SHREDDING IS GREAT, BUT KNOW HOW TO PLAY MELODIES

I’VE BEEN NOTICING a trend among younger guitarists on YouTube and elsewhere. It’s a distinct lack of melody. Speed, blazing technique, sweeps and taps are fine and incredible and worthy of my deepest respect. I’m familiar with the hours of practice and dedication it takes to acquire these techniques. But in the studio world, where people hire you to play the way they want, these styles are rarely used.

I’ve asked