Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

The controversy Soul VS. Shredding. What is your take?

This can be argued but to me less is more. Don't get me wrong I love a great solo.

Tell me what you all think now and read Ben Cirillo's latest post on the subject and show the new writer some support my friends.

READ THIS http://euphonyproductions.com/playing-w ... -shreading


Dave

Depends entirely on the player. For myself it seems a natural thing to coax a long tortured note from my axe. The whole shredd thing escapes me both technically and emotionally. I enjoy a hot lead to listen to but they just dont come out of my head to my hand, if ya know what I mean.

LOL, Some people will think you suck, no matter what you do.

They are BOTH hard. What's even harder is shredding with soul. When you can do that you've arrived on your instrument.

Shredding.

Speed + Accuracy = Hard.

And I would say the reason it is more difficult is because learning to shred takes discipline. The only way I've seen it work is through hours and hours of repetition with a metronome. And if you're like me, and you get bored easily and lack discipline, then achieving this level of playing is impossible.

"Soul" is different. It's subjective. What sounds soulful to one person sounds like junk to another.

Shredding is technically harder to be good at as it involves countless hours of mindless practicing with a click.

Soulful playing is artistically harder as you have to learn how to phrase and deliver a note to convey a certain feeling.

Both are difficult in their own right.

so my answer is both (cliche)

I thought I was the only one whom got bored easy and lacked disipline.

Man we need to get together and form a club, or a band.

I think the OP's question boils down more to the difference between artistic and technical playing, as if the two are separate entities. Anyone can shred badly just as anyone can soul-solo badly. So .. hmm I think it's harder to "get" a feel than it is to "practice" a run, but I've always had a slight quirk to my style just because of that lack of soul, so to me, that's the harder of the two. I can shred like lightning sometimes, but without the soul, I just sound like I'm running in circles (and I guess to a point, I am)

It doesn't matter what the music is, nothin' can be played well without soul. I will never forget how, close to 80 years ago, I was trying to play a classical piece. All the notes and rhythms were correct but had no soul. My instructor instructed me to play the Aretha Frankiln would play. This indeed was probably the best musci lesson I ever had. I have passed it down to all of my students...even my shredders

LOL My new guitar technique Aretha Franklin meets Gene Simmons.

Im feeling inspired. To bad were not rehearsing tomorrow.

I agree with Black57 that it is harder to play with soul and with who ever said that one can shred with soul as well.

What I personally hate is a player that plays every run as fast as they possibly can with no breath or space. Let it breath a little here and there and play the less is more rule once in a while. That is what I dig.

There will always be an argument between this but I do believe that a player with dexterity that takes the time to practice can learn to shred but if he was not born with soul it cannot be learned and that is just my opinion.

Thanks for joining guys

Dave

From what I've seen, shredding is a technique using the fretting fingers pick-like as well as the pick-fingers, which would seem to take training, discipline, and practice, where as playing soulfully, well, you either got it or you dont (kind of like "class")- intangible. Shredding is more of a mechanical action. I love good shredding, and can listen to it for a while, but only for a while. Continuious shredding I dont think that I could take.
I could listen to Vai for hours, but Buckethead only for a little while. Both shredders, but big soul difference imho.

[quote="EuphonyProductions"]I agree with Black57 that it is harder to play with soul and with who ever said that one can shred with soul as well.

What I personally hate is a player that plays every run as fast as they possibly can with no breath or space. Let it breath a little here and there and play the less is more rule once in a while. That is what I dig.

There will always be an argument between this but I do believe that a player with dexterity that takes the time to practice can learn to shred but if he was not born with soul it cannot be learned and that is just my opinion.

Thanks for joining guys


Dave,
I agree with your opinion, although it is a very accurate point that should be examined. Silence is just as important, if not more important than the notes. That space that the silence gives allows the listener to digest and groove to what was played. It actually forces the shredder to shred with more imagination and fore thought. Lack of silence also shows a lack of consideration to the band members who are lending support.

Kind of like a person who talks incessantely without saying anything, vs. a person of few words who speaks volumes. Sometimes what is not said (or played) speaks louder than what is played.

ZXYZ wrote:Kind of like a person who talks incessantely without saying anything, vs. a person of few words who speaks volumes. Sometimes what is not said (or played) speaks louder than what is played.

Exactly Shread on but have something to say. I used to shread on the flute. In otherwords, I would play constantly when i would improvise...jazz of course.
Actually, my band director encouraged that. But when I began learning to play with style and maturity I learned to listen to the musicians between licks. I also picked up good licks during my silence because I was listening to the other musicians. To show my gratitude, I would repeat what they played and we would bounce off each other.