mike's fastest solo

[99tollap]

Well we know Mike would like to improve his speed because I remember him asking Fred to give him speed tips.

But honestly, Mike is one of my favourite players simply because he doesn't shred.

This means I can actually play Opeth songs, unlike most of my other favourite bands!!!

And anyone who doubts Mike's playing clearly needs to listen to Burden...

 

[Mikael Akerfeldt]

I didn't want to improve my speed in terms of the left hand, I wanted to better my picking technique since I pick in a more unorthodox way than most players.

Yes, I can like fast runs but it has to be super tastefully done. Many so called shredders play fast all the time which take away the dynamics and overall feels of the part and of the player him or herself. When Fred worked on his solos I was really hard on him, slow it down, cut that part out etc. Thing with him is that he gave me a completely different solo with each take. Awesome and frustrating at the same time.

See, he is the lead guitarplayer in Opeth, a position I always wanted Peter to take. I do take the occasional lead but then I concentrate on what I think I do the best which is the more laid back melodic stuff.

Mike

 

[The Wooden Doors]

The solo on Forest of October is super fast at the start, and really tastefully done. Love that song.

 

[Nasty-Fire]

Don't go any faster Akerfeldt, it's just fine this way. Who cares, as long as what you're doing keeps being great as it currently is.

So ummm.. you recently had a lot of time to spare or what?! So many discussions!

 

[Antyman]

I love it when it's both fast and emotional, like in "farewell Ballad" by Zakk Wylde, or why not Cemetary Gates by Dime. these two along with some other Dime solo's are probably my favourites.

I agree with Mikael on the whole emotion > speed part.
so why am I posting this? - I honestly have no idea, hope it lasts longer than my previous post.

 

[mexicola]

I didn't want to improve my speed in terms of the left hand, I wanted to better my picking technique since I pick in a more unorthodox way than most players.

Yes, I can like fast runs but it has to be super tastefully done. Many so called shredders play fast all the time which take away the dynamics and overall feels of the part and of the player him or herself. When Fred worked on his solos I was really hard on him, slow it down, cut that part out etc. Thing with him is that he gave me a completely different solo with each take. Awesome and frustrating at the same time.

See, he is the lead guitarplayer in Opeth, a position I always wanted Peter to take. I do take the occasional lead but then I concentrate on what I think I do the best which is the more laid back melodic stuff.

Mike

I love your Camel/Floydian style Mikael. Don't worry about shredding.

 

[wandering_taco]

Yea Mike you are teh pwn... I love a good fast solo but it would sound rather ridiculous if you were to throw in an Azagthothian super squealy shredfest lol. We love you just the way you are. Oh and while you're here I'm assuming you are keeping track of this thread, what do you think of Jethro Tull? They seem like something you would like, I fucking love them.

 

[RB2610]

See, he is the lead guitarplayer in Opeth, a position I always wanted Peter to take. I do take the occasional lead but then I concentrate on what I do the best which is the more laid back melodic stuff.

Fixed

 

[Caesar Metallius]

a 14 second power wank in the tour bus toilet

HAhaha! I almost spit tea on a co-worker because of this.

 

[Caesar Metallius]

i dont get it.

how can mike be such a good songwriter but at the same time..

suck at guitar?
just too lazy to practice? but not lazy enough to suck at writing songs? it seems contradictory

What the fuck? Mikael does not suck at guitar. Fast does not equal good. Fast equals fast, that's all.

Mikael finds the clit of the guitar and caresses it into sweet harmony instead of just finger fucking it and making it scream in agony.

Wow, that's actually a pretty good metaphor, imo.


Edit: Damn it. I should start reading all the posts in a thread before posting because I basically just re-stated what Mike said. But hey, at least I know we're on the same wave-length. +1 for me today!

 

[Xarthaz]

What the fuck? Mikael does not suck at guitar. Fast does not equal good. Fast equals fast, that's all.

Mikael finds the clit of the guitar and caresses it into sweet harmony instead of just finger fucking it and making it scream in agony.

