How to Shred

[waffleberry]

I've been playing guitar several months now and I had a freind over who could solo like crazy, he called it shredding. Does anyone know what this shredding stuff is? If so can anyone give me any shredding licks and some info on how to play them, both rigth and left hand techniques?

This is my first post.

[tonycash]

its going to take alot more than someone posting on a messageboard for you to learn how to shred what you need to do is listen to some songs by people like joe satriani, michael angelo, yngwie malmsteen and there are many many others and start downloading tab by them i suggest using power tab from http://www.powertabs.net (http://www.powertabs.net/) that will give you some basic tools and you should defnitley learn some basic scales i would start off by learning how to sweep pick the pentatonics and minor harmonics and eventually learn some arpeggios its gonna be a long road and your gonna have to be pretty dedicated good luck man.

[oRg]

I've been playing guitar several months now and I had a freind over who could solo like crazy, he called it shredding. Does anyone know what this shredding stuff is? If so can anyone give me any shredding licks and some info on how to play them, both rigth and left hand techniques?
Well first off, welcome to ibreathemusic. Now shredding is the art of playing guitar really fast. That's the best definition I could come up with...lol. Shredding is mainly used in rock, experimental, avant-garde, metal, blues, classical, and jazz. Anyways, it will definitely take some time to learn how to shred. There are people on this message board that have been playing for several years and still can't really shred well. The only thing I can do for you is tell you to pick up a few CD's and have you give them a listen that way you get an idea of what shredding really is.

The Cd's I recommend you get are Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force. This CD is pretty much a must own for any aspiring shredder. The second is Steve Vai's - Passion and Warfare. The third is Joe Satriani's - Surfing With the Alien. The fourth is either Dream Theater's Awake cd or their Train of Thought cd. I'm personally fond of Train of Thought. Gives these cd's a listen and mainly concentrate on listening to the lead guitar parts and then just keep learning guitar as you are now. Trust me pretty much everything you have learned or are going to learn on guitar will be needed highly in shredding, except maybe chicken-pickin' or finger-picking.

Another thing to check out is the articles here on ibreathemusic.com. These lessons and articles contain volumes of information for whatever kinda of style guitar you plan on playing.

[Chim_Chim]

Play music really fast but still have it sound good (that's the challenge).

Well...that ought to keep you busy for about 20 or 30 years. :D

[AyKay]

"speed is the byproduct of accuracy"

[Chim_Chim]

"speed is the byproduct of accuracy"

Yes...it's "sped up accuracy"

[Gandalv]

Now what the heck is chicken-picking?

[se_12121]

Chicken-Picking is a sorta unorthodox technique (I think), Zakk Wylde uses it. It helps people play fast by picking notes on adjacent strings with a finger but notes on the main string with most notes on (This explanation is terrible sorry) with an actual pick. So in other words it sorta eliminates inside/outside picking. Imagine 12-13-15 on the G string (Ha,ha) with the pick and then maybe 12 on the B or High E with a finger not holding the pick (middle or ring), its basically like hybrid picking, but for normal licks.Sean

[ajdowton]

Hey guys.

Yes, chicken pickin' is a country picking technique which Zakk Wylde likes to use. Shredding wise, a good place to get started would be Paul Gilbert's instructional vids (Intense Rock 1 and 2 - check out Eric V's reviews) and maybe John Petrucci's Rock Discipline book (also reviewed). A lot of people buy too much instructional stuff, and get overwhelmed. Just check out this stuff and work on one vid and one book at a time. Whilst doing this, check out some music for inspiration. I suggest:

Frank Gambale - The Great Explorers
Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force
Andy Timmons - EarXtacy
Steve Vai - Passion and Warfare
Satriani - Flying in a Blue Dream and Surfing with the Alien
Brett Garsed - Anything!!! (Quid Pro Quo and Exempt with TJ Helmerich, Big Sky)

These guys are pretty well known. Harder to find will be:

Shawn Lane - Powers of 10
- The Tritone Fascination

Matthias Eklundh - Freak Guitar

Scott Mishoe (I can't remember the name of the album, but he's only got one or two out. On the cover he's got a mullet, if that helps)

These are really top players. You have to be careful, because there's loads of fast guitar music out there, and sorting through it to find the gems is a lot of work. If you wanna check out shred in a pop context, try some of Paul Gilbert's latest albums or some of his stuff with Mr. Big, Jennifer Batten, Southern Sons (Jack Jones - great aussie guitarist with Virgil Donati on drums), Riverdogs (Vivian Campbell on guitar). Also, Eric Johnson is awesome (though not your conventional shredder), so maybe you should get the first G3 cd with Vai, Satch and Eric Johnson. There are a load of Shrapnel Records-esque shredder dudes as well, with amazing technique (though their tone kinda sucks). Check out Tony Macalpine, Greg Howe, Vinnie Moore, Jason Becker. Also, try to find some Allan Holdsworth. I'm not sure which record of his is the best. Hmmm. Any suggestions on that one?

