I consider myself a beginner guitarist and I only just started playing live and having fun. I used to think I had to be Yngwie-level-good before I could do that but the truth is, if I do a really simple arrangement of say, an instrumental version of Take on Me, or While My Guitar Gently Weeps or The Loner I connect with the audience way more than if I play Black Star. Playing guitar is all about communication, and the quality of that communication and connection. You nailed it. To paraphrase the movie Jerry Maguire, these are the things we think but do not say. Keep going, Sir!
While it's also not my cup of tea, there are people who are turned off by hearing people playing bluesy stuff. Even though the latter is actually my thing, I don't want to be another voice on TH-cam claiming one is better than the other. But most of all, I want musicians being happy with what they can do, instead being down because of what they can't.
shredding is cool. playing with feel is also cool. depends on the song and the music. You can be a good musician with or without shredding skills. some shredders are not musical though. So theres no black and white... as always. ;) nice topic, peace!
Thanks! This topic causes so much discussion in the guitar community, while I think whatever you do should suit the music. But in general I notice way too many musicians doubting their abilities because they are not as fast and technical as others, while that shouldn't determine your talent.
There's only one Yngwie and he's a monster. In the mid 80's in LA the mere mention of his first name would terrorize aspiring guitarists. And there's value in itself in having the best tools. But you have to separate that and the artistry of the songs. Most of us will have to settle for just being as good as it takes to play the songs.
And it all depends on what kind of songs you want to play. Not everything needs to be 'Arpeggios From Hell'. Different music requires a different skillset of course. You don't even have to play guitar solos.
Perhaps thankfully for the average guitarist, Yngwies shred or even Dream Theater will never be mainstream and where the big money's at. People gotta eat, you know. Money talks. There's room for even the Jack Whites of this world.
@@tk75jo rightfully so. Even though I don't listen to his music very much, after playing with the White Stripes, Raconteurs, Dead Weather and solo and having such a distinctive voice and sound as an artist, it's well deserved in my opinion!
I think so too. And once you need more, it's also more impressive, because you haven't been doing that the entire time already. Some good musicians tend to overplay, not just shredders, but for example good vocalists who ad lib too much. Once you leave the 'more- part for the right moments, the effect is much bigger and better. At least, that's my opinion 😉
There is a point to when I call it cock rock. I can shred, I can do very difficult stuff, but I actually like the music that breathes more and is much slower and emotion. I usually use shredding for warming up.
A bit of showboating is okay when the time calls for it I think! When you can, why not use it of course. I think people like Eddie Van Halen and Slash who can play technical and fast, were still able to do it tasteful and melodic a lot of the time. But it's all about playing to the music and it sounds like that's what you prefer to do 🙂
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar I think David Lee Roth or Eddie, I cannot remember called it, having that swing. I listened and play Malmsteen a lot in my younger years. Love his stuff, very technical stuff for the time, but after a while you can start to see how it all just started blending together. Then one song after another just all sounded the same. You see it a lot into todays modern music where one person just sounds like the next over and over again. Its fine if you like it, I love someone of it. But we need to be careful when playing because so much is put out there sounding like each other, you really just forget it 5 seconds after you watch it. You're like yeah, great skills, but sounds like nearly every guitarist out there right now. I think our brain remember something better as you said, it short bursts when the time is right in the song without over doing it. Anyway, sorry for the book. Nice talking with you. Later.
As someone who can play all the Yngwie stuff, I'd say no. You just have to be able to make good music and shred is nowhere near a requirement for good music. On the other hand, I like having all the tools in my toolbox, including speed...because there is a certain exhileration that comes with speed. Just try driving fast while listening to some Racer X. It's exciting, and that's a color I like to have in my crayon box, personally.
I generally don't enjoy simple rock music because it tends to lack originality. All that low hanging fruit has been picked a long time ago. There is plenty of terrible technical music as well, but minimlism should nevertheless be discouraged.
When it's technical and fast you just harder to differentiate from all the other music that's technical and fast. Doesn't make it more original perse. But it also depends on what you want: I prefer musicality over originality, because simple music can still he very musical and original music can be very mathmatical. But that's all a matter of taste and subjectiveness.
Yes, these guys are supposed to be inspirations. But more like discouragment for the noobs. Theres a solution to help from getting discouraged. And I cant say it enough. The very first day you start playing, record yourself and hide the tape. Learning to play is so gradual, progress goes unnoticed, but is evident. So the next time watching Vai or Satriani snd start crying cuz you're not even close, youre wrong. Pull out the tape and listen to how you used to be. Guaranteed, youll be impressed (that is providing you practice once in a while). And its never to late to record yourself. You're always progressing and always getting bummed out, until youre worthy. Then you'll have a big head to deal with. Lol.
