Picking Technique: A future shredder should learn to play with all sides of their pick. They should try the more rounded edges, and also they should try playing by cutting across the strings with a slight angle on their pick. Slicing across a string is a great technique, especially when used to create pinched harmonics – combing the pick and the flesh of the thumb to bring out whining harmonics.
The different radius of curvatures on the pick and the angle of attack can improve speed and accuracy. The future guitar shredder should also study in detail picking techniques such as circular picking, sweep picking, hybrid picking, pinched harmonics, and such. The late great Stevie Ray Vaughn was good at flipping his pick around to produce different effects.
Guitar Shredding Scales and the Anchor Position
The Anchor Position: The future guitar shredder will learn to pick open handed while resting a finger (for instance, the pinky) on the guitar. This is also known as the anchor position. This anchored finger can serve as a pivot point and allow a guitarist to play much faster and with control. It allows a guitarist to pick with shorter movements -- quicker movements, than when picking closed handed. It also helps in the muting of strings to create different dynamics.
The Shredding Scales: The future guitar shredder will learn scales and such that are made for shredding. They will study the E minor pentatonic scales, sequences, and octave groupings – then apply these ideas to additional keys and scales. They will learn more advanced scales and modes that are prime for shredding. They will learn open position scales that are perfect for adding a flurry of hammer-ons and pull-offs to their solos.
The Metronome: The future guitar shredder will use a metronome effectively, and play through their scales (using 16th notes, 4 notes to a beat) at 120bpm. They will practice hitting each note twice in the scale – that is, they will double up on them. They will alternate their picking – that is, picking up and down.
Melodic Playing: The future shredder will play all exercises musically. They will use proper phrasing so anything they play sounds like music, and not just an exercise or scale.
How to use the Whammy Bar
The future guitar shredder will learn how to use the whammy bar. They will practice the basics:
- The Scoop: Pulling up on the whammy bar.
- The Droop: Pushing down on the whammy bar.
- The Vibrato: Scooping and drooping rapidly.
- The Gargle: Tapping rapidly on a fixed whammy bar.
- The Horse Whinny: Play an open string -- Droop, touch a harmonic, scoop, and then vibrato.
For example: They will play the G string (3rd string) -- then droop -- at the end of the droop, they will lightly touch the string between the 2 and 3 frets (about 2.3 position) with their 1st finger of their fret-hand. This will sound the harmonic if done just right -- Then, they will scoop the whammy bar and add some fast vibrato at the end. The future guitar shredder will learn such whammy bar sequences and master them.
How to use Tapping on the Guitar
The future guitar shredder will learn two-handed guitar techniques. They will practice the basics:
They will master tapping an E minor arpeggio (notes, E, G, B) – that is, individual notes of a chord:
They will use their left hand finger (or fretting hand finger) and plant it on the 5th fret of the 2nd string (E note). This planted finger is held down for the entire tapping sequence.
They will then tap the 12th fret (B note) with 1st finger (or 2nd finger) of their right hand and pull-off (in a downward motion usually) to sound the E note at the 5th fret (the note planted above). In fact, they will tap (that is, hammer onto) and pull-off with the same finger (1st finger). This procedure is tabbed (see tablature notation below) as "12p--5" with a “T” for tapping placed above the 12 (see basic Tab below).
Next, they will hammer onto (hammer-on) the 8th fret (G note) with their pinky (or third finger) of their fretting hand – and repeat the process many times. Note: This is tabbed as "h--8" (see below). It is important to be able to read tablature like this.
........T
E----------------------
B-----12p--5h--8------- (Repeat over and over)
G----------------------
D----------------------
A----------------------
E----------------------
There are many avenues a developing guitarist can take to become an amazing shredder. The first steps should be laying a strong foundation in knowledge and technique. They should study scales/modes that are made for shredding. They should study how to use the whammy bar. They should study various tapping methods, among other things. In the end, they will be able to shred like a professional.
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