How I Learned To SHRED (5 Things That Changed Everything)

[@Crwbsko]

I had same experience, when I started learning playing I didn't want to continue, it was very difficult to me. My mother told me that there's nothing impossible, it's only about your will and desire. Since that day I started making progress.

[@angusorvid8840]

I learned to shred because I had to. I started playing at the age of eleven and I had all the standard classic rock influences. Clapton, Page, Beck, etc. I first focused on style and where to find all those tones and licks on the fretboard. But I lived in Los Angeles, ground zero for the world of shred in 1986, and we had bands like Racer X on the scene and there was enormous pressure to be able to shred. So, I locked myself in my room for about a year, studying my lessons but also watching a lot of those REH VHS lesson tapes from Vinnie Moore, Al Di Meola, Yngwie, etc. I developed enormous speed, but my style suffered for it. This tension between speed and style took a couple more years to shake itself out, but by the time I was fourteen or fifteen I found the balance with the help of a teacher to basically said to me, "You can play a thousand notes a second, but can you hold one note for a thousand seconds?" I began to focus on getting the most out of every note, and I kept on learning. The ability to shred, while not everything, is a necessary tool. While you may not need it for every gig, when you need it, you have to deliver the goods.

[@MaximusAdonicus]

So, as a graduated guitargod, which band(s) did u end up playing in?

[@angusorvid8840]

@@MaximusAdonicus Some pretty crappy ones, for the most part. But a few good ones. They went nowhere, but I had a good time getting there. The speed, the technical ability, helped me get into bands. I think I would have done better in music if I had a more scholarly approach, knew more theory and could read better. I always had a good ear. I could learn things easily. But to land the kind of gigs the session cats were getting you had to know more than I did. Also, I wasn't very mature. That didn't help.

[@ChienJaune01]

In my practice I found that pushing the high speed helped finding out what was breaking up first, focusing on the sensory feeling of it, and then slow, delibate, focused practice helped remove the hurdle.

[@rmcaudio7041]

Thanks Elmo. Great advice! One remark, I fully agree that you should be pushing boundaries. But, it makes sense to start slowly and speed-up gradually. Especially when the techniques involved are complicated, like some of the flamenco techniques. It is mandatory to master the techniques before speeding-up. Also to avoid injuries. (yes, that is possible, especially when studying flamenco guitar) Another reason is to master economy of movement first, before speeding-up. Economy of movement is key to play fast. Anyway, just my two sense. Keep up the great work, you are a gifted player and teacher!

[@sole__doubt]

The variations on the spider is really the best thing to create dependable hand synchronization. Just doing it for a few minutes a day will help every player except for the most advanced players.

[@daniel030570]

Thank you for this fantastic videos, always wanted to learn to play like that

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@MashaT22]

This is extreme helpful! Thanks for sharing your experience! 😊

[@WorldsOkayestSorcerer]

The thing that has helped me the most has been practicing the spider walk, a cross exercise, and the first two positions of the pentatonic scale. My problem has mainly been dexterity, muscle memory, and relaxation.

[@angusorvid8840]

On the issue of accuracy, while Di Meola is more accurate than McLaughlin, I'd much rather listen to the latter. He just has so much fire and his style is more interesting. BTW, Petrucci's Rock Discipline is an excellent instructional video. I also think his stretching exercises are extremely helpful if you want to play at your best and avoid injury.

[@ericsalinas1839]

The stretches he shows in Rock Discipline?

[@sansubr]

Rock discipline taught me how easy it is to get tendonitis without warmup and stretching.

[@jmar482]

Ah, the old Steve Vai 10 hour work out. I remember that from when it first appeared in Guitar world. I actually think I still have the paper version of it somewhere with a bunch of sheet music I have. Was a great tool that spawned legions and legions of aspiring guitarist.

[@mikemiller6628]

Vai Later came out with the 30 hour workout which had the same exercises with many more added , its now in book form that you can buy.Includes both courses.

[@georgeallison6228]

I like the Vox amp in background. AC15 or 30? You got me on the fishing. That's the big secret to shredding. Yeah. Fishing. Works for me Elmo

[@progrob27]

I share a lot of those experiences with you, rings true to me, legit good advice. Thanks for sharing.

[@yngwerhappen]

I played the last 3 days the spider in some variations. If I compare it to you, I play to soft and can mute more. I’m am very fast on my basses ;-) I did find a lot of stuff that I can learn. At the Moment slower riffs for the start. With 14 I played scales all over the fretboard on bass. There was a point it goes very fast. Not faster than the speed of light, but almost :-) I am excited of my first lesson with you. And trilogy suite on bass with you ;-)

[@andyb7855]

11:38 SICK RIFF

[@stephenhedger5178]

A refreshing and helpful take on different ways of improving speed and fluency. I've been playing for fifty years and have always been fixated on accuracy over speed, time now I think to your methods a go! Thanks Elmo.