Wow, that's actually a pretty good metaphor, imo.


Edit: Damn it. I should start reading all the posts in a thread before posting because I basically just re-stated what Mike said. But hey, at least I know we're on the same wave-length. +1 for me today!

the main reason it sounds good is because its well composed(and yes the style and speed of bending and vibrato is also written in the composition). Technical Style only does so much, a comparable amount to the amp + guitar or less.

the amount that varies between performances determines the style. if every time the song sounds exactly the same, there is no style. so by definition, we cant get any info on mikael's technical style by how he plays on the album, only by comparing to further performances live.

feel free to disagree with this, but a more logically coherent reasoning than "clit coressing"is necessary for it to be plausible.

 

[mexicola]

the main reason it sounds good is because its well composed(and yes the style and speed of bending and vibrato is also written in the composition). Technical Style only does so much, a comparable amount to the amp + guitar or less.

the amount that varies between performances determines the style. if every time the song sounds exactly the same, there is no style. so by definition, we cant get any info on mikael's technical style by how he plays on the album, only by comparing to further performances live.

feel free to disagree with this, but a more logically coherent reasoning than "clit coressing"is necessary for it to be plausible.

What are you going on about? You just can't admit Mikael is a great guitar player for some reason. It's not about math or formulas. It's about being able to express yourself through music.

Mikael is a more laid back person so his style is not typical metal shredder show off.

It's in the details my man.

 

[Antyman]

what does it matter if he's the best or the worst? we all like his music, and should now take part in one mass-Opeth-orgy.

 

[lottovoitto]

I somewhat understand Xarthazes claims about our "proofs" about Mike's guitarplayingability. I mean if you were a Korn fan you could tell "Munky" is a great guitarplayer cause "he makes great music".

Nevertheless, an opinion of one's guitarplayingability, when you only consider the lack of fast solos, is just retarted. It's like telling that Jack Nicholson is a bad actor cause he doesn't/can't do any gayroles.

 

[mexicola]

I somewhat understand Xarthazes claims about our "proofs" about Mike's guitarplayingability. I mean if you were a Korn fan you could tell "Munky" is a great guitarplayer cause "he makes great music".

Nevertheless, an opinion of one's guitarplayingability, when you only consider the lack of fast solos, is just retarted. It's like telling that Jack Nicholson is a bad actor cause he doesn't/can't do any gayroles.

It's just a matter of opinions of course. There is no "proof". That's just retarded.

 

[jaredowty]

People seem to forget that a lot of Opeth's rhythm work (especially stuff off Still Life) is pretty technical and is by no means easy to play. There's a lot of weird chords and complex fingerings - also the finger-picked acoustic parts require some major chops.

Call me a fanboy but Mike is my favorite guitar player - not only because he writes my favorite songs, but his phrasing, feel, and tone are all godlike. He's also very clean and consistent. The quantity and speed of the notes are irrelevant - it's all about the feel and quality.

 

[Reelo]

People seem to forget that a lot of Opeth's rhythm work (especially stuff off Still Life) is pretty technical and is by no means easy to play. There's a lot of weird chords and complex fingerings - also the finger-picked acoustic parts require some major chops.

Call me a fanboy but Mike is my favorite guitar player - not only because he writes my favorite songs, but his phrasing, feel, and tone are all godlike. He's also very clean and consistent. The quantity and speed of the notes are irrelevant - it's all about the feel and quality.

Couldn't have put it better. In Mike's case, rhythmic patterns, chords and chord changes can be more difficult than running some scales up and down the fretboard...

 

[sotua]

whereas other guys who dedicate their life to music seem to be atleast half decent shredders

1 picture = 1k words:

 

[MoonlightOrchid]

Oh my god @ vid


And, wtf is all the flaming about?:Smug:

 

[great_kthulu]

fast guitarist does not mean good guitarist. The best guitarists are the ones that can infuse emotion into there playing, which mike does very well. He is one of my favorite players.