The History of Shred in a Nutshell, Part I: When It All Began (60s and 70s)

Hi again! It’s high time we dug into musical past a bit. Don’t worry, no Bach or Chopin in here (I’ve got no objections against those great guys, but remember we’re on Shred Academy site…)! Anyway, today I bow to those, who are quite new in virtuoso guitar music, trying to describe the most important and influential musicians and albums. Starting from the very beginning…

RITCHIE BLACKMORE – Although there were more than a bunch of amazing players in the late 60s and 70s, it was the Deep Purple axeman who made a breakthrough in rock soloing by implying some techniques formerly associated with classical music. Ritchie liked to replace pentatonic clichés with more “dramatic” lines based on minor scales. He was also the first to make an extended use of triadic arpeggios and fast pedal-tone licks, not to mention his picking technique, which remains impressive after almost four decades (ever heard “Highway Star”?). All of those allow us to call Blackmore the “Godfather of Shred”. Beside that, his riffing was no less excellent than his lead playing… well, ain’t “Smoke On The Water” among the best and most famous riffs ever written? If you don’t know Ritchie’s music well, I’d recommend to you some Deep Purple classics, such as “In Rock”(1970), “Fireball”(1971) and “Perfect Strangers”(1984), but also check out his second band, Rainbow, where he cooperated with some great singers, such as the almighty Ronnie Dio. The group’s second CD, “Rainbow Rising” (1976) is one of the best and most underestimated hard rock albums ever recorded!

FRANK MARINO hasn’t probably achieved the fame proper to his outstanding talent, however, he is mentioned as a major inspiration by many of the business’s biggest names, such as Joe Satriani and Paul Gilbert. Being rooted in blues and funk music, Frank was a perfect, grooving rhythm player and great improviser, but on the other hand, his speed and accuracy exceeded most of his peers. He was equally brilliant playing Jimi Hendrix or Chuck Berry covers and doing his own stuff. Marino was also a tireless effect explorer, making creative use of delays and wah-wah which added spice to his excellent technique. When you want to enter the Marino land, start with “Live” album from 1978 – sounds as fresh and rocking as it did at first release!

EDDIE VAN HALEN. I guess all of you know the “flying Dutchman” of rock, but this article simple couldn’t do without him! After recording “Eruption” (1978) – a minute of ultimate frenzy that turned the guitar world upside down – he could totally withdraw from music and would still have a place in it’s history. Fortunately, he did quite the opposite, making a long, successful career with Van Halen and sharing his talents to other artists, ranging from Michael Jackson to Roger Waters. Treating Eddie as the man, who brought tapping into public eye or simply one of the best wankers of all time is very unjust. He was also a brilliant composer, songwriter, and a soloist with unique style – tapped arpeggios, blazing tremolo picking and cool use of phaser were just a few tricks from his bag. Edward has also discovered new ways of using harmonics and the whammy bar, achieved stunning effects with the volume pedal and played the guitar with an electric drill years before Paul Gilbert; his impact on modern approach to the instrument is just more than impressive. The highlights of his playing can be heard on “Van Halen”, “1984” and “F.U.C.K.” albums. If you haven’t checked them out yet, go on and do it!

Sometimes I wonder, how many of those, who just can’t stand “Wind of Change” going on the radio over and over, have heard marvelous Scorpions albums from the 70s. They sounded fresh and original, they rocked hard, and ULI JON ROTH was the man! Being one of the flashiest players of his generation, and also the pioneer of using the diminished scale in rock soloing, he never forgot to put necessary amount of melody, feeling and emotions into his playing. The highlight of his Scorpions era was the gorgeus LP “Virgin Killer” (1976). After quiting the band, Uli began a solo career, making more ambitious and classical-oriented music and becoming a guru for aspiring shredders of younger generations. When we talk about the roots of neo-classical guitar rock, we simply cannot omit Uli. What is also worth mentioning, are the unusual instruments he’s using. They are called “Sky guitars” and have consideraply extended scale, equipped with 36 or even 42 frets! That’s more than a technical curiosity – that’s what helps the master unleash his ideas and emotions.

