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Anyone Shred?

Do you consider shredding on a bass guitar a valid musical style

  • yes

    Votes: 30 54.5%

  • no

    Votes: 25 45.5%
  • Total voters
    55
  • Poll closed .
#61
Eric618 said:
Why is this not closed yet? :rollno:
Click to expand...
No kidding...
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#62
Shred all you want, but how is your "meat and potatoes" playing? Can you support a band? Can you make song better with your playing? Do you write? Can you make an audience bob their heads, tap their feet or dance? These are the things that will get you hired for gigs. Band leaders and Joe Schmo out in the audience really don't care if you're ripping 16th notes with gobs of distortion.

I'd also be careful: Distortion may be covering up some deficiencies in your playing. Are you playing cleanly? In time?
 
#64
My two cents (Not like anyone really cares, just felt like I'd interject):
I'm perfectly fine with someone playing that style of music. What I'm not fine with is playing loudly and disturbing other customers in a music store, playing bass through and potentially damaging a guitar amp (The store's, not his mind you), the idea that technical skill will make up for songwriting inabilities, and the attitude that he is better than everyone else.
 
#70
This one time, I was doing my pre-warmup mental stretching exercises, & when I imagined flexing my Ferrigno-like muscles, I shredded my shirt, which then burst into flames. All my imaginary friends & groupies cheered, but the imaginary crowd of envious GC super-wankers all shot me dirty looks.

Edit: I then broke the wrist and walked away. Broke the wrist and walked away.
 
#74
Some folks can shred the board right off the neck. Some can slap like there's no tomorrow. This is all well and good. However, the focal point of our instrument is keeping the groove for the music and being the backbone of a song, band, whatever. So many people are worried about soloing these days and basically being a bunch of show offs. Shredding does not make you a bass player. Just means you're fast!
 
#77
Eric618 said:
What's the difference between us bassists shredding like we're on a guitar, and Fieldy playing his bass more like a percussive instrument??? :eyebrow:

Neither style (IMO) belongs on bass.
Click to expand...

My favorite song I've ever written uses a neat bit of "shredding" for lack of a better word. For less than 2 seconds, I play 64th notes. This particular song is extremely delicate and melodic and I'm sure if you heard it you might change your mind...

I wish I had recording equipment.

Anyways, shredding TASTEFULLY is entirely acceptable. However, I think when a lot of people hear shredding their just think of mindless notes blazing outreally fast without a thought behind giving meaning to each and every note. That's not a fault of shredding, merely those who decide to incorporate it into their music. There are plenty of us who enjoy its tasteful insertion into otherwise milder music.
 
#78
Grayson C. said:
My favorite song I've ever written uses a neat bit of "shredding" for lack of a better word. For less than 2 seconds, I play 64th notes. This particular song is extremely delicate and melodic and I'm sure if you heard it you might change your mind...

I wish I had recording equipment.

Anyways, shredding TASTEFULLY is entirely acceptable. However, I think when a lot of people hear shredding their just think of mindless notes blazing outreally fast without a thought behind giving meaning to each and every note. That's not a fault of shredding, merely those who decide to incorporate it into their music. There are plenty of us who enjoy its tasteful insertion into otherwise milder music.
Click to expand...
I'm talking as an approach to our musical style, not utilized in small, tasteful bits. Hell, Fieldy's percussive approach can add a layer to someone's playing when used tastefully and not relied upon. When it's all the player utilizes, we wonder why they picked up bass in the first place. That's all I'm saying.
 
#79
Cliff Burton? Oh hell yeah. Rock on.

I loved his style of solos. I say if you're gonna shred, do it through bass amps still, but there's nothing wrong with shredding out a solo on the bass as long as it's tastefully done. Just listen to Cliff's "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" by Metallica, a song that's just one big bass solo. It's heavy on distortion, and just pure awesome.
 
#80
bassteban said:
Excellent. It has been entirely too slow around here lately.
Click to expand...
LOL! +1

To the OP's credit, the poll was worded properly to get a fair response, IMO.
The rest of the post is where the OP'er committed thread post suicide.
OP, don't take offense when people call you out on it. In your own post, you made yourself sound like an d*bag...and it looks like you were TRYING to do that anyway.
...so I'm raising the Troll Card on this one!
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I don't shred. Not because I don't think it's valid (because I do), I simply don't play well enough to shred worth a flip.
 

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