Shawn is definitely the fastest I have ever heard. To top it off, he was also near the top ten of all-time pianists, which many people don't know. Also, he just didn't play fast either; he had techniques in ALL genres you can name that were the best--he was the most well-rounded musician to have ever lived. Oh, and he had arthritis, too, which actually limited his playing at times.
Shawn Lane of course, without doubt. Just ask them guitarists who Shawn Lane is. They will answer the most terrifying guitarist who ever live, hands down.
not only was Shawn likely the fastest, but his sax patterns are the most difficult to play. when you talk about the fastest player with great phrasing, melody, and touch, its definitely Shawn. Vintage Yngwie had great phrasing, too... and those phrygian dominant lines and arpeggios are not easy to play, either! Overall, there has never been anyone that could touch Shawn Lane
I'm a huge fan myself. Shawn's speed is measured in 'scales per second'. What I love about him is he was not an ordinary shredder but a soulful musician whose musical genius, tonality, dynamics, speed, breathtaking melodies and painfully fast and striking chord arpeggios will forever remain unmatched. I love Shawn Lane and is music with all my heart.
Shawn is definitely the fastest I have ever heard. To top it off, he was also near the top ten of all-time pianists, which many people don't know. Also, he just didn't play fast either; he had techniques in ALL genres you can name that were the best--he was the most well-rounded musician to have ever lived. Oh, and he had arthritis, too, which actually limited his playing at times. Taking steroids to control his arthritis is what caused him to gain weight, develop Cushing's syndrome, and what led to his early death.
Shawn was the total package. Not many people listen to all of his work and just thinks he was a shredder. He could play slow and soulful, with a vibrato technique that would make you cry. I have been playing for 30 years and still study Shawn's work. No, I could never be what he was, but I have learned a LOT from studying him. Let's not forget, he was also one of the best piano players to have ever lived, too.
Oh yes. I just love his albums with Hellborg over the years. I once read that Shawn said he was always looking for something new in his sound, phrasing and compositions. His Jazz Fusion albums cover a variety of genres including Indian Classical and influence from Western Classical as well. His vibrato technique is unfathomable. Even though I know I will never get to see Shawn and listen to him in front of me, I love him with all my heart.
Kaylie Wilson Just because they were fast doesn't mean it's something you want to listen to it all night long. Alot of it doesn't have melody. The first really speed guitarist was Ritchie Blackmore. Then Ingvey. He is a Blackmore clone. Ritchie has written the most beautiful guitar peices in history and every work sounds different. I knew Shawn Lane and at 14 he was better than almost every famous guitarist and is a gifted piano player and could play the pretty music also. He was phenomenal and misunderstood like Ritchie.
I too would have Shawn Lane at #1. I would disagree with your assessment of MAB however. Like him or hate him, he's one of the fastest alternate pickers and one of, if not the most precise at doing so, probably known more for that than for his sweep picking although he is very good and clean at that as well. My list would be: 1. Shawn Lane 2. MAB 3. Rusty Cooley 4. Yngwie Malmsteen 5. Hmm...several that could go here...surprise me lol
Shawn Lane wasn't just about speed, The guy was amazing, his phrasing, tone, control, use of the whammy bar effect were off the charts. I'm a fan of many many guitarists, from Zappa to McLaughlin, from Vai to SRV,from Rory Gallagher to Coryell,from Govan to Gilmour, Beck,Page,Hendrix, Satch etc.IMHO Shawn Lane is without doubt the best of them all☘
i remember seeing shawn at the starwood in L.A. in 78, blew me away,funny thing is i forgot all about him until i seen your video, thanx, I think you picked very good examples,
Sorry man didn't watch the whole video yes Shawn Lane was one of the greats it was a big loss to the music world when he passed in 2003 I had the pleasure of knowing him through the music scene in Memphis when I was growing up met him through my stepdad who played in a top 40 band as well great musician great guy we miss you Shawn rest in peace brother
Eh, I love Petrucci, have one of his sig guitars, but Cooley and Lane alt pick the crap out of him if you're only judging by pure raw speed. Petrucci's definitely up there though, don't get me wrong.
each guitarist is a class all their own..none should be compared to another..i have many favorite guitarist depending on the mood im in..all the guitarist everyone has mentioned is great..but sometimes your moods set the stage for what we think is great for the moment..hendrix, page, malmsteen, buckethead, angus young, kk downing, david gilmour, the list goes on..