Technique wise, shredding encompasses:
fast picking, sweeps (arps - diminished etc.), huge horizontal scale runs, tapping, whammy bar abuse, triplet patterns, pivoting, string skipping, economy picking (gambale-esque lines)

To get your head around these, check out those instructional items I mentioned before as well as Ibreathe, and maybe use a search engine to find some other stuff. Also, ask your mate if he'll show you some stuff, maybe a picking lick or something, and then take it away and practice practice practice!!!

Cheers,

AJD

[waffleberry]

Thank you guys alot for your help, I guess I'll be working on this technique for quite a while. This Yngwie guy sounds really cool I think I'll get some of his stuff, I need alot of work on sweeping. Scale wise, I can't remember them when I learn them so that will take work too.

Another Question: Is alternate picking just using down and up strokes?

-mike

[Gandalv]

Yes. Exceptions are allowed if you for example need to make two downstrokes in a row to get the upbeat/downbeat thing right (correct intonation, or whatever it's called)

[JP82]

Let's not forget Vinnie Moore, Joey Tafolla, and Tony McAlpine. Not as "progressive" as those mentioned above, but some very good and melodic shredding.

[Chim_Chim]

also Greg Howe and Mike Firkins...oh and Steve Morse!

[SE ´em all]

Good and melodic shredding .......... YEAH !!
BUT : You forgot to mention : Michael Romeo !!
You gotta listen to his stuff ( his band : symphony x (http://www.symphonyx.com, with free downloads ...., and his solo album which is called "the dark chapter" )
Just wanted to name him.............

Simon

[btangel]

Paul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul Gilbertvvvvvvvvv
RAWR ok I think I got my point across ;)

[six_degrees]

With a little fear of repitition, I have to say that I think you have to get oyur accuracy, understanding of scales and the inter-relation of notes down to a tee before you go on to start the more complex technique stuff.Don't try and walk before you can run (please don't take that as an insult, I'm not saying anything about your playing!) I think you'll find it a lot easier if you work on some of the finger strengthening excercises from the other thread, they really work and it will improve your playing ability a great deal I'm sure. Worked for me and most people I know ;)

[phantom]

you can find various shred definitions here: http://www.geocities.com/guitarlords/terminos.html

[RandyEllefson]

The best shredder I ever saw was in Office Depot. It was 10% off, had a rebate, and doesn't get clogged when you stuff too many things into it at once. I love it!

[davidvanhalen]

The best shredder I ever saw was in Office Depot. It was 10% off, had a rebate, and doesn't get clogged when you stuff too many things into it at once. I love it!

jajajaa, men that's a good one :p

[Gandalv]

It took me 30 seconds to figure that one out.

[phantom]

@gandalv

don't worry.. zoidberg wouldn't have known it right away either :D

[Caffeinated Cat]

Shredding is something you probably want to get a video or DVD to help you learn, along with a book/CD pack. So much of the technique is different from what comes "naturally", and it really helps to be able to see somebody doing it, with close-ups of what the right and left hand are doing, so you know exactly what they're talking about.

[PatcA]

Whoa there, buddy. You've been playing for a couple of months and are now wanting to shred? How about learning how to play guitar before trying to master it? Learn some intermediate songs, keep jamming with your buddies, get a teacher, learn some theory, etc.

You need to build a musical foundation. Period. Shredding will be there for you in a few years (and who knows, you may not be into it anymore!)

[Killa Beaver]

Now what the heck is chicken-picking?
chickin' pickin' (as it is generally called) is most commonly used in country and involves a combination of a pick to play the melody and the other fingers to play banjo style rolls simultaneously...very fast. it's most effective when you hear it played on guitars fitted with single coils esp the Tele. it's not so good with humbuckers.

[phantom]

Shredding is something you probably want to get a video or DVD to help you learn, along with a book/CD pack. So much of the technique is different from what comes "naturally", and it really helps to be able to see somebody doing it, with close-ups of what the right and left hand are doing, so you know exactly what they're talking about.

a good teacher and the good old eye to eye method would obviously be the best way.

[axe_man_oli]

Whoa there, buddy. You've been playing for a couple of months and are now wanting to shred? How about learning how to play guitar before trying to master it? Learn some intermediate songs, keep jamming with your buddies, get a teacher, learn some theory, etc.

You need to build a musical foundation. Period. Shredding will be there for you in a few years (and who knows, you may not be into it anymore!)
I would say the opposite... A good way to start bringing about thi foundation of theory and knowledge would be to start trying shred... If you find a shred piece you like and you stick at it for long enough it will benifit your learning to no end.... the more you challenge yourself the more progress you will see...
You just have to make sure you dont over-challenge yourself... a few months is plenty to start looking into shred... you wont have it for a long time but you might as well get learning about it now....

[forgottenking2]

I'd go for the teacher too. I was doing the self taught thing for a while but when I started taking lessons with Hitar Cuesta... man I improved more in that year than I had in the past 3. I'm currently looking for a teacher (you never stop learning)... but I haven't found one yet.

[Thorsten]

Get Paul Gilbert´s "Intense Rock 1" video, learn everything from it and than build your own chops from there!

If you don´t have the patience to do that...join a Nu-Metal band... ;)

[perpetual burn]

And Jason Becker =)