Shred Tactics

okay so i can play fast... but yea i dont know what to play fast.i hear stuff like some of the august solo assignments as an example with scales and all and arpeggios i dont really know what to play to give it that sound that dosent come from just playing anything as fast as you can. i was thinking is a way to do something like that playing the scale in triplets and quadruplets and all. something along the lines of playing intervals 123 234 345 456 567 678 and 1234 2345 3456 4567 5678 but i try it slow i dont know if that is what im looking for and any sort of advice with picking or sweeping arpeggios would be nice too. thanks.

My best advice is not to get stuck into playing 'stock' runs and licks. Work out something that sounds musicaly interesting when played slow... then practice playing it faster :D
Some guys just play scales up and down with fiddly bits thrown in and no thought to what they are doing other than playing a load of notes in key as fast as they can. Good shred on the other hand should have the same concept as a David Gilmour solo (just played faster) ie thematic progression and a musical story that has a beginning, middle and end.
As far as practicing runs goes, sure they are important as they can link two phrases together really well. The best advice is not to try copying other peoples runs but to come up with as many original patterns as you can, that's how you get a style of your own.
Seriously, if you like 'shred' music, do yourself a huge favour and get "Perpetual Burn" by Jason Becker (Marty Friendman plays some amazing guest solos too) and "Defying Gravity" by Vinnie Moore - listen to how they put solos together from soulful slow sections and dramatic themes to all out crazy runs and arpeggiated sequences. I only started improving after I really started listening closely to great players. I now try to work a solo out in my head before I start playing because if keeps me from playing the same robotic patterns and runs that I used to practice when I started playing. Using this approach, I now find that writing solos takes longer but the little time I get to play is way more productive. Hope that helps!

well it helps in some ways, but the thing is im not really sure what to play really. I like to have a solid idea to work on, kind of a goal to be able to play a certain thing. But yea, I understand because im not usually the guy who just plays anything fast, I'm usually the guy with the great slow riffs and good leads and all but its just I want to get better in all aspects. Mainly after I learn somethings I will start to make my own things its just I need somewhat of a starting point, just some good solid patterns so i understand what to do first then soon i will develop my own style out of it.

Also i thought id just throw this out there too, Im cant really write a solo on paper or anything i just play them but also the trouble is i dont remember them so i cant play them again the same way. got any advice on that?

Originally Posted by: Poontang_clan
Also i thought id just throw this out there too, Im cant really write a solo on paper or anything i just play them but also the trouble is i dont remember them so i cant play them again the same way. got any advice on that?

Used to have that problem. Do yourself a huge favour and get a recording device. Any kind, even the cassette ones and record yourself. You wount believe how much better you can get if you liosten to yourself. Not only that but you wont even forget your solos. I dont have that much money to spare right now so i bought a $14 Sony Pressman cassette recorder. Works fine if you put the guitar real close to it. :D

What i do is i start off my recording by saying what i'll be doing, what key im in, the techniques i used and stuff like that. If not you'll play something, record it and then come back later and totally forget how you played it. Nothing as annoying as having played some really cool line and then forgetting it. :)

Originally Posted by: SuperhumanSeriously, if you like 'shred' music, do yourself a huge favour and get "Perpetual Burn" by Jason Becker (Marty Friedman plays some amazing guest solos too) and "Defying Gravity" by Vinnie Moore - listen to how they put solos together from soulful slow sections and dramatic themes to all out crazy runs and arpeggiated sequences. I only started improving after I really started listening closely to great players. I now try to work a solo out in my head before I start playing because if keeps me from playing the same robotic patterns and runs that I used to practice when I started playing. Using this approach, I now find that writing solos takes longer but the little time I get to play is way more productive. Hope that helps!

A great way to go about it - and pay particularly close attention to people like Marty Friedman, as Superhuman mentioned, and Joe Satriani. The mark of a good "shredder", IMO, is the ability to use dazzling techniques in such a way that they feel like a natural progression in the melody, and few players do this like Satriani and Friedman.

Originally Posted by: bunmiadefisayoUsed to have that problem. Do yourself a huge favour and get a recording device. Any kind, even the cassette ones and record yourself. You wount believe how much better you can get if you liosten to yourself. Not only that but you wont even forget your solos. I dont have that much money to spare right now so i bought a $14 Sony Pressman cassette recorder. Works fine if you put the guitar real close to it. :D

What i do is i start off my recording by saying what i'll be doing, what key im in, the techniques i used and stuff like that. If not you'll play something, record it and then come back later and totally forget how you played it. Nothing as annoying as having played some really cool line and then forgetting it. :)

i cant really do it like that though cuz sometimes i just hve someone playing and i dont know what key its in and just play a rippin solo and i just cant really remember what i did in it and those ones out of nowhere are usually the best ones but yea i hate when i forget how to play things ive recorded its happened on several occasions. but yea i just dont really know how to define a pattern unless it is something like those intervals i was talking about but yea if not than can someone explain them?

Here's an idea for a run, that breaks the standard acsension patter. Just apply the pattern to whatever scale you are working in:


----------------------121-- etc
-------------121--123---3
----121--123----3
123----3
.......hp hp hp

If that's any use, let me know and I'll post another few.

I usually use the Harmonic Minor exclusivly for high speed alternate picking and harmonizing bridges between two main rhythms. The pentatonic usually at the 4th beat of a bar because it really gives that punch and pause. Ending with a harmonic note will make it sound awesome. Try also to make a small chorded rythm if you stuck and dont know what to play. Its really makes things sound fresh. And another thing this is if your stuck, you should do long progressive taps that will make you think what to play next. The same thing goes for alternate picking. Just pick on 2 strings, but for an entire bar. Trying what to play next is the hardest thing. If you can think fast a variety of scales, rhythms to play, then go ahead and record!

Whatever you do, don't touch a tremolo bar or whammy pedal until you can get yourself a shreddy sound without using such things. Unless, of course, you wish to sound like Kerry King or Jeff Young for some strange reason :p.