I wonder how you could compare Jimi Hendrix to these guys. Hendrix had incredible hands but he played different stuff in a much different style. What these guys play is like a NASCAR oval track all set up for speed whereas what Hendrix played was more like a road course,with twists and turns and pauses. His technique is especially evident on Killing Floor and Catfish Blues. I'm not saying any top player or form of music is superior to the other.
Probably you have to be more accurate on electric guitar, every mistake would be magnified with a distortion. In the other hand, personally I find easier to be fast with a pick than with my fingers but those are two different worlds, it's a matter of perspective and learning process i may think
Michael Angelo Batio does a lot of diatonic stuff but he is up there with the fastest guitar players. He's from the old school. His playing is very melodic and versatile.
Trango Fast If someone was shredding documents through a high power paper shredder, would that sound be your definition of shredding on the guitar? Yeah probably. You don't sound like you know what you're talking about.
At least you put My Opinion in the title. ^_^; For my own tops, there are a few guys here on YT that have set the world record for highest BPM playing on guitar. Aside from them, I'd have Shawn Lane on top, as you did. In second would be David Shankle. It's close between him and the next two guys- Rusty Cooley and Frank. I saw Frank in this old video on here titled Virtuosity, where he was playing with a friend named Shawn. Lastly, there would be Stevie T, a total goofball with absolutely sick speed.
#7 If you watch the whole video. And as they said, it's just their personal preference (which is likely influenced by things other than just notes per second)
Yes but also because emotion is nuanced and personal. Music is a direct gateway to emotion, which normally, we have great difficulty describing conceptually. The guitar has a checkered history. There are some great moments and so much that is horrible, and it's not simply down to speed & complexity, or lack thereof; it comes down to being earnest and putting something of yourself out there.
I agree with both of you, and I'm ignoring the question of who they are racing cause I find it to be obvious. Among guitarists there's an increasing trend since the 80s to play fast just for the sake of playing fast, rusty cooley for example plays scales up and down often at blazing speeds(while there's nothing wrong with that there are more interesting ways to play music for me personally). It all comes down to perception, i prefer folks like Holdsworth or fast jazz horn players cause their ph
Tiago Della Vega?? Lol...he plays super fast but he uses ''easier'' licks to reach his super speed. For example playing "the flight of the bumblebee", that he performed for his speed record, is mostly going up and down a cromatic scale...can you find anything easier for the left hand? maybe just hold a note and start picking it with a super fast right-hand picking. His right hand picking speed is very impressive indeed but Shawn Lane plays so complex and difficult things with his left hand at such superhuman speeds. Its virtually impossible to do it (as Rusty Cooley said)... Fast playing is not how many notes/second. Fast playing is WHAT one plays in a specific amount of time. Also about MAB: he is amazing and very fast but have you heard what he says about Shawn Lane? "i just want to sit back and learn from this Jedi Master of guitar"
I grew up in Memphis and saw Shawn when he was 14 with his friends in Savage at Audubon a place at one time the thousands of people wouldn't party all day and night. Savage set up and used the free electricity all the local bands played there one time or another. When Savage started everyone's jaw dropped and witnessed this kid play better than Big Bands guitarist. Except Ritchie Blackmore. Shawn at 14 was almost the best I ever saw and that includes big names. A short time later Shawn got board playing guitar and very soon he played the piano like better than you can imagine. Shawn was a crazy talent. And a Memphis Tennessee ledgen. He died to young.
Clarity, accuracy, precision and very subjective things which add to our perception of speed. For example take any palm muted Al Di Meola lead part, the staccato feel of this effect adds to a distinction between the notes which some percieve as "faster" than a legato line(Allan Holdsworth perhaps with hammerons and LIFT-offs). Some would percieve the latter "faster" even if at the same tempo. There's much more subtlety in the differences of perception which I can't easily explain in a few words.
Great list. You may not have heard of Guthrie Govan, but he's definitely worth a listen. He wouldn't want to be known as the "fastest" per se, but he's the closest I've heard to Shawn.
+Hearts&Minds - Totally agree! Shane Lane _may_ be moving his pick the fastest in this video, but he is playing total garbage IMO. Any young guy with really fast reflexes could move the pick that fast, but there's really no skill involved IMO.
Start The Rebellion Skill is involved, it just doesn't make you a good guitarist if you can play fast. Speed can make some compositions more interesting and other such things and it adds a lot to the music. With all that said, I stand by my statement that fastest does not equal best.