You want more? Soon we’ll go to the glorious 80s - flashy soloing heyday. But that’s for the next week – see ya!

Six-string-stars from my country

Time to become a patriot :). Like almost everyone, I began my fascination with guitar after listening to the greatest names in the business (it was Carlos Santana and Brian May where it all began, then some Satch and so on…), however, I quickly realized that I can find equally amazing players much closer, in my home country. Now I’m nothing but pleased to introduce the biggest guys of Polish guitar to you.

Marek Raduli began his musical journey as a drummer, then mastered the art of jazz guitar, made a career as a studio musician and member of some mainstream bands and recently has returned to his origins, playing vigorous jazz and fusion in various ensembles. During his pop-rock days he managed to play a gig in Carnegie Hall and release two solo albums with instrumental material, proving his extraordinary skills. Recently, his most notable project is a powerful fusion trio “πR2” – the “Polish Tribal Tech”, as thery’re certainly influenced by the famous group; however, the band members are enough accomplished musicians to develop their own style and sound. Raduli is the main composer in here, and his cool leads are one of the biggest attractions of πR2 gigs; on the other hand, I cannot skip the trio’s amazing bassist, Wojtek Pilichowski, who provides Mark-King-influenced insane slap solos along with groovy walking lines. The band has released one CD, entitled “Transporter”.

Although Marek is certainly a feel-oriented, melodic player, his chops are no less impressive than his soulful vibrato, bending and whammy work. During long, improvised solos he shows stunning ability to create moving and interesting phrases over complex chord progressions, as well as fantastic legato and arpeggio technique. Recently he’s celebrated 25 years of artistic work, and I think all the Polish players wish him at least twice more. Go on and learn more on http://www.myspace.com/raduli , http://www.raduli.info

Jacek Królik is as incredibly versatile player who was unconsciously heard a thousand times by all Polish people, as he played with almost everyone as a “hired gun”, including pop stars, rock bands, orchestras on TV shows, various jazz ensembles and many more. Well, “gun” is a good term here, as Jacek can probably overtake Kalashnikov machine with his marvelous picking technique. Local guitar fans love him for the passion to throw flashy solos sometimes even in smooth pop songs; anyway, he always fits the piece he’s playing to perfectly, providing diverse range of tones and colors. One of his coolest acts was a folk-rock band “Brathanki” which won considerable popularity. Jacek does a unique job there, creating very original, licks mixing folk melodies with great technical ability - someone named it perfectly as “folk-shred”. However, nothing’s shocking when we talk about the man who’s done studio jobs probably in every possible genre, and sounded always brilliant, regardless of style.

http://www.jacekkrolik.com/ unfortunately, a page available only in Polish, but you can find some great Królik videos on YouTube, e.g on this channel.

He has also collaborated many times with a bit older, but no less amazing player – Ryszard Sygitowicz, who also deserves a few words here, but let his YouTube channel speak for himself - probably I won't describe this great axeman better than he did here.

Marek Napiórkowski is also a regular guest on Polish TV, spicing up shows and festivals with warm, passionate guitar tone, however, he’s mainly a great jazz player. He’s got everything a great improviser should have in his bag of tricks: fast picking and legato lines, odd-time phrasing, crazy chordal stuff, awesome control of dynamics and impressive scale knowledge. Add to this emotive rock drive and decent use of CryBaby and you’ll get a player without weak points. This year (2007) Marek’s second solo album hit the market and was as enthusiastically acclaimed as the previous one. He’s also cooperating with his father-in-law, superb saxophonist Henryk Miśkiewicz (by the way, his daughter and the guitarist’s wife, Dorota, is a brilliant singer) in various jazz bands. Sadly, you can read his website only in Polish, too, however, just type his name in YouTube browser and relish listening to one of the finest jazz/fusion players out there!

The last one I ‘d like to mention here, Jacek Polak, is not as popular as the previous ones and has probably never appeared on the TV or the radio. What a pity!