In recent years I started approaching it differently. Instead of wanting to be like some of my heroes, who've got a skillset I can probably never reach, I started taking more inspiration from guitar players that are more within my reach and style of playing. Just like I would love to be able to sing soul, I just don't have the voice for it, so I can still love that music but find more inspiration from stuff that fits more in my wheelhouse.
Depends on who you qualify as shredders, but of the players I would say who can (but not necessarily are) shred I'd say someone like Eddie van Halen or Slash. But I'm not a shred guy myself, so probably someone else is more qualified to answer that 😉 However, EVH is for me an example of someone with speed and technique that could use it in a very musical way.
I completely agree about Eddie Van Halen, even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the band. Not been a fan of/at all, but sweet child of mine is pretty damn good no question about it.
Light speed noodling means nothing to me. I like music that has emotional value to it. The high speed stuff is completely devoid of any feeling. It's just fast and boring. Don't get me wrong speed has it's place. If it's done tastefully and in the right amounts. But constant shredding just because you can...no thanks.
It's also not my taste, but who am I to say what others should like. There are plenty of people who are into that stuff and it takes a lot of talent to be able to do it well. But being able to shred should simply not be the demoninator for one's talent or musical ability in my opinion.
Malmsteen is an embarrassment... Who cares how many notes you can play? More often than not, it's "talking a lot and saying nothing" - and that goes for Satch, Vai, et. al. So TIRESOME!
You’re only a good guitar player if people tell you that you’re good. End of story. All those dudes that said Hendrix was the best are dying of old age and players from the 80’s are getting all the hype finally, one day they’ll fade due to a dying fan base. It’s all subjective. Being able to actually shred doesn’t mean you’re a GOOD guitar player but it means you’re more technically proficient than someone who can’t.
I consider myself a beginner guitarist and I only just started playing live and having fun. I used to think I had to be Yngwie-level-good before I could do that but the truth is, if I do a really simple arrangement of say, an instrumental version of Take on Me, or While My Guitar Gently Weeps or The Loner I connect with the audience way more than if I play Black Star. Playing guitar is all about communication, and the quality of that communication and connection. You nailed it. To paraphrase the movie Jerry Maguire, these are the things we think but do not say. Keep going, Sir!
Thanks and I agree. Just keep doing you and most of all: enjoy it!
I'm so tired of shredding, as soon as I hear it I turn it off.
While it's also not my cup of tea, there are people who are turned off by hearing people playing bluesy stuff. Even though the latter is actually my thing, I don't want to be another voice on TH-cam claiming one is better than the other. But most of all, I want musicians being happy with what they can do, instead being down because of what they can't.
shredding is cool. playing with feel is also cool. depends on the song and the music. You can be a good musician with or without shredding skills. some shredders are not musical though. So theres no black and white... as always. ;) nice topic, peace!
Thanks! This topic causes so much discussion in the guitar community, while I think whatever you do should suit the music. But in general I notice way too many musicians doubting their abilities because they are not as fast and technical as others, while that shouldn't determine your talent.
Excellent post.
Thanks!
There's only one Yngwie and he's a monster. In the mid 80's in LA the mere mention of his first name would terrorize aspiring guitarists. And there's value in itself in having the best tools. But you have to separate that and the artistry of the songs. Most of us will have to settle for just being as good as it takes to play the songs.
And it all depends on what kind of songs you want to play. Not everything needs to be 'Arpeggios From Hell'. Different music requires a different skillset of course. You don't even have to play guitar solos.
Perhaps thankfully for the average guitarist, Yngwies shred or even Dream Theater will never be mainstream and where the big money's at. People gotta eat, you know. Money talks. There's room for even the Jack Whites of this world.
@@tk75jo rightfully so. Even though I don't listen to his music very much, after playing with the White Stripes, Raconteurs, Dead Weather and solo and having such a distinctive voice and sound as an artist, it's well deserved in my opinion!
You're right it's all about the feel. Cheers!
Thanks!
You nail it down less is more
I think so too. And once you need more, it's also more impressive, because you haven't been doing that the entire time already. Some good musicians tend to overplay, not just shredders, but for example good vocalists who ad lib too much. Once you leave the 'more- part for the right moments, the effect is much bigger and better. At least, that's my opinion 😉
There is a point to when I call it cock rock. I can shred, I can do very difficult stuff, but I actually like the music that breathes more and is much slower and emotion. I usually use shredding for warming up.
