bass shredding

[Matt Till]

Originally posted by mjw
When I saw this thread, the first bassist I thought of was Entwistle. I've seen some video clips of him performing what I felt was some "world class" shredding, both with The Who and also with his JEB band. Does anyone else agree, or am I dreaming?

agreed.

[Wildside]

what tracks do you guys feel that Entwhistle is shredding on? just curious cause I didn't think he did much of that stuff, I think he's a great bassist though.

[mjw]

Originally posted by Wildside
what tracks do you guys feel that Entwhistle is shredding on? just curious cause I didn't think he did much of that stuff, I think he's a great bassist though.

I've a clip that you can download from my site that shows him playing at Woodstock with his JEB band. This is one where IMO he shreds a lot, especially near the end.

Have a look and let me know what you think:

JEB@Woodstock2

FYI, Slow-site + 3-minute clip = patience needed.

Peace

[Matt Till]

He mostly shreds when he solos, try checking out the Who DVD that came out a little while ago. He gets a solo in there. He'll randomly throw in these very rapid fills throughout the entire concert though. Very shreddy.

[Howard K]

It's the word "shredding", it just doesnt sound musical does it... it makes it sounds like some sort of macho competition...

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with playing super fast, I have many records with playing that could be considered 'shredding' on them.
It's just that.. in my opinion.. those people who are famous for super fast playing quite regularly use it in place of a more musical alternative.. which is fine, I guess it's just not to my tastes.

The other thing worth mentioning is that, in my experience (including myself) that style of playing is often favoured by kids and teenagers.
While, more mature musicians tend to turn their focus away from speed and more to what they actually want to say with their music.

This, taste or no taste, must say something surely?

[brake]

Entwistle and Billy Sheehan are two of my favorite bass shredders. Entwistle could do it, but he didnt do it all the time, same goes for Billy.

[Razor]

You are all correct IMHO about your picks...
Entwistle was an unbelievably fast (shredding) player. Sheenhan is also very fast...I've got some live footage when he was with Mr. Big and during a show in Japan he did a solo that was amazingly fast. I think quite a bit of his impact is lost because he uses distortion in his solos about 95% of the time.
John Myung with Dream Theater is probably the fastest person I have ever seen live. His fretting hand moves remarkably fast.

[panazza]

I HATE bass shredding... as I am improving, I tend to play slower

[NV43345]

That is The Question. I never get to Shred live,
But sometimes when I get in the Mood at home, I kick on the Distortion and Flanger and Shred away.

[canoscan]

[i]where you play a bunch of notes really really fast and don't really care what they are.

. [/b]

That was the most ignorant post i've ever read. If you actually see a tab or piece of sheet music to a shred song, you'll see how much theory goes behind it. You can't write a neo-classical shred song by just using random notes/

[Matt Till]

Originally posted by canoscan
That was the most ignorant post i've ever read. If you actually see a tab or piece of sheet music to a shred song, you'll see how much theory goes behind it. You can't write a neo-classical shred song by just using random notes/

I you haven't spent much time in off topic have you.

Shredding is improvised, not something composed. It's when John Q. Guitarist or whoever picks up there instrument and just throw together a bunch of licks as fast as they can... oooh ahhh.

Neo-Classical artists compose their fast licks. If I considered them no talent shredders I'd have to say the same for Bach.

Oh and tabs aren't going to show me the theroy that went into writing anything.

Uhh Uhh, that was a dumb post, ignorant uhh and asnine.

[puttz buster]

if a passage of music is "fast" ,"shredding" whatever, its got to compliment the song or go somewhere for the good of the song. Alot of "fast" stuff sounds like running straight up and down scales at the speed of light that sounds like a practice exercise that someone wood use to impress someone in a music store. Coltrane, holdsworth, jaco, willis, they can play fast with phrasing and melody, and if it dont have melody and diverse phrasing whether fast or slow, is just widdley widdley fingers floppin around in the breeze not saying squat.

[RicPlaya]

Originally Posted by StupidMatt

I you haven't spent much time in off topic have you.

Shredding is improvised, not something composed. It's when John Q. Guitarist or whoever picks up there instrument and just throw together a bunch of licks as fast as they can... oooh ahhh.

Neo-Classical artists compose their fast licks. If I considered them no talent shredders I'd have to say the same for Bach.

Oh and tabs aren't going to show me the theroy that went into writing anything.

Uhh Uhh, that was a dumb post, ignorant uhh and asnine.

Well Stupid Matt your saying shredding is improvised but I never heard Entwistle shred in the wrong key. You can def inprovise and still play something that goes musically with the tune. These guys just know 17,000 ways to add something to a tune. Def a lot of talent when these guys shred! And I started learning off tabs and if you transcribe the tab you can def find the thoery in there. I'm not saying your wrong but I don't think Canoscan is eithier.

[ole Jason]

Where in the world did you hear shredding is always improvised? That would be like saying a 'groove' has to be improvised. Also, what difference does it make? Is a Beethoven cadenza less potent because it was improvised? I would lean towards the opposite.

[puttz buster]

Originally Posted by puttz buster

if a passage of music is "fast" ,"shredding" whatever, its got to compliment the song or go somewhere for the good of the song. Alot of "fast" stuff sounds like running straight up and down scales at the speed of light that sounds like a practice exercise that someone wood use to impress someone in a music store. Coltrane, holdsworth, jaco, willis, they can play fast with phrasing and melody, and if it dont have melody and diverse phrasing whether fast or slow, is just widdley widdley fingers floppin around in the breeze not saying squat.

Where I come from in Australia, and lived through the late 80's metal phase, the term "SHREDDING" was usually associated with guitarists playings fast solo's and going off. I am shure there is no correct term for the word. Improvised shrimprovised, whatever. Music is either played for the music otherwise it is a selfish unmusical ego wank. Refer to QUOTE.

[Pacman]

Since we've dipped into attacks and stupidity, we're done here.