I accidentally attended a concert he played with his brother on drums as “Mr. Pollack” duo, and what I saw simply made my jaw hit the floor and stay there for some time. A rather short, inconspicuous man, equipped with only one shining Ibanez axe, gave a stunning show-off, playing hi-tech neo-classical stuff and screaming blues licks with enough ease and passion. I’ve heard perfect renditions of Van Halen, Pink Floyd, Gary Moore and Santana classics, as well as thrilling versions of Bach’s "Badinerie" and the famous "Flight Of The Bumblebee". Only a perfect coverman? Never ever! The brothers’ own songs were among the gig’s highlights – nice, melodic, with really impressive soloing.

“Mr. Pollack” has released several albums with their own material and some with cover songs, a notable one is the “Air On 6 Strings” with compositions by Mozart, Bach and many more – probably the best neo-classical shred playing ever done by a Polishman. Some years ago, Jacek has also recorded an instructional DVD, showing his favorite licks and techniques.

And one more thing… can you imagine improvising to Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing” using a pick and Ibanez JEM, and throwing sweeping arpeggios here and there, without losing the Knopfler feel, only making it flashier? Yes, he did it, too. Top man!

http://www.mrpollack.pl/index.html

If have any comments or questions, please send me a message - I'll read it for sure! And if you like that stuff, I'll try to provide you with more information about those and many other guitar wizards from Poland.

Mike Philippov interview – One of the nicest guys in shred shares some secrets

Mike Philippov is a guitarist, instructor and music composer based in Indianapolis, playing in the neo-classical and progressive styles.

He began playing guitar when he was 14 and has had 2 years of formal classical training at the Jacob's School of Music at Indiana University. He also studied virtuoso guitar playing and music composition with world renowned virtuoso Tom Hess.

He has taught instructional guitar clinics as well as private guitar lessons.
Let’s see what keeps this shredder so insanely busy.

What steps have you taken to forge a career in the music industry?
Currently I am writing and recording music for two albums. The first one is my upcoming debut solo CD, "Reflections" and the second one is an album that I am writing together with a great metal player and songwriter, Dave Cardwell (www.cardwellmusic.com). Both albums will be all instrumental and will feature music in the neo-classical and progressive styles. I am also going to be playing on a Compilation CD, “Chronicles-City of Sound” to be released later in 2007. I also co-manage and run an instructional website: www.thenextstepguitar.com as well as teach guitar privately and through clinics. I am also involved in several partnership projects with Tom Hess. (www.tomhess.net)

As far as what I did to get started, one of the most important steps for me was to join Tom Hess' Music Careers Mentoring Program. The things that I've learned in that program redefined the way I approach my career in some huge ways and helped me get off the ground. Anyone interested in a music career must check this program out!

What advice do you have for people looking to get into the music industry?
Many musicians make the mistake of spending all of their time only polishing their musical skills, but completely neglect studying the music business. This is one reason why there are many musicians who are great musically but cannot make enough money with their skills. Of course, it is important to work on the musical skills, but studying music business is equally important for becoming a music pro. Nowadays it has become easier to search for resources and advice on music business. If you can find a successful musician to take lessons on music business from, that will be a very smart thing to do and will save you A LOT of time and frustration! Other than that, be determined, motivated and ready to work really hard for your success. But success will come if you work on it the right way.

What are the pressures in the industry and how do you cope with them?
One of the benefits of being an independent artist is that there are no pressures on me by anyone other than myself. This is good from a creative and artistic standpoint. However, the biggest obstacle for me right now is lack of time to do all that I want to accomplish. This is probably the one thing that all professional musicians have in common! It’s a great place to be though, being a professional musician sure beats any other kind of job!

During your formative years, what sort of practice regime did you have?
During high school I played and practiced 4-7 hours a day on most days. I was always highly organized in my practice, and would write out practice routines for myself every day and change things that were not bringing results. I also had the opportunity to study with some truly amazing teachers that helped me tremendously in getting my playing together. In 2003 I had a consultation on virtuoso guitar technique with Ney Mello, and in 2004 I started studying music composition, improvisation and virtuoso playing and music business with Tom Hess and he has been a tremendous sort of wisdom inspiration (musically and personally) on many levels. In 2005 I began attending Indiana University Jacobs School of Music to study music theory, ear training and music composition. I firmly believe in studying with the best teachers that you can find and practicing constantly. I was also always very motivated and passionate about everything to do with music and guitar. I believe that the above mentioned things (strong desire, great teachers and lots of practice) contributed the most to me developing my skills.

