Question:
well, i've been avoiding learning this since i have no idea how to do it well, but now the time has come: i need to learn how to shred. were do i start? i'm going to need a book or some sort of lessons website, as i'd rather not have to work by trial and error. any advice?
Answer:
I'd choose some scales so work on. The E Natural Minor is my faverot. You'll also need build up picking speed, This didn't take me much practace to gte the knack of.
Also try this site... www.shredaholic.com
Answer:
I'd be careful about that website. I looked at that speed-picking thing, and there's really nothing there that you can't find for free or much cheaper elsewhere. A lot of things in there are covered in lesson books, and the truth is that it just takes hours and hours of practice to shred. If you want recommendations, I'd recommend Troy Stetina's Metal Lead series. I have the first book, and it's a very good one. He also has a Speed Mechanics book. But there's nothing there that you won't find for free somewhere else or in some other lesson book. Yeah, he may talk about a lot of techniques, but it's seriously just a matter of practice and getting unbelievably good at them (if you want the super-stardom he tries to pump up the pick speed book with). You could develop an excellent mentality for it, but I seriously doubt that you'll be a super-shredder (Michael Angelo Batio level, presumably) within the next one two or three years unless you have absolute hours each day to practice (Yngwie Malmsteen practices 10 hours a day, and I think MAB does as well... skilled musicians spend unbelievable hours practicing).
Though, my recommendation is the Troy Stetina series. I'd recommend the Michael Angelo Batio "Speed Lives," but I've never tried it myself, so I don't know.
Answer:
that Stetina book looks to be very close to what i'm after. any other suggstions?
Answer:
Step 1: Buy A metronome! This will become your new best friend. You will spend more time with it than you will want to remember.
step 2: Analyze your technique. Don't just rush through exercises with abandon! The natural tendancy is to want to play fast right away! Fight this! IT is imperative that you start SLOW. Watch your fingers, be constantly conscious of what your hands are doing, how they are moving. Try to use as little motion as possible. For the fretting hand, focus on keeping your fingers close to the fret board, and work on exercises that focus on finger strength and independance. For the picking hand, focus on economy of motion, and a smooth stroke. Overall It's like learning to play golf, you want to develope a technique that is CONSISTENT! You should be using the same exact technique every time you play a note. Keep your hands relaxed as you do this (it's also a good idea to warm up, and stretch your hands and arms before practicing).
Step 3:Repetition repetition repetition. Practice... Lots of time is required and it can be tedious. It will feel like you are going nowhere for a while, but it is important to stay disciplined and take a slow deliberate approach.
Answer:
Just another note. A book or instructor can be good, especially if you are just starting out, but it's not necessary. How long have you been playing?
Where is your technique at right now?
Answer:
OK, a breif background of my musical exp:
i've been playing guitar on and off since i was bout 6, (about 14 years) but i've been playing steadily for almost a year know. till a year ago i played mostly simple bluegrass or P&W. i too lessons for about 2 years ending about 4 years ago. i took classical piano for 7 years, quit right before i started guitar lessons. i've learned how to analyze my own playing, and i knew i'd have to start slow, i just didn't know were to start. i also plan on setting up some sort of recording rig so i can better analyze my playing. my playing right now is alot of rythm powerchords, and some more basic lead stuff. i now the basic "normal chords, i just rarely use them so they're a little rusty.
Answer:
So knowing the basics and having a background of playing for so long this shouldn't be too big of a transition for you.
What it's going to require is discipline, and lots of time. Practicing for an hour a day is only going to maintain what you alread know, learning more complicated techniques is going to require more time than that, and a consistent daily schedule.
Is there any specific style of "shredding" you had in mind? What types of techniques are you hoping to learn?
Answer:
From my understanding, it seems like shred is a conglomerate of alot of different speed tricks, including legato, alternate picking, and sweep picking, and TONS of muscle memory ( = myriad hours of practice.) I'm pretty fast for an acoustic fingerstyle/rhythm player, but I'm trying to work on electric chops so I can be considered fast for *any* player, and yeah, the Stetina Speed Mechanics book is pretty good, but it's definitely not something to be taken lightly (especially if you actually listen to the included CD and the speed he actually plays some of those riffs.. it can be really intimidating at first.) I also just bought John Petrucci's Rock Discipline book and it looks like it lays a great foundation for rock guitar in general. I think one of the biggest helpers in learning shred style is to learn to copy, note for note, shred songs you like. One of my problems with trying to do this at all is that I'm not really into metal that much, so I don't really have much I want to emulate, so sure, I can play around with pentatonic and other scales and let loose with a quick flurry of notes, but they don't really have that much melodic direction because i'm not in tune with the style. try to get a program to slow down the songs if possible.. but yeah, a metronome helps a ton with that stuff too, because it doesn't matter how fast you can physically move if it's not in valid rhythm.. cause it'll just sound nasty otherwise.
end uber-long paragraph.
Answer:
thanks for all the help. as far as a specific style, i haven't really thought much of that,i figure once i know how to shred a little i'll be able to "find my style." i really don't know a whole lot of the specifics in shredding, hence the desire for a book that lays down the ground work.
Answer:
Originally Posted by What5647 thanks for all the help. as far as a specific style, i haven't really thought much of that,i figure once i know how to shred a little i'll be able to "find my style." i really don't know a whole lot of the specifics in shredding, hence the desire for a book that lays down the ground work. Well then for a simpler answer John Petrucci's Rock Discipline is an excelent book/video. He covers just about everything you'd ever need to know, and goes over things like practice techniques that are helpful
Answer:
Originally Posted by Jenacen I'd be careful about that website. I looked at that speed-picking thing, and there's really nothing there that you can't find for free or much cheaper elsewhere.
Um, aren't the lessons at Shredaholic.com free? What's there to be careful about?
Answer:
Originally Posted by skog Um, aren't the lessons at Shredaholic.com free? What's there to be careful about?
I was looking at one of their product offers. I didn't see the lessons tab, I thought those WERE the lessons! lol my mistake
Answer:
Yeah Speed Lead Mechanics help me ALOT and JP's Rock Discipline but dont practice to much! Cause I practiced like anywhere from 4 to 14 hours a day of constent shred and i ended up havin to go to the doctor and havin tendontis in both hands and slight nerve damage that causes my hand to swell up alittle bit and go numb... but i still play excellent lol just dont over do it also start focusing on learning some arps