All about Guitar Shredding: Learn how to shred, build speed and the various techniques that pro guitarists use..
What is Guitar Shredding?
So what do you exactly mean when somebody says he/she would like to learn to shred on the guitar?
Well, just take a look at Zakk Wylde or Kirk Hammet or Steve Vai. These guys literally take their guitars, hold them up, and let them scream (play as fast as they can), and that’s what most shredders do.
Basically, Shred guitar or shredding is a lead playing style for the electric guitar, based on various fast soloing techniques.
Critics have stated that shred guitar is associated with “sweep-picked arpeggios, diminished and harmonic minor scales, finger-tapping and whammy-bar abuse, while other guitar writers say that rather than being a musical definition, it is a fairly subjective cultural term used by guitarists and enthusiasts of guitar music.
Want to see how fast some guitar players can shred on the guitar? checkout this video.
Techniques Used in Guitar Shredding
There are several techniques used in shredding, the main ones include:
- Legato
- Tapping
- Alternate picking
- Sweep picking
- Economy picking
- String skipping
You also need to learn to hold your pick correctly to be able to play really fast. Most pros hold the pick in between the thumb, curl their index finger up, with a bit of the pick sticking out. It will feel uncomfortable at first, but when you get it down, no other way will feel better.
Here’s a video that teaches you more on how to shred on guitar for beginners
Using the Right Guitar
Does it matter what guitar you use? Can a particular guitar make it easy or hard to shred? To some extent the guitar is important, although its mostly about skills.
The best shredding guitars usually have:
- Thin necks
- Are unpainted
- The action is low
- The pickups hear every little noise.
Some popular guitars for shredding are Ibanez and Schecter.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
Leave a Reply