist music like Phillip Glass and John Adams stuff.

Racing up and down scales/modes/arpeggios in the middle of a metal tune = *yawn*
I can program my sampler to do that...
 
what if I can play at 16th notes at 120bpm but without any left hand involvement?
 
I can't shred, I play drums, my guitarist can though. How do you guys rate him?

 
astoebe said:
heh, that made me chuckle :)
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:D seriously.... without any sexual puns..... :D

i can tremolo pick pretty fast but my left hand fingering speed isn't up to par with my right hand, so I'm wondering if I'm still considered a shredder.

:D
 
I am about sixteen and have been playing the violin for 8 years. I picked up a guitar six months ago and got the hang of it really fast. Playing the violin got my fingers to be super quick so I don't have a problem playing fast with the left hand. But the stupid pick gets on my nerves. I am considering getting my dad to teach me to fingerpick.
 
I think there are a few too many people voting in this poll who aren't using a metronome to find out how fast that shit really is. :D
 
Let me start by saying that whoever is playing those 32nds at 115 bpm - please feel free to post THAT shit so we can check it out... :rolleyes:
Anywho...You guys need to cut the shred heads some slack! Unbelievable technique can have an INCREDIBLE impact on the emotion of a song - it all boils down to whether or not a player has a complete range of ability available to him at any time. For example, I think some of Vai's best music contains no shredding whatsoever, and yet he has incredible technical ability. When you know when and how to use it, you're simply opening the doors to yet one more mode of expression, how can that be bad? Try to convey the frantic urgency of something like "Flight of the Bumblebee" with no shred chops...I know - silly piece of music to mention - but at least everybody knows it! Sometimes insane technique is the only way to grasp that excitement or intense feeling that you are after! Just don't imply that someone who is obsessed with technique is simply trying to out-do the next guy - some people DO have something to say with shred! No offense to those with plenty of skill and newfound restraint - but most people slam shred just so they can be proud of their simpleton pentatonic meanderings...

I'm not even categorizing my playing...because sometimes I like just one note....sometimes 376 work better....oh well :D
 
Hey anybody listened to my guitarist shred yet?



I wanna know how you guys rate him...
 
carlosguardia said:
Ok so how fast can you alternate pick up and down a set of notes (chromatic or diatonic)?!
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No. I am not a shredder. Hell, I can hardly play at all, let alone shred. However, I have been told that I really "rip." Now, I don't know exactly what this means. Let's face it, like most guys who love Mexican food, I am gassey at times ...especially when I get nervous before a show ...so it could have something to do with that, or perhaps they are actually alluding to the fact that I really stink (associated with "ripping" a fart), rather than playing fast. I don't know. ...Where the hell is my burrito? :confused:

-mr moon
 
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