level up your shred skill?

[The Unavoidable]

I played classical guitar for a long time and those techniques applied VERY well to electric playing. I don't see why jazz would be any different.

Well, I'm talking mostly about right hand stuff. The way alot of Jazz guitarists pick is great for what they do, but often quite useless for metal.

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Well, I'm talking mostly about right hand stuff. The way alot of Jazz guitarists pick is great for what they do, but often quite useless for metal.

I don't know dude, I feel like if you gave one of those old jazz cats a 5150 and an ESP, and told them to "GO." they would set something on fire.

 

[Jaymz]

There's something you're missing then, it's got EVERYTHING and doesn't require you to know anything except the frets you are playing.

If you only have the chords you are playing and want to know what scale(s) you can play over it, follow these steps. If you know the names of the chords, skip to step 3.

1. start with the Chord Namer
2. pick the frets you are using for each chord, it will tell you the name
3. once you have all the names, go to Harmonizer
4. select Chord-to-Scale Harmonizer
5. enter the chord names (in order to make it easier for you) into the box
6. check out the scales it tells you

Thankyou!

 

[006]

Thankyou!

Hey np man, the rest should be self explanatory after that, I'll admit I didn't get the site right at first either

 

[Metaltastic]

Well, I'm talking mostly about right hand stuff. The way alot of Jazz guitarists pick is great for what they do, but often quite useless for metal.

Meaning, incredibly wimpy? Yeah, I hear ya, though some dig in! (but a lot are just incredibly flaccid). Though since I really don't listen to jazz, the closest dude I can think of who comes to mind is Al DiMeola

 

[The Unavoidable]

Yeah, pretty much. I actually had a huge post all written out going into detail my experiences with jazz guitarists and my old teacher (who was a jazz nut) but then I remembered, who gives a shit?


I also mentioned Meola, but he's got the opposite problem. He picks/frets so hard since he mostly shredds acoustic, so when he rips it up on the electric all you can hear are the strings being mutilated by his monster picking hand.

 

[Metaltastic]

Good point, come to think of it, he is a beast!

 

[Line666]

I think hard picking is a bit counter productive when you're shredding, sure you want definition, but if you want speed then you really need to minimise movement and contact.

 

[GarethSE]

To be fair, most Jazz-guitar techniques don't really apply that well to metal but I get your point.

buuulllshiiiiiiiit

 

[Metaltastic]

I think hard picking is a bit counter productive when you're shredding, sure you want definition, but if you want speed then you really need to minimise movement and contact.

It's all relative though, and many jazz players pick REALLY lightly (hence why guitar setup tutorials say that jazz players use less relief on their necks because they pick so lightly, and thus don't make the strings flop around as much, so less buzz)

 

[The Unavoidable]

Fo sho, and I'm a sucker for hard picking as well. Unless your distorted amp tone just barely cover the sound of your pick hitting the strings, you're a wuss.

 

[harmonic_minor_shred]

Use a Dunlop Jazz III pick.

 

[The Unavoidable]

Yeah, shredding is alot about that "rubbing your thumb really fast across the strings" sound.



That was a joke. It is ment to imply that Jazz III picks are so small that you might as well be rubbing your bare flesh against the strings.


That is all.

 

[Metaltastic]

Nah dude, I gotta second Jazz III's - it took me awhile to get used to them too (every other downstroke was a pinch harmonic), but my speed and fluidity has improved SO much now that I'm used to them, because it's far more efficient to pick with less of the surface of the pick (though that doesn't mean you have to pick any softer, just more accurately). Of course, for live playing I'm nowhere near as accurate, so I prefer a SLIGHTLY larger pick to really saw away at the strings, but still, the largest I'd go is this puppy (can't decide whether the Black Jazz Tortex is big enough, cuz it's slightly bigger than the Jazz III, or if I'd prefer that Cool Pick I linked to - for recording though I definitely like standard black Jazz III's the most, as they sound the best, mainly from the beveled edges reducing annoying scratchy sounds)

 

[KKuff]

Hey Metaltastic, I remember reading that thread that you posted about different pick options. So you ended up liking the Jazz IIIs? I've been using them for a while, but after reading that thread, I've been trying out some larger picks, and I've found that I definitely can play faster and more efficient with the Jazz IIIs, but using some of the larger picks I get a stronger attack, especially for low chuggy stuff. I'm not sure which of the larger picks I prefer yet, but I have been using different picks for tracking different parts after reading that thread. Have you noticed much of a difference in the sound of the attack of the Jazz IIIs?

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, I'd say so, but for the better! I just really like the sound of the material of the Jazz III's, as well as the beveled edges - going back to flat-edged picks, everything just sounds so scratchy unless I contort my wrist to pick totally flat, which isn't really natural anyway so it's not something worth doing IMO! But yeah, the size (and slipperiness, FUCK ) of the Jazz III's would be a problem if I weren't sitting down and totally comfy, and honestly, I still wouldn't mind them slightly bigger (and I mean slightly, like the size of the Tortex Jazz Pitch black, here's a comparison pic)

 

[The Unavoidable]

Nothin' beats these babys for peeling away the finish between your strings.

 

[Metaltastic]

Eek - at this point, to me that feels about like using this:

 

[Lasse Lammert]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.
you don't know about good tone and control before you tried the pickboy ST-4 Stone...so shut up everyone!!

 

[Metaltastic]

And I've asked you for a website with info before, and you never responded