A bit of showboating is okay when the time calls for it I think! When you can, why not use it of course. I think people like Eddie Van Halen and Slash who can play technical and fast, were still able to do it tasteful and melodic a lot of the time. But it's all about playing to the music and it sounds like that's what you prefer to do 🙂
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar
I think David Lee Roth or Eddie, I cannot remember called it, having that swing. I listened and play Malmsteen a lot in my younger years. Love his stuff, very technical stuff for the time, but after a while you can start to see how it all just started blending together. Then one song after another just all sounded the same. You see it a lot into todays modern music where one person just sounds like the next over and over again. Its fine if you like it, I love someone of it. But we need to be careful when playing because so much is put out there sounding like each other, you really just forget it 5 seconds after you watch it. You're like yeah, great skills, but sounds like nearly every guitarist out there right now. I think our brain remember something better as you said, it short bursts when the time is right in the song without over doing it. Anyway, sorry for the book. Nice talking with you. Later.
As someone who can play all the Yngwie stuff, I'd say no. You just have to be able to make good music and shred is nowhere near a requirement for good music. On the other hand, I like having all the tools in my toolbox, including speed...because there is a certain exhileration that comes with speed. Just try driving fast while listening to some Racer X. It's exciting, and that's a color I like to have in my crayon box, personally.
I can totally understand that!
I generally don't enjoy simple rock music because it tends to lack originality. All that low hanging fruit has been picked a long time ago. There is plenty of terrible technical music as well, but minimlism should nevertheless be discouraged.
When it's technical and fast you just harder to differentiate from all the other music that's technical and fast. Doesn't make it more original perse. But it also depends on what you want: I prefer musicality over originality, because simple music can still he very musical and original music can be very mathmatical. But that's all a matter of taste and subjectiveness.
Yes, these guys are supposed to be inspirations. But more like discouragment for the noobs.
Theres a solution to help from getting discouraged. And I cant say it enough. The very first day you start playing, record yourself and hide the tape.
Learning to play is so gradual, progress goes unnoticed, but is evident.
So the next time watching Vai or Satriani snd start crying cuz you're not even close, youre wrong. Pull out the tape and listen to how you used to be. Guaranteed, youll be impressed (that is providing you practice once in a while). And its never to late to record yourself. You're always progressing and always getting bummed out, until youre worthy. Then you'll have a big head to deal with. Lol.
In recent years I started approaching it differently. Instead of wanting to be like some of my heroes, who've got a skillset I can probably never reach, I started taking more inspiration from guitar players that are more within my reach and style of playing. Just like I would love to be able to sing soul, I just don't have the voice for it, so I can still love that music but find more inspiration from stuff that fits more in my wheelhouse.
Leuke, interessante aflevering
Dankjewel!
To some, great players are the ones who can play the fastest triplets. Give me a BB King anytime.
He's the king for a good reason.
Music is subjective anyways. The guitarist that appeals to you the most is the greatest guitarist ever. You even said so.
That is what it boils down to, although I think there is no greatest guitarist, not even in my subjective point of view.
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar To me, the greatest musician is the one that shows up at band practice sober.
How many shredders have created lasting melodies and/or lyrics?
Depends on who you qualify as shredders, but of the players I would say who can (but not necessarily are) shred I'd say someone like Eddie van Halen or Slash. But I'm not a shred guy myself, so probably someone else is more qualified to answer that 😉 However, EVH is for me an example of someone with speed and technique that could use it in a very musical way.
I completely agree about Eddie Van Halen, even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the band. Not been a fan of/at all, but sweet child of mine is pretty damn good no question about it.
Light speed noodling means nothing to me. I like music that has emotional value to it. The high speed stuff is completely devoid of any feeling. It's just fast and boring. Don't get me wrong speed has it's place. If it's done tastefully and in the right amounts. But constant shredding just because you can...no thanks.
It's also not my taste, but who am I to say what others should like. There are plenty of people who are into that stuff and it takes a lot of talent to be able to do it well. But being able to shred should simply not be the demoninator for one's talent or musical ability in my opinion.
Malmsteen is an embarrassment... Who cares how many notes you can play? More often than not, it's "talking a lot and saying nothing" - and that goes for Satch, Vai, et. al. So TIRESOME!
No. Next question.
Is there any meaning to life without guitar?
@@StevenAnthonyGuitarno
You’re only a good guitar player if people tell you that you’re good.
End of story.
All those dudes that said Hendrix was the best are dying of old age and players from the 80’s are getting all the hype finally, one day they’ll fade due to a dying fan base.
It’s all subjective.
Being able to actually shred doesn’t mean you’re a GOOD guitar player but it means you’re more technically proficient than someone who can’t.