+Hearts&Minds - Sounds like you're agreeing with me. I can play as fast, even faster, than Shawn Lane, but my notes are all cleanly melodic and well composed. His don't reflect the same level of "taste" in my opinion. Hence my statement.
I agree if we're talking strictly 'speed'. That is measurable. But if we're talking how speed is used to create music, then we have all kinds of opinions on who uses speed "best" or "better".
I agree with Shawn Lane as first... He should be better known. Not only a inhumanly fast guitarist, but also a true musical genius. For who don't know him yet, search it here on youtube and you'll be glad you did. Btw, nice end with Big Sur Moon.
This is a bit of a fringe suggestion. I'm not suggesting any of these guys are better or faster than your selections, I'm just suggesting you might enjoy the guitar solos on this album: Ken Tamplin, Lanny Cordola, Marty Friedman, Randy Hansen, Alex Masi, Michael Angelo, and Joey Price. I'm sure you know a few of those guys. This cut is rippin: Shout - In Your Face
although it can depending on the guitarist. if you can do it right. it can be good drawing the listener in with a nice slow melody then come in withan awsome fast lick to unleash the awsomeness
Speed is something with can be empirically measured; so much is true....but anyone can have an opinion about the value of speed-playing as your comment suggests. Personally in all cases presented in this video I submit that the degree of speed is inversely proportional to musical quality...well maybe I'll make an exception for Yngwe on the acoustic...very impressive stuff :)
Shawn Lane wasn't ripping off other players of his day...such as EVH, Holdsworth, Randy Rhoades...he stood his ground and became the greatest guitar player of his generation
Had the privilege of taking private lessons from Rusty. He's more musical than fast, if you can believe that. Awesome understanding of music theory and how it relates to the guitar fretboard.
Thanks for the reply. I looked into it and I didn't see any listing online anyway of "fastest guitarist" or even picking. I saw the John Taylor video at 600BPM which would indeed beat Batio, but also saw Taylor Sterling's video doing 999bpm. I agree with you. I want documentation or I call BS.
This is a great list but we are definitely missing Joe Satriani, Steve Vai... and Many others.... Like to see you make a TOP 20 or 25 and see who is all included and what order for that... Good Job though... ALL Awesome guitarists and songs chosen!!
A lot of you are missing the point-A.opinion-and a GREAT list. B. You get to a certain level and there is no better than or vertical growth- only expansion.
honestly, Lane and Cooley are the only two in this entire list that ACTUALLY are exceptionally fast. There are 10,000 TH-cam guitarists who can cover anything that Paul and Malmsteen have ever written, and even buckethead for that matter. Those three average probably 22 notes a second max. Cooley's sweeps are nuts, and Shawn is just a freak of nature. Buckethead is still my favorite guitarest of the group along with lane however, because they actually write music i want to listen to.
Buckethead, Gilbert, Cooley, Sir Malmsteen, Lane, but you forgot players like Jarzombek or Rak just to mention some more. But hey, thumbs up for your selection!
Do you have a you tube video of you playing? I'd love to see your chops. "Blowing away" Buckethead is a bold statement. He's weird no doubt... but untouchable as a player.
I see speed as a textural device, but when you are going balls to the wall constantly, it gets boring and the music has no room to breathe and people can't take it in as easily
Well, personally I'd have put Joe Stump and Michael Romeo higher up, and you did miss Jeff Loomis and Chris Impellitteri out completely (both are nightmarishly fast!) Also Vinnie Moore should definitely feature! Now, you may hate MAB but this is about speed, and gods know, he has THAT. His alternating picking (which he confesses to being his favoured technique) is absolutely stunning! Check out Time Traveller, Hands without shadows, and Praying on Prey! :)
Why are people voting this down and debating, if you don't care about the uploaders top 5 then why are you watching and not being inspired to making your own top 5 fastest? I don't get it... It's all subjective, no measurements here he stats, IN HIS OPINION, and all you can responds is WHY NOT THIS WHY NO THAT? Make the list of those players yourself. This wouldn't be my top 5 but I still enjoyed hearing his opinion.
now that it is 2014 how would your list change? ironically my list from the 80's would also include Paul Gilbert and Ing-Vhae, funny how the quick get quicker. Pauls band mate from Racer-X Bruce Boulliet is a candidate for this list IMHO as are Tony MacAlpine and a huge rash of the crazy Japanese kids as well...
That song is a good mix of slow and medium fast. But as you say, to play it like Joe, you do need a real lot of skill. There are lots of people on youtube who can do the fast section ok.....but they don't do so well overall.
