aki

So far I've mostly avoided typical 80s shredder types and their spawn. Although you could say Zakk Wylde is spawn-of-Randy-Rhoads, he's also fully grounded in the blues scale and will reach for the lightning fast pentatonic solo instead of going off on major scale modes, sweep picking, or eight finger tapping.

This is both by design and a matter of taste. I have been known to be amazed by the technical prowess of a lot of these shredders but find they too often ignore tone, melody, singability, emotional response, and originality in their quest of stuffing as many notes in the least amount of time possible.

I nearly chose Joe Satriani's Always With Me, Always With You, especially since he may use my current company's products (we think we found him on our forums). When I listen to it I feel a bit guilty since it's almost like it's a guitar shredder's version of Kenny G, but I like it. Especially the switch to minor around 1:15. And the slow melodic finger tapping at 2:06.

I also didn't choose the master of guitar facial expressions' Bad Horsie (finally, Vai rocks out. And he's silver. And I love heavy riffs with slide) or I Know You're Here which I mainly like for the much-too-brief-fretless-guitar-single-string-soloing at 2:19 but is otherwise a prime example of ruining a pretty song with too much "look at what I can do".

Plus, the previous 3 solos of the day were new to me as of this week. I surprisingly had never heard Marooned or Farewell Ballad and that looks like a new KJ Sawka video. But I'm today breaking all the rules. A shredder who's in utter and complete look-at-me mode, in a video I found months ago. Why?

Have you tried using chopsticks with your off hand? Or writing? Or anything generally requiring more finger dexterity than you can manage?

Michael Angelo Batio not only plays reverse-righty but also fully left handed and with both hands at the same time on opposite necks. And I just can't stop watching. So there you have it. Solo of the day.

ok, so i cheated by linking three other solos. but hey, i'm aiming at ending this series tomorrow.

The first one goes to the guitar god David Gilmour. For having such a tasteful, melodic, achingly beautiful tone and style. For using a pitch shifter in this song to just add to the way his guitar sings, instead of as a gimmick. For inspiring me to pick up the guitar as an instrument the first time.

But most of all, for inspiring me to pick up the guitar time and time again, after months of letting it gather dust, after the callouses on my fingers long disappeared, after I wonder if I'm over the guitar as an instrument, as a hobby, as a dream.