Shred techniques?

[Clint 55]

Hi. I'm a beginner shredder. My comfort zone is blues/rock and jazz and I can improvise 8th note solos reasonably. I know my pentatonic modes and some blues licks. I like heavy styles and really admire shredders and have the goal of being able to shred 16th note based solos some time down the road. I don't have a ton of talent or fast twitch muscles but I'm starting to figure out how shred is constructed. Some greats can play lines really fast, but it seems like a lot of shred is linking "tricks" together.

I'd like your knowledge and advice on the patterns you use to go about it. Some that I've recognized so far are: tremolo picking and holding a note with your index finger while hammering with your other fingers; holding with your left index, tapping with your left ring or pinky and tapping with your right pointer aka tap; holding a chord shape and raking the pick across the strings while rolling your left hand across the notes aka sweep. That would be cool if you are able to break down any of these techniques further, or offer other techniques, or even offer specific patterns you like such as fingerings, chord shapes or scales.

I'm currently working on this Yngwie lesson where he demonstrates the use of harmonic minor, phrygian major, and diminished. The most I've been able to pick up on is him picking 16th notes with his right hand while doing 3 finger patters with his left and then mixing in sweep arpeggios. Oh yeah, I also recognized his diminished pattern on the 1-3 strings that he moves up or down 3 frets. What do you guys think, how do you go about it, what patterns or specific fingerings or scales and chords do you use?

 

[Demanic]

Re: Shred techniques?

Picking. Picking. Picking.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Sirion]

Re: Shred techniques?

I am not a super shredder, but I can work standard 80s territory (Lynch, Reb Beach etc.) passably well.

The first thing you want to do is to start working with a metronome. I had the most luck with Troy Stetina's classic Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar, although it is getting old and is rather light on sweep picking material. For alternate picking it is still an excellent place to start though.

I'd also recommend you check out Troy Grady on YouTube. I haven't looked at his commercial material yet, but I understand he gets the highest accolades from my friends who are more actively involved with these things.

Finally – and this shouldn't be a problem for you – play other things as well. I'd recommend learning classical or jazz harmony, to give you a wider palette of colours to use, than most shredders. Experiment. Apply traits from other genres. Take the time to work out ideas you conceptualize in your head. The reason I am saying this is that it is very easy to sound the same as everybody else when shredding. The most interesting guitarists to mind manage to avoid it. Learn Yngwie, but don't become yet another Yngwie clone. Unless your middle name begins with J – then it should be fine, according to Spinal Tap.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Shred techniques?

Thanx Demanic. My right hand seems to be ok. I can get it going at 16th notes at a fast tempo. I don't have the experience yet to visualize the patterns tho. I think once I learn the left hand patterns that allow me to maximize economy I'll improve.

Thanx Sirion. I'll work with a metronome and check out the teachers you recommended. Alternate picking will be my focus since sweeping and tapping aren't too bad to practice. About experimenting with harmony - this is great. I will for sure do this. The first harmonic soloing concept I learned was pentatonic mixed with blues. But I do know my jazz harmony and have many scales memorized in my head but not worked out. Right now I'm starting working on harmonic minor to go for a contrasting sound from blues/rock with harmonic minor on the 1 chord and diminished or phrygian major on the 5 chord.

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Shred techniques?

tapping with your right pointer aka tap

I just want to put my thought in on this Clint, but I actually advise to use your right middle finger when tapping notes with your right hand, that way you can keep holding the pick in the "standard" way which is very convenient to go back to regular or sweep picking after your right hand tap. Even if you'll find a lot of people who are indeed tapping (right hand) with their index finger, I'd really recommend doing it with the middle finger.
Here's a vid of one of my country's best guitar players, he seems to share my opinion:

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Shred techniques?

And another vid of Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal who does it the same way:

Hope this helps!

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Shred techniques?

Having a right hand go at X notes at X speed doesn't mean **** unless the left hand is going along with it. There are tons of resources online, just need to find what works for you. And this is going to take a long time FYI, so don't expect to be Yngwie in 6 months and certainly don't let frustration get the better of you.

Troy Grady breaks down picking techniques real good. And check out some of the old instructional videos from some of your favourite shredders (except Yngwie, I love the guy, but many people teach Yngwie better than Yngwie). some are just wank-off sessions but some (Paul Gilbert for alternate picking, Ritchie Kotzen for legato as an example) are super informative. John Petrucci also has a great exercise book. Be careful with some of these though, as they are exercises and don't translate well to actual playing. Make sure you do a good mix of straight up practicing, as well as application as well. You will find there are lots of common patterns and shapes. also, don't forget groups of 6 as well as 4s, very common and can keep things interesting.

Scales:
-Natural Major / Minor
-Harmonic...sure, why not!

Techniques:

-Alternate picking
-Legato (I include tapping here)
-Sweep picking

As for arpeggios, start off small. Two string (a-la Miracle Man), three-string, then onto four and five etc. Four is a weird one and not very common.