[@ZitherBeast]

Fantastic video Elmo.

[@robertspreitzer8126]

Yeah I’ve been working on my alternate picking and doing it fast using pentatonic scales and the spider walk. Sounds kinda sloppy though. There’s something about vintage RGs that just want to make you want to play fast.

[@hereonmars]

loved the video, subbed to both this and your other channel. I think we're the same age approximately. 91 was my first guitar.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cool, thanks!

[@tresbb03]

I like the guitar in this video, Elmo. What is it?

[@wizrom3046]

So in need to train a Spider to walk all over my guitar, and get Malmsteen to do the shredding for me. Got it! 👍

[@nosellama189]

Love your videos Elmo! Do you have any link to a video where you teach how to grab the pick?

[@lospopularos]

10:50 - I beg to differ. Walking is not the same as running. Walking engages different muscles in diferent cadences. In sports, for example, it’s a separate discipline. It would be, maybe, equivalent to playing staccato. What they mean by playing slow is playing in such a way as to be able to cement the pattern in muscle memory and then gradually speed up the metronome, which *is* that pushing of the boundary you mentioned. Does that make sense? Thanks for the video. Very valuable and thorough!

[@whiteroom2773]

Thanks Elmo, great video. Succinct 👍🏻🙂

[@GuitarIv69]

Great video! Number 5 is something I noticed lately, especially the whole 104 bpm too fast? Suddenly a 100 feels easier. I'll apply this, thanks for the video and keep it up! :)

[@yngwerhappen]

Very interesting. With 13 I played to Trilogy Suite on bass, a little bit later to When Dream and Day Reunite. making shoulder stunts with my bass at school (and my Squire fly away :-D ).The Malmsteen Odyssee outfit with cowboy boots and vests (self made at a school project :-D ) make in art class shredding BASS videos. And other musicians called me Yngwie. I did listen to what I want and played what I want. I failed with my Axon Guitar to Midi Converter .. try to play Black Star... And did at last a very strange Bass Solo that sounds more linke guitar and have some weird clips with guitar to midi that sounds not really like a bass guitar 😀 I had a band 25 years ago where I could play very free. 2 records in 1993 and 1995 with Sleep Dirt. Good old times 🙂

[@lospopularos]

Thanks for the thoughtful video. BTW are your frets scalloped?

[@jibankrishnamuhuri8434]

Can you review sterling cutlass ct50 plus guitar?

[@tomix1970pl1]

Speed is in fingers since the start.What we luck is precision in my opinion.To be able to play fast you need to '' pack it in to brain slowly ''.And when it is there speed will come faster without thinking about speed.But you can be faster and faster only if you let your brain to get it.That happens '' slowly ''.Do you agree Elmo Skijumper?

[@darrinwarner4046]

You have to play it slow to get the fingering down and how to pick it. Aftwr that go fast

[@RickMichaelis63]

Thanks for the video Elmo 🎉🙏✌️❤️🎵🎼🎶😎👍

[@mauti8550]

Good speech, man.😊

[@AVM-Music]

Not too much for shredding nor am I that hot with it, but some of the music I’m creating demands it, so gotta teach myself

[@angusorvid8840]

There's one more thing I want to mention. Tone is extremely important. You need the right tone for your style. So once you have the chops think of how you want to present it in the mix. You want clarity, so avoid too much heavy distortion. Players like George Lynch and EVH and Eric Johnson and Greg Howe and Frank Marino have the right approach. Yngwie has always preferred a strat because of the clarity. He wanted the most violine-like tone and he achieved that with a strat. And never neglect rhythm and good chords. You solo over chord progressions, and you need a good foundation for your solos. But solos need to serve the song, whether or not they are instrumental or vocal in nature.

[@donvape336]

Thank you

[@cylonhibrid]

Music alone is a vast subject, throw a guitar in there especially a electric, A subject only a few can master, such as the late Les Paul. The advice here is good Learn what is in your heart, what you want to play, from there you will expand, for example you may need sight reading, in other words you will go in your own direction and be a individual. Good Advice here.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thank you 😊

[@scottharrison9083]

Great stuff

[@truthofthematteris1056]

Awesome 😬👍🏻👍🏻 what’s the brand of your guitar??

[@colhad9505]

i think its a custom model...with sustainer and scalloped fretboard...Plz tell us what is this interesting guitar ??