What advice do you have for beginner and intermediate players who are trying to achieve a highly advanced level of playing?
Find the best teacher(s) that you can and practice constantly! Surround yourself with the music that you love to keep your motivation and desire strong. Find out about proper practice methods and apply them every day to develop your technique. If you plan to write your own music and/or learn to improvise, then study music theory and develop your Aural Skills (ear training)! The more you practice the faster you will get to your goals, so make time for practicing something every day!

Who are your most significant musical influences?
I have many influences in various areas of music, so I can break them up in different areas of musicianship:

For composition: George Bellas, Tom Hess, Vitalij Kuprij, L.V. Beethoven, J.S. Bach, Ennio Morricone, Fryderyk Chopin, Dream Theater, Symphony X

For guitar technique: Rusty Cooley, Theodore Ziras, George Bellas, Paul Gilbert, Shawn Lane

For phrasing: Tom Hess, Andy Laroque, Mike Walsh, Vinnie Moore, Marty Friedman, Jason Becker.

There are many more, but this is my top list. All of the above players and musicians are incredible!

What gear do you use and (more importantly) why?
I love Ibanez guitars for their playability, tone and feel. I use an Ibanez RG 42. I like this model a lot because of the neck through body that allows great sustain. Sustain is a huge part of my sound and tone. I use Seymour Duncan Metal Live Wire Pick Ups for the same reason (they are the hottest pick ups around!). I like the tone and feel of D’addario strings (I use string gauge 0.10-0.46). The string action on my guitar is incredibly high, higher than that of any other guitarist I’ve ever met. I do this also for sustain. Also the string tension is pretty tight to fit my playing style and the strong pick attack that I like to use. As for amps, I like the sound of Peavey 6505, the rhythm tone on it is very heavy and tight! For my lead tone, I like the sound of the guitar recorded direct through a pre-amp and I do not use an amplifier or mic the guitar when recording lead.

Talk about the process of recording your album. Are there any tips and trick that you could pass on? How did you choose the other instrumentalists (if you did).
For recording, one of the most important things is to have your music ready to go! The other is to have some idea of the sound/tone you are going for before you start recording. Otherwise, you are going to spend a lot of money in studio costs (if you record at a studio) by changing things around to experiment with different sounds. The other option is to buy your own gear if you can afford it and learn to use it yourself (which can be frustrating at first but has its advantages over recording at someone else’s studio)About other instrumentalists, I worked with an awesome bass player from Milwaukee, Ben Kuzay to play bass on a tune that will be featured on the Chronicles-City of Sound compilation release. Ben is an awesome player technically and has a good sense of counterpoint and melody. Check out his myspace at: www.myspace.com/benkuzay

What parts of your playing reflect your personality and self expression most accurately?
Interesting question… I would say that my phrasing and harmonic ideas are pretty strong in reflecting my personality. However, this is a never ending process, as any self-expressive artist knows… I am always working on bridging the gap between all my musical skills and complete self-expression. The art of self-expression is one of the most important things I have learned from my friend and mentor Tom Hess during my years of lessons with him.

What are you trying to achieve compositionally?
As I alluded to above, self-expression and personal fulfillment are my two biggest musical goals. I am not interested in writing music for the whole world to like. I would rather write the music that fulfills me personally and artistically. I believe that if the music is truly expressive and creative in the artist’s own unique way, then there will always be enough people to like it for that music to get noticed.

If the readers want to get in touch with you, what is your website and e-mail address?
www.mikephilippov.comwww.thenextstepguitar.com My e-mail is: mike@mikephilippov.com
I always respond to e-mails, so don’t hesitate to write to me.