Respect to Yngwie: Dry tone, sound of the instrument, string hitting fretboard, pick hitting string. I suspect many shredders sound like crap w/o compression / sustain / mid-boost, reverb / delay, & distortion. (Even Yngwie uses those most of the time:-(
You are correct in the statement that speed is nowhere near opinion based it's an actual numerical statistic. But he never said these are the 5 best :P
Dude... you forgot about CC Deville and JJ French! LOL. Good picks though (no pun intended) but I would like to add Chris Impelleteri to this list, (who is literally faster than Yngwie). Their solo's were slowed down and Chris is just a "tad" faster.
Fast for the sake of fast is nothing but a myriad of goobly gop. While Yngwie is indeed a very fast player, I like his classical style. Melodic with something to say musically/movement wise.
Malmsteen and Gilbert have swift picking, but Shawn Lane was the quickest at what he did. His actual learning technique was to play something as swiftly as he could and master it in those speeds, THEN play it normal speed to be able to play it perfectly. It's just as difficult what he does with the left hand as with the right hand. His picking is so accurate and smooth it almost seems as if he's a master of Linguistics speaking through his strings. I LOVE Paul Gilbert, but he's no Shawn Lane.
Shawn is definitely the fastest I have ever heard. To top it off, he was also near the top ten of all-time pianists, which many people don't know. Also, he just didn't play fast either; he had techniques in ALL genres you can name that were the best--he was the most well-rounded musician to have ever lived. Oh, and he had arthritis, too, which actually limited his playing at times.
Shawn Lane of course, without doubt. Just ask them guitarists who Shawn Lane is. They will answer the most terrifying guitarist who ever live, hands down.
But not the fastest.
He could have been had he tried playing bumble bee.
Tiago Della Vega.
Mc Katana He was clocked at 18 notes per second.
@@BarrybeastmodeHe literally was and remains pretty much the fastest ever!
Shawn Lane was the man
Shawn lane without question is number 1. Guthrie should be on the list though IMO
Agreed; but I'm not sure who would top my list, between Ghuthrie and Shawn. Both, phenomenal guitarists, with incredible tone.
Jason Becker not on this list?
not only was Shawn likely the fastest, but his sax patterns are the most difficult to play. when you talk about the fastest player with great phrasing, melody, and touch, its definitely Shawn. Vintage Yngwie had great phrasing, too... and those phrygian dominant lines and arpeggios are not easy to play, either! Overall, there has never been anyone that could touch Shawn Lane
I'm a huge fan myself. Shawn's speed is measured in 'scales per second'. What I love about him is he was not an ordinary shredder but a soulful musician whose musical genius, tonality, dynamics, speed, breathtaking melodies and painfully fast and striking chord arpeggios will forever remain unmatched. I love Shawn Lane and is music with all my heart.
And Now I'm a fan of you too sire.
Shawn is definitely the fastest I have ever heard. To top it off, he was also near the top ten of all-time pianists, which many people don't know. Also, he just didn't play fast either; he had techniques in ALL genres you can name that were the best--he was the most well-rounded musician to have ever lived. Oh, and he had arthritis, too, which actually limited his playing at times. Taking steroids to control his arthritis is what caused him to gain weight, develop Cushing's syndrome, and what led to his early death.
Shawn was the total package. Not many people listen to all of his work and just thinks he was a shredder. He could play slow and soulful, with a vibrato technique that would make you cry. I have been playing for 30 years and still study Shawn's work. No, I could never be what he was, but I have learned a LOT from studying him. Let's not forget, he was also one of the best piano players to have ever lived, too.
Oh yes. I just love his albums with Hellborg over the years. I once read that Shawn said he was always looking for something new in his sound, phrasing and compositions. His Jazz Fusion albums cover a variety of genres including Indian Classical and influence from Western Classical as well. His vibrato technique is unfathomable. Even though I know I will never get to see Shawn and listen to him in front of me, I love him with all my heart.
Many parts of this video reminded me of Nintendo noises.
LOL!
Thought the same thing!
Kaylie Wilson Just because they were fast doesn't mean it's something you want to listen to it all night long. Alot of it doesn't have melody. The first really speed guitarist was Ritchie Blackmore. Then Ingvey. He is a Blackmore clone. Ritchie has written the most beautiful guitar peices in history and every work sounds different. I knew Shawn Lane and at 14 he was better than almost every famous guitarist and is a gifted piano player and could play the pretty music also. He was phenomenal and misunderstood like Ritchie.
