The art of "shredding"..gone?

mward69 · #1 10-04-2009, 09:30 PM

I was watching some old vids of Randy Rhoads and wondering....with the bands now...is the art dead? When did the fender twin replace the marshall stack? When did the "vintage" re-issues take place of the real guitar? When did drummers go from huge kits to a kick/2 floor toms, and 2 cymbals?

Are the younger folks studying them at all?
Referring to guitar players BTW

As far as bass players...when did the Fender/Ampeg setup become a fashion?

OK...for you youngsters.....who is Randy Rhoads?

two fingers · #2 10-04-2009, 09:37 PM

Though I think Randy was a great guitarist, I think that shredding in popular music is gone, at least for a while. It just got over done. It didn't really have any "soul" to it. I was a child of the 80's and that stuff blew me away back then. But after a while it just gets annoying. 64th noted all sound alike to me. And most of the guys I knew who could shred were annoying as well. I think it's cool to see an 80's tribute band every now and then, but it's entertaining because of the "schtick", not because of the talent involved.

somedumbguy · #3 10-04-2009, 09:43 PM

because really loud excessive wankery is annoying

tmsteph · #4 10-04-2009, 09:48 PM

Everything goes in cycles. Most people got tired of all the "larger then lifeness" of the rock scene. The the "indie" movement (the downsizing rigs/drum sets you notice) that is popular right now with us kids is all about being "real" and "emotional" or at least a good faker. everyone loves to proclaim that they knew the band before they got famous and blah blah.

live long enough and im sure you will see shredding come back in style

LaklandBass · #5 10-04-2009, 09:55 PM

i agree. and ill tell ya something else. i am soooooo sick of metal bands just doing sweep picking all over the place. come on guys, dont pull a vanhalen. either play it to make the song better or start a solo project.

jomahu · #6 10-04-2009, 09:56 PM

there are a lot of shred-heads still around, i see a lot of them at berklee. they're just not on mtv anymore...maybe headbanger's ball, whenever they decide to show it.

MRDOOM · #7 10-04-2009, 09:58 PM

the art of shredding will return. I go to high school and shredding is all the guitar hero inspired guitar player seem to try to do. some of them are fairly good. the reason it died out was because it got boring and overdone, seeing how fast someone can play a series of notes is just kind of boring, I think it lacks real soul for the most part

scsm · #8 10-04-2009, 10:13 PM

My roommate can fingertap really well, but in his band he never even attempts to because he doesn't feel it fits the song.

I also have a friend thats a drummer and whenever he sees a band with a two bass drums he thinks they are just trying to show off because to him they could just use a double bass pedal. (Although I have heard arguments both ways about that). I also assume a lot of drummers don't want to carry a lot of drums around to gigs and practice or maybe can't afford a lot of drums.

I also think 80s hair metal bands really burnt people out and it's still resonating today.

mward69 · #9 10-04-2009, 10:22 PM

Even if not shredding...even the art of a good solo. I know some bands are still doing it, but the younger new bands that are getting airplay. Some good melodic stuff. Even with bass lines. The new radio bands don't have good grooves....
Ehh.....guess I'm having an "I miss the late 80s and 90s moment"

Feel like my dad now...lol "yalls music lacks the....."

Past 11 · #10 10-04-2009, 10:23 PM

The early 90s grunge movement cleansed our culture of all that. It was definitely over due. The thickest, crunchiest, humbucking guitars were the flavor of the day, and I personally got sick of it (Too many cookie cutter metal bands). More focus on things like tone, melody, and of course bass...were a welcome sight in the 90's. Lot of 80's bands where kinda lost during that time.

Shredding is still around, but it's been old hat for quite some time. I'm sure people will find new ways of incorporating it into today's genres, but it will never be mainstream like it was in the 80's.

Rob Lewis · #11 10-05-2009, 03:42 AM

I have come across quite a few guitarists who could do the noodle-oodle-wheedly-wankery but couldn't actually play the instrument. And weren't much cop in an ensemble environment either. I never understood the macho element of fast/loud guitar. Perhaps I missed the point.

__HM__ · #12 10-05-2009, 03:45 AM

Its still alive, just not on quite the mass scale it was in the 80s.. We still have Vai, and Satch, and Petrucci, all those DiMarzio guys. lol. And Van Halen's still around, although Eddie's probably gonna break his hip any day now.. And Zakk Wylde, I hear SOME people call that shredding.. ha.

QORC · #13 10-05-2009, 05:54 AM

The guitar solo used to be the center-piece of virtually every hit rock song. Until really some time in the 90s. now it seems like it has ceased to exist.

I agree there are cycles. We are in a cycle now where that sort of guitar-talent isn't prized.

Ric5 · #14 10-05-2009, 05:58 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPGA3vjMLgE

Lexicon · #15 10-05-2009, 06:14 AM

Listen to All That Remains if you want to hear some modern metal shredding in both rhythm as well as lead guitar.

Jason P Bass · #16 10-05-2009, 08:15 AM

In some ways, shredding has adapted to the changing times to fine new markets.

Metalocalypse is a very popular 15 minute cartoon show that runs on Adult Swim (Cartoon Network late at night). It follows the behind-the-scenes action of a fictitious shred/death metal band called Dethklok. It's very funny, and if you're in a band, it strikes WAY too close to home at times. Almost every episode features a video for one of their songs.

But in order to make this show, there is a real band Dethklok (of real people) who perform the parts and go on tour and everything. I'll be seeing them on Halloween night.

It's not a "fill the stadiums, sell billions of CDs" kind of band, but they're keeping shredding alive, reaching tons of fans through the TV show, and going out on tour.

Times change.

RestInPieces · #17 10-05-2009, 10:59 AM

I agree with you that shredding isn't "in" anymore and it's definetly not shown on MTV anymore. But it seems to me that all these new metalheads are still practising it way too much. It still seems that the most respect you get when you play 64th notes with 300bpm

(Herman Li for example).

I have already seen so much shredders that it doesn't affect me at all, no matter how fast they play. That is the reason I still rank oldschool guitarpickers pretty high on my list (Jimi Hnedrix, Pete Townshend, SRV), they played good solos without 64th notes.

Rattman · #18 10-05-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somedumbguy

because really loud excessive wankery is annoying

Yep... actually 'over done' in anything during live music is a drag to watch and listen to.. for me anyway. With the excellent P.A. support currently, it's hard to fathom why anyone would want to haul around stacks any longer... But they DO make nice eye candy I guess . . .

cnltb · #19 10-05-2009, 11:14 AM

I hardly ever see "art" when I see shredders.
i see skill, but not often art.

Jehos · #20 10-05-2009, 11:20 AM

Shredding is to Music as Spandex is to Fashion.

Good riddance to both.