Originally Posted by: JeffS65Shredding without musicality is noise.[/quote]

Well, sure. Anything without musicality is noise. :) Or maybe more accurately, anything without musicality is not music.

[quote=JeffS65]Even back in my twenties, I saw shredding skills as more about the ability to command the instrument. It happened as one of those 'a ha' moments when I was really trying to be a fast shredder that I realized that due to my pushing to physcally be a better player that I had much better command of non-shred stuff.

Yes, that's it. It is much like working out. And like anything, the things you practice & drill are the things you have under your command. At this point in my life it's more about maintaining my skill than building or increasing. And I make time every day to do speed stuff. That way it's there when I need it & it raises the overall ceiling of what I am capable of when it's time to play.