+Kurt Sherrick you seriously knew Shawn Lane?
Where is Michael Romeo from Symphony X ?
We miss you, Shawn.
I too would have Shawn Lane at #1. I would disagree with your assessment of MAB however. Like him or hate him, he's one of the fastest alternate pickers and one of, if not the most precise at doing so, probably known more for that than for his sweep picking although he is very good and clean at that as well.
My list would be:
1. Shawn Lane
2. MAB
3. Rusty Cooley
4. Yngwie Malmsteen
5. Hmm...several that could go here...surprise me lol
Could not agree more, MAB's accuracy, precision, clarity and speed, are out of this world.
Shawn Lane wasn't just about speed, The guy was amazing, his phrasing, tone, control, use of the whammy bar effect were off the charts. I'm a fan of many many guitarists, from Zappa to McLaughlin, from Vai to SRV,from Rory Gallagher to Coryell,from Govan to Gilmour, Beck,Page,Hendrix, Satch etc.IMHO Shawn Lane is without doubt the best of them all☘
-Hm, what about impelliteri ?!
most guitarists pick shawn lane
Shawn was a fusion guitarist, he is known for his solo works and collaboration with bass player Jonas Hellborg (ex Mahvishnu Orchestra).
i remember seeing shawn at the starwood in L.A. in 78, blew me away,funny thing is i forgot all about him until i seen your video, thanx, I think you picked very good examples,
Sorry man didn't watch the whole video yes Shawn Lane was one of the greats it was a big loss to the music world when he passed in 2003 I had the pleasure of knowing him through the music scene in Memphis when I was growing up met him through my stepdad who played in a top 40 band as well great musician great guy we miss you Shawn rest in peace brother
Shawn was in a class all his own. Best then and now!
How can you say it's your own opinion when you're measuring something that is very objective (physical speed)?
Petrucci is the best tremolo picker out there. so fast, so accurate. don't know how you could leave him out of the top five fastest...
Eh, I love Petrucci, have one of his sig guitars, but Cooley and Lane alt pick the crap out of him if you're only judging by pure raw speed. Petrucci's definitely up there though, don't get me wrong.
i think shawn lane has fluidity, control, and musicality that cannot be beat
buckethead sounded like he was jamming through a tiny transistor amp with a metal zone
each guitarist is a class all their own..none should be compared to another..i have many favorite guitarist depending on the mood im in..all the guitarist everyone has mentioned is great..but sometimes your moods set the stage for what we think is great for the moment..hendrix, page, malmsteen, buckethead, angus young, kk downing, david gilmour, the list goes on..
I wonder how you could compare Jimi Hendrix to these guys. Hendrix had incredible hands but he played different stuff in a much different style. What these guys play is like a NASCAR oval track all set up for speed whereas what Hendrix played was more like a road course,with twists and turns and pauses. His technique is especially evident on Killing Floor and Catfish Blues. I'm not saying any top player or form of music is superior to the other.
None of these dudes should even be mentioned in the same sentence with Hendrix.
Hendrix wasn't fast at all... But he wrote the best songs
Cheech Chong Buckethead and Malmsteen are just as good and more than likely better than Hendrix was. So what you said is completely off base.
Will Jett
stop it..beckut head is NOT as good as anyone.... lol He's not
James Rockford And you base that on what? Have you even listened to his songs? Because I'm guessing not.
It is a live version of the song Black Star- he plays the intro with an Ovation Python, and electric classical guitar
is more easy play guitar solos with electric guitar than acoustic or clasic guitar
So you walk instead of drive since, you know, it's easier to get where you're going in a car?
kungfuman82 best comment on youtube xD
It's still a long learning process to get fast, clean, and accurate on electric guitar. Point?
Probably you have to be more accurate on electric guitar, every mistake would be magnified with a distortion. In the other hand, personally I find easier to be fast with a pick than with my fingers but those are two different worlds, it's a matter of perspective and learning process i may think
John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Steve Vai, Herman Lee, etc.
Yngwie? 2nd fastest guitar player ever?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Michael Angelo Batio does a lot of diatonic stuff but he is up there with the fastest guitar players. He's from the old school. His playing is very melodic and versatile.
Batio is the worst shredder of all time
Trango Fast If someone was shredding documents through a high power paper shredder, would that sound be your definition of shredding on the guitar? Yeah probably. You don't sound like you know what you're talking about.