[@John_Doe657]

Well i guess my journey was quite different from yours. I don’t aspire to be a shredder anymore as iv’e grown more into blues and classic rock with age, i’m in my 30’s. Iv’e only ever took 1 guitar lesson and then had enough, iv’e learned all i know by myself. I learned to sweep pick, tap, do fast runs with alternate picking, legato etc. Basically i learned a new technique when i had like a solo idea that required me to learn that specific technique, sometimes i learned right away and other times i had some difficulties and went back to learn it later. I’m not great at any of these techniques but i can do it if i have to. It’s quite liberating to be able to use my shredding skills if needed but most of the time i don’t use them. I try to play what fits the song rather than trying to prove something. If it’s call for it’s alot of fun.

[@toberkel83]

I have a LeadStar too.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cool :)

[@Hurricaneband-u6u]

What kind of guitar is that

[@MrPolevaulter]

Custom built.

[@Michael-cy8xt]

What guitar is that 😮

[@streetlegal008]

Substitute teachers are always hippies😎.

[@hipihei]

..i think we'd need more of the hippies around these days..😅

[@JLAPLAYS]

@@hipihei,Amen

[@tymanngruter1808]

Elmo, you know a lot, but can you play the yazoo? 🤔🤪

[@acousticguitars123]

Also recording is priceless

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

I just turn up the gain 😂 and add a fuzz 😎🤣

[@sixstrings4568]

I can shred cheese. 🧀

[@MrPolevaulter]

:D

[@Eric-dd8bk]

Yap. You don't become the world's fastest runner from gradually speeding up in your training. Once you have the basics down, it's pushing and pushing and pushing the limit.

[@XR3CESSX]

1.75 your welcome

[@samizdat113]

Play it fast until you can play it fast and perfect... or at least really well.

[@spicealbert4904]

This will sound rude: you've explained how, but why? Beyond people's initial "Wow!" at seeing someone playing very fast, is there anything to gain? These sorts of flurries of notes are rarely very musical and with the usual accompanying distortion, they lack dynamics. There's not much worth listening to. It might be nice to know you can do it for a few seconds if you need to - but it's a lot of work for little reward.

[@nitromeda]

I absolutely agree with you on one hand, but I still would be open to the possibility that very fast and unmusical could work very well for another person. Kind of like music styles I like and others I just dislike.

[@spicealbert4904]

Oh yes, whatever people want to do or listen to musically is fine, obviously. It just seems a shame to devote so much time to this to get results that are usually more gimmicky than musical.

[@brankopalibrk2845]

wow you are so smart and wise...but music it s not athletics..

[@djizzah]

Why learn to shred, not worth the effort, 99.9999% of the world's guitarists don't get anywhere ,😆

[@ChrisKadaver]

Hah yeah! Nice to hear someone speak the truth about speed. I thought I was "cheating" when I learned to play fast, because I felt so sloppy, because I was. 😅 How did I learn to play more accurate at that speed? By lowering the speed? No! By increasing the speed, playing it even sloppier. Then when I slowed it down to the prior speed I was at, I all of a sudden played it more accurately. Also, "sleeping on it" the next day you sometimes find yourself pulling it off completely accurate all of a sudden when it the day before felt unmanageble. Without this approach I wouldn't have been able to play fast solos like pantera or freak kitchen stuff. But it really works. And I still feel like a cheater to this day. But maybe this is the way all guitarists learn to play stuff fast? Allow yourself playing sloppy and think about fixing the sloppyness later on once you pull it off at full speed. I even remember what took my playing to the next level. I think I was 16 when I decided to try to master this solo which at the time for me was inhumanly fast. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJXEp55np8h7fsksi=FJqPPLxtfpzaeTdc Prior to this I was playing like grunge stuff. Smashing pumpkins except I think I had learned steve vais "the crying machine". But the freak kitchen solo was atleast to my ears at the time, a different beast. But it was funny in a way, because the set tempo through out the whole solo makes it into a guitar excersice almost.

[@221b-l3t]

For 14 years I was stuck at "fast blues" speed until I heard exactly that from Michael Angelo Batio and Ben Eller. You learn to play fast by playing fast. I never wanted to play sloppy but I ended up playing clean and slow. The sloppiness goes away, man 3 months of this and I'm twice as fast as duribg the last 15 years. Still a little sloppy but getting better. I really wish I knew that years ago. Didn't play 5 years, now 3 months of going at it again and already way better than I ever was. MAB and Ben Eller. Thanks guys!

[@truthofthematteris1056]

Awesome 😬👍🏻👍🏻 what’s the brand of your guitar??

[@filipaerts8997]

It’s a Suhr