Technique and Theory

[neoshred]

First off, I'm new to this, so I'm going to be very ecstatic if Michael actually answers himself, heh.

On the technical side of thee guitar, I think I'm already well off. I've been playing 3 and a half years, and I can already play some Yngwie, Jason Becker, and a part of Michael's "No Boundaries" close to the actual speed.

I do a tremolo pick that Yngwie does in Evil Eye at 200 beats per minute, with four notes per beats. (16th notes?) I can definitely get most things in groups of six notes per beat (32nd notes?) at 140 beats per minute, and some almost at 160. But I KNOW that you are much faster than that Mike, and I know that speed isn't everything, but I would like to hear any words of wisdom that you can impart to me, well actually all of us here at the boards.

Also, for being able to play what I can play, I know next to nothing about music theory. I know I should start to learn it, because this is probably holding me back. I've made a few shred songs, and I think they're great and a few others do also that have heard them, and I'm thankful.

I think that sometimes theory can hold people back, because they're so stuck in creating things that are congruent with scales and modes that they don't really open themselves up and express themselves. But this isn't always true, because I'm sure plenty of people could identify what scales and chord structures I base my songs from.

So in a nut shell, how do we all go about becoming more precise and build up our sweeping and picking chops, and how much theory should we know, if any?

Also, is there some way to attach files here? I'd like to post a sound file I recorded of a few leads I've created.

Thanks a bunch for your time, Michael! ;D

[buc7ke7thead]

Music theory in no way can hold you back like that, everything is within theory, even atonality. Eastern harmonies, all harmonies, all tonal possibillities. Music theory is a way to allow people to set up and know how somthing will sound with something else, or how to get a certain sound without having to expirement for thousands of years, becouse its allready been discovered and put into music theory. Music theory is basicly a guidline created by compilations of the expirences of thousands of musicians put into a unified whole, to help future musicians progress further. At least thats my impression.

[taylor]

please feel free to email me, I will be more than happy to try to assist you in any way that I can.

[e-mail]

www.taylorsnyderband.com (check out my site, I am getting a fair number of lessons on it now)

[neoshred]

Thanks for your imput, buckethead. And taylor, I'd appreciate any help you can give me. I'll check out your web site when I can.

Theory is the only thing blocking my way to an easier view of what I want to create and how to create it.

[buc7ke7thead]

There was a book on it my teacher recommended me a while back, but I can't remember the name...it had contemporary guitar in the title...i'll post the name when I find it

[neoshred]

Thanks, that sounds good. I was going to look into instructional books before. Actually, I have Troy Stetina's Speed Mechanics, but I haven't worked out of it in a while.

There's also a book on Neoclassical style in speed metal, which is also one I really want to look into.