Silly contests, music has nothing to do with speed alone, sorry.
MetallicaFan0503
Thank you for your clear reply. Regards, Luc
B Luc dick
Tom Galterio
Hidden face?
At least you put My Opinion in the title. ^_^; For my own tops, there are a few guys here on YT that have set the world record for highest BPM playing on guitar. Aside from them, I'd have Shawn Lane on top, as you did. In second would be David Shankle. It's close between him and the next two guys- Rusty Cooley and Frank. I saw Frank in this old video on here titled Virtuosity, where he was playing with a friend named Shawn. Lastly, there would be Stevie T, a total goofball with absolutely sick speed.
The ending song is "Big Sur Moon" by Buckethead. I actually Shazam'd it with my iphone to let you know. It's a goody!
and where was john petrucci?
he's too good for the list same as andy james.
eduardje3 hehe yeah :D
#7 If you watch the whole video. And as they said, it's just their personal preference (which is likely influenced by things other than just notes per second)
Yes but also because emotion is nuanced and personal. Music is a direct gateway to emotion, which normally, we have great difficulty describing conceptually.
The guitar has a checkered history. There are some great moments and so much that is horrible, and it's not simply down to speed & complexity, or lack thereof; it comes down to being earnest and putting something of yourself out there.
Where do people get these terrible recordings, it's like a live version of a song played underwater and then then converted to mp3
jegham aymen the irony
Paul Thoresen Just fat Eq's with lots of gain often played on neck pickup. Referring to that ''underwater'' sound you speak of.
True, but it does mean better at making people say "what was that weird noise I just heard?"
I agree with both of you, and I'm ignoring the question of who they are racing cause I find it to be obvious. Among guitarists there's an increasing trend since the 80s to play fast just for the sake of playing fast, rusty cooley for example plays scales up and down often at blazing speeds(while there's nothing wrong with that there are more interesting ways to play music for me personally). It all comes down to perception, i prefer folks like Holdsworth or fast jazz horn players cause their ph
Al Dimeola
sorry but Tiago Della Vega is alot faster than all of these guys,so is michael angelo batio
shawn with 16 years old was already faster than that dude
Shawn lanes left hand speed is hard to top
Tiago Della Vega?? Lol...he plays super fast but he uses ''easier'' licks to reach his super speed. For example playing "the flight of the bumblebee", that he performed for his speed record, is mostly going up and down a cromatic scale...can you find anything easier for the left hand? maybe just hold a note and start picking it with a super fast right-hand picking. His right hand picking speed is very impressive indeed but Shawn Lane plays so complex and difficult things with his left hand at such superhuman speeds. Its virtually impossible to do it (as Rusty Cooley said)... Fast playing is not how many notes/second. Fast playing is WHAT one plays in a specific amount of time. Also about MAB: he is amazing and very fast but have you heard what he says about Shawn Lane? "i just want to sit back and learn from this Jedi Master of guitar"
I grew up in Memphis and saw Shawn when he was 14 with his friends in Savage at Audubon a place at one time the thousands of people wouldn't party all day and night. Savage set up and used the free electricity all the local bands played there one time or another. When Savage started everyone's jaw dropped and witnessed this kid play better than Big Bands guitarist. Except Ritchie Blackmore. Shawn at 14 was almost the best I ever saw and that includes big names. A short time later Shawn got board playing guitar and very soon he played the piano like better than you can imagine. Shawn was a crazy talent. And a Memphis Tennessee ledgen. He died to young.
Clarity, accuracy, precision and very subjective things which add to our perception of speed. For example take any palm muted Al Di Meola lead part, the staccato feel of this effect adds to a distinction between the notes which some percieve as "faster" than a legato line(Allan Holdsworth perhaps with hammerons and LIFT-offs). Some would percieve the latter "faster" even if at the same tempo. There's much more subtlety in the differences of perception which I can't easily explain in a few words.
Speed isn't subjective it's science. Either you're fast or you're not.
Where's Woody Guthrie?!
Great list. You may not have heard of Guthrie Govan, but he's definitely worth a listen. He wouldn't want to be known as the "fastest" per se, but he's the closest I've heard to Shawn.
I don't think speed is an opinion. Speed is a very factual thing. And speed doesn't make you a good guitarist.
+Hearts&Minds - Totally agree! Shane Lane _may_ be moving his pick the fastest in this video, but he is playing total garbage IMO. Any young guy with really fast reflexes could move the pick that fast, but there's really no skill involved IMO.