And finally, REFINE. There's a very big difference between the guys that can rake the strings and call it a sweep, and the guys (and gals!) who can do it cleanly with every note having definition.

Good luck!

EDIT: Yes, tap with middle finger so you can keep the pick as normal.

 

[devastone]

Re: Shred techniques?

I recommend checking out Troy Stetina's books as well, especially Metal Lead Guitar I and II, and Speed Mechanics for Lead guitar.

http://www.stetina.com/lessons.html

 

[Mincer]

Re: Shred techniques?

The Troy Grady 'Cracking the Code' videos are really good, especially when he breaks down the playing of people like Steve Morse or John McLaughlin. It comes down to economy of motion, really. What is the least amount of work you can do to accomplish a task? How small can your movements be? Are you over-thinking it? Don't worry about doing things quickly- almost every super shredder (other than an elite few) have serious deficiencies in their musical knowledge (i.e, YouTube shredders that have never played with an actual band or played music not made up of pre-practiced patterns).

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Shred techniques?

I advise to use your right middle finger when tapping notes with your right hand

Thanks, that makes sense. I'll do it that way.

Having a right hand go at X notes at X speed doesn't mean **** unless the left hand is going along with it.

Haha I've noticed that. Thanks, I'll check out the teachers you mentioned and do the practicing you recommended like 2, 3, and 4 note arpeggios; different number of notes in a group; making sure to practice exercises and playing; and refining, getting things up to speed and getting it clean.

I recommend checking out Troy Stetina's books as well, especially Metal Lead Guitar I and II, and Speed Mechanics for Lead guitar.

http://www.stetina.com/lessons.html

Thanks, will do.

The Troy Grady 'Cracking the Code' videos are really good, especially when he breaks down the playing of people like Steve Morse or John McLaughlin. It comes down to economy of motion, really. What is the least amount of work you can do to accomplish a task? How small can your movements be? Are you over-thinking it? Don't worry about doing things quickly- almost every super shredder (other than an elite few) have serious deficiencies in their musical knowledge (i.e, YouTube shredders that have never played with an actual band or played music not made up of pre-practiced patterns).

Thanks Mincer for the recommendations and advice. I'll check out Cracking the Code. Those points all apply to me, being economical with small movements and not over thinking.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Shred techniques?

Picking. Picking. Picking.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

I'm starting to get this.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Shred techniques?

Frank Gambale had a pretty cool instruction video on VHS in the late 80's/early 90's..

Also Marty Friedman's from around the same time.

In the end I think the best thing you can do first is work on a bunch of exercises to increase your left/right hand co-ordination & speed.. then when you learn licks, scales & stuff it'll be easier to incorporate those into your playing that way..

The way I see it the one's I consider "greats" (Yngwie, Vai, Beck etc..) all did their own thing & developed their own styles in their own ways and it shows in their playing. They are instantly recognizable for who they are because of that..

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Shred techniques?

I just want to put my thought in on this Clint, but I actually advise to use your right middle finger when tapping notes with your right hand, that way you can keep holding the pick in the "standard" way which is very convenient to go back to regular or sweep picking after your right hand tap. Even if you'll find a lot of people who are indeed tapping (right hand) with their index finger, I'd really recommend doing it with the middle finger.

This is probably a good idea. I started playing 25 years ago, and I learned to tap with my index finger. Over the years I got good at it, and there's no way I'd ever build up that kind of control in my middle finger now. And no, my handoff with the pick isn't smooth enough or fast enough to make up for it.

 

[Davii]

Re: Shred techniques?

My coming across tapping was the solo part to Metallica's One, where the TAB score said to use the side of the pick, rather than a finger. I rarely ever tap, but did once get into a situation where I can do it really quite fast on the spot, due to what I assume is a nerve get trapped :-S

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Shred techniques?

Thanks guys, I'm enjoying the Troy Grady shred history as well as the Troy Stetina and Paul Gilbert lessons. pcorn:

 

[dave74]

Re: Shred techniques?

Here's a shred tech that not everyone uses.
Tap notes at the same fret/s that the left hand's hammer-pulls are coming on and off of. (most conveniently the little-finger's hammer-pulls)

You don't want the left's little and the right's middle to be sharing the space, you want the hammer-pulls and the taps to be both happening just behind the fret as is normal.
So as the pull is coming off you don't want to be coming straight up (as you never do anyways), you want to use that circular motion to help get the left's pull out of the way for the right's tap to come down,,,,,,and vice-versa.

So essentially it just creates a fast trill within the tap-run where it would normally be not so convenient, and without as much effort as trilling between the middle/ring and the little, since the right's middle is sharing the work of the trill.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Shred techniques?

That sounds shreddy!

 

[Davii]

Re: Shred techniques?

Sneeky!

 

[Sirion]

Re: Shred techniques?

Be warned, though, you better have the chops to burn into Addicted to that Rush afterwards!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Shred techniques?

I love Frank Gambale's books. His playing is a model of efficiency and ergonomics, and he can sweep pick anything. I love hearing him play, but his tone has always been just horrible to me.