+Start The Rebellion did you try to listen to anything Shawn Lane composed?
Start The Rebellion Skill is involved, it just doesn't make you a good guitarist if you can play fast. Speed can make some compositions more interesting and other such things and it adds a lot to the music. With all that said, I stand by my statement that fastest does not equal best.
+Hearts&Minds - Sounds like you're agreeing with me. I can play as fast, even faster, than Shawn Lane, but my notes are all cleanly melodic and well composed. His don't reflect the same level of "taste" in my opinion. Hence my statement.
No, you can't lol.
I agree if we're talking strictly 'speed'. That is measurable.
But if we're talking how speed is used to create music, then we have all kinds of opinions on who uses speed "best" or "better".
It was also on a nylon string acoustic, its from the g3 live in denver dvd. fuckin nuts.
I agree with Shawn Lane as first... He should be better known. Not only a inhumanly fast guitarist, but also a true musical genius. For who don't know him yet, search it here on youtube and you'll be glad you did. Btw, nice end with Big Sur Moon.
Shaw Lane was special, of course he is a Memphis guitar player...I've seen him play a few times in clubs in Memphis back in the 80's..
... looked a bit further. You are correct sir! Huffington Post had article that confirmed it.
This is a bit of a fringe suggestion. I'm not suggesting any of these guys are better or faster than your selections, I'm just suggesting you might enjoy the guitar solos on this album: Ken Tamplin, Lanny Cordola, Marty Friedman, Randy Hansen, Alex Masi, Michael Angelo, and Joey Price. I'm sure you know a few of those guys. This cut is rippin: Shout - In Your Face
hey good choices man, i dont really listen to this guys but all of them are very talented musicians.
although it can depending on the guitarist. if you can do it right. it can be good drawing the listener in with a nice slow melody then come in withan awsome fast lick to unleash the awsomeness
John McLaughlin and Al Dimeola
Machete Mirage off the Bucketheadland 2 album its been out since 2003 its one of his weirder or sick in the head albums but it was still good imo.
Speed is something with can be empirically measured; so much is true....but anyone can have an opinion about the value of speed-playing as your comment suggests. Personally in all cases presented in this video I submit that the degree of speed is inversely proportional to musical quality...well maybe I'll make an exception for Yngwe on the acoustic...very impressive stuff :)
Shawn Lane wasn't ripping off other players of his day...such as EVH, Holdsworth, Randy Rhoades...he stood his ground and became the greatest guitar player of his generation
Listen to Batio's solo on time traveler. It is so awesome. Common i know some of his songs are overly cheesy but he is bad ass man.
Had the privilege of taking private lessons from Rusty. He's more musical than fast, if you can believe that. Awesome understanding of music theory and how it relates to the guitar fretboard.
Thanks for the reply. I looked into it and I didn't see any listing online anyway of "fastest guitarist" or even picking. I saw the John Taylor video at 600BPM which would indeed beat Batio, but also saw Taylor Sterling's video doing 999bpm.
I agree with you. I want documentation or I call BS.
Wise words, my fellow musician. :)
This is a great list but we are definitely missing Joe Satriani, Steve Vai... and Many others.... Like to see you make a TOP 20 or 25 and see who is all included and what order for that... Good Job though... ALL Awesome guitarists and songs chosen!!
A lot of you are missing the point-A.opinion-and a GREAT list. B. You get to
a certain level and there is no better than or vertical growth- only expansion.
honestly, Lane and Cooley are the only two in this entire list that ACTUALLY are exceptionally fast. There are 10,000 TH-cam guitarists who can cover anything that Paul and Malmsteen have ever written, and even buckethead for that matter. Those three average probably 22 notes a second max. Cooley's sweeps are nuts, and Shawn is just a freak of nature. Buckethead is still my favorite guitarest of the group along with lane however, because they actually write music i want to listen to.
Yngwie play fast it's true, but what he does is beautiful and soulful
Buckethead, Gilbert, Cooley, Sir Malmsteen, Lane, but you forgot players like Jarzombek or Rak just to mention some more. But hey, thumbs up for your selection!
Do you have a you tube video of you playing? I'd love to see your chops. "Blowing away" Buckethead is a bold statement. He's weird no doubt... but untouchable as a player.
I see speed as a textural device, but when you are going balls to the wall constantly, it gets boring and the music has no room to breathe and people can't take it in as easily
Well, personally I'd have put Joe Stump and Michael Romeo higher up, and you did miss Jeff Loomis and Chris Impellitteri out completely (both are nightmarishly fast!) Also Vinnie Moore should definitely feature! Now, you may hate MAB but this is about speed, and gods know, he has THAT. His alternating picking (which he confesses to being his favoured technique) is absolutely stunning! Check out Time Traveller, Hands without shadows, and Praying on Prey! :)
I’m Happy you put Paul Gilbert and rusty but should’ve added Howe and I’d be happy
Gilbert and Lane are not only fast, but AWESOME!!!!
Why are people voting this down and debating, if you don't care about the uploaders top 5 then why are you watching and not being inspired to making your own top 5 fastest? I don't get it... It's all subjective, no measurements here he stats, IN HIS OPINION, and all you can responds is WHY NOT THIS WHY NO THAT? Make the list of those players yourself. This wouldn't be my top 5 but I still enjoyed hearing his opinion.
It was horribly unfortunate that Lane passed and that his arthritis was effecting his guitar playing as of three years before
Who else think Yngwie Malmsteen's guitar tone sounds like a really pissed off bee in this?
Picking+fret work+sounding good while litteraly pushing the guitars limits while sounding good at the same time.. Rusty all the way!
For those who are fan of Buckethead, can anyone tell me what was the name of this track that Buckethead played?
Just for my own curiousity
Thank you.
Lane seems to have also mastered the whammy bar . THAT ain't easy.
new school but definitely jason richardson
yngwie was a hero back in the day but now he's more into hair flips and kicks than playing clean.
now that it is 2014 how would your list change? ironically my list from the 80's would also include Paul Gilbert and Ing-Vhae, funny how the quick get quicker. Pauls band mate from Racer-X Bruce Boulliet is a candidate for this list IMHO as are Tony MacAlpine and a huge rash of the crazy Japanese kids as well...
That song is a good mix of slow and medium fast. But as you say, to play it like Joe, you do need a real lot of skill. There are lots of people on youtube who can do the fast section ok.....but they don't do so well overall.
A song is not a race. There is no need for speed. Passion must rip your heart out!!
Respect to Yngwie: Dry tone, sound of the instrument, string hitting fretboard, pick hitting string. I suspect many shredders sound like crap w/o compression / sustain / mid-boost, reverb / delay, & distortion. (Even Yngwie uses those most of the time:-(
@jamesedwardtheobald Actually the yngwie is played on a nylon string acoustic
Great choice !!
Bucket Head is still my favorite hes amazing in every aspect of his playing he has countless songs that are all equally epic
You are correct in the statement that speed is nowhere near opinion based it's an actual numerical statistic. But he never said these are the 5 best :P
shawn lane is sick man. he's awesomely good.
the top 5 who play melodious music, yes
Yes, I agree, faster doesn't mean better, but Kirk Hammett is really awsome, he should be on your list! :)
Thanks for the input, grandpa.
Fun fact, Buckethead's guitar teacher was Paul Gilbert.
Dude... you forgot about CC Deville and JJ French! LOL. Good picks though (no pun intended) but I would like to add Chris Impelleteri to this list, (who is literally faster than Yngwie). Their solo's were slowed down and Chris is just a "tad" faster.
jason becker deserves a spot xD although i dislike Batio but he deserves a spot too xD none the less good list shawn lane yeaa was perfect :D
goodness gracious, what performance is the shawn lane clip from?
+Luke Ryan Richard yeah its awful
Fast for the sake of fast is nothing but a myriad of goobly gop. While Yngwie is indeed a very fast player, I like his classical style. Melodic with something to say musically/movement wise.
John Petrucci was #7, but after I saw him today, He should have been #1 just because of what I witnessed.
Malmsteen and Gilbert have swift picking, but Shawn Lane was the quickest at what he did. His actual learning technique was to play something as swiftly as he could and master it in those speeds, THEN play it normal speed to be able to play it perfectly. It's just as difficult what he does with the left hand as with the right hand. His picking is so accurate and smooth it almost seems as if he's a master of Linguistics speaking through his strings. I LOVE Paul Gilbert, but he's no Shawn Lane.
what's the song at the beginning of the video? the buckethead's one
What's the name of this Buckethead track? Just curious about it ;)
Fastest EAR PLEASING guitarist's is the list I want to see. I know Paul Gilbert would be right up there on that list as well.
yngwie is playing acoustic. It is off the G3 in Denver with Vai and Satriani.
What is the name of this song of Buckethead ???
+Felipe Markus (Machete Mirage)