Hey guys just a question to any of you that are interested , i wondered how alot of you rate technical ability? :o
A old m8 of mine(quite wise i might add) i often talked to him about similar subjects, i remember asking him about diffrent technical diffrences between players and how do you see ppl's technical abilty ;)
He told me that to understand and appreciate someones true potential/technique is to hear them cover all styles of music, but i said to him that i thought alot of ppl have there own preferred kind of style(maybe blues, metal, classical etc) and they stick to it :lol:
Lol he said well lets say for arguements sake that i was a classical inspired musician, and i took a listen to someone playing heavy metal, for me to tell them that they weren't as technically as great as me would be a unfair statement, as it would be for them to say the same about me ;)
He then added that to say thats why they gave diffrent styles there own names(blues, jazz etc), simply because of the fact you can't rate anybody who plays a diffrent style to what you play yourself, simply because your area of expertise isn't in that style of playing :o
His a guitar player of 40yrs, he used to play blues in clubs back in his hay day lol, but he runs his own music shop, i met him back when i was looking for a unit, we got talking and strangely enough we had alot of common interests :)
It is quite interesting stepping back and taking a good look at your playing, like for instance I never use to bend at all, its only these last 8 months i have but i think its improved my technique a good amount, imo bending a full note or any sounds better then just hitting the note in general ;)
Although you still hear ppl struggling alot with bending :unsure:
Music is very strange, someone can be masterful with a guitar but still fail to do the simple things that mere begginers achieve, thats why i find both theory and the practical side fascinating :rock2:
Also a good example is another friend i use to jam with back a few years ago, i remember watching him play EVH's Eruption, he played it note for note, i was totally blown away with some of the stuff he could russle up :o , but when i was playing some slide he had a try, he sounded bloody awful lol :lol:
Once again determining technique isn't by a certain style someone plays, ive seen ppl play the blues and slide guitar like you would never believe, when it comes to shredding, then there not so good, but unfortunatley because they don't play a certain style they can be misjudged :o
Thats my point about musical technique, diffrent aspects attracts diffrent ppl, some ppl love to bend, some ppl love to shred, some ppl just love to feel there way round a guitar gently, but is it fair to rate guitarists along side others when you don't get really get a true picture of there potential?
Also diffrent influences play there part to imo, if i had found Satch in my earlier days, then perhaps my playing would of been based more round his style of play, but then who's to say my style is anyless the anyone else's?
Thats why i always listen to ppl's covers and try to pick out all aspects of it, because a good technical player imo is someone who is prepared to adapt to diffrent playing styles, not just the one :)
No doubt it will be great to hear everyone else views, personally i think technique is a hard thing to put your finger on, but diffrent styles don't determine who is a better player ;)
Any thoughts?

tough question.

anyways, i think that a person should learn whatever he wants to play. if he doesnt wanna bend, then he shudnt do it. i guess this helps him develop in the technical area that HE wants to master. and how he incorporates a number of techniques is important too. he shud rather experiment n exploit his creativity rather than be someone's copycat. even though he may be influenced by someone, he should use technique to express his feelings.

WOW thats a big post!!!!

In answer to your Q, im not sure about it,,,, in some ways a person could be better at certain things and not so good at other things, but would these cancel each other out?
if so how would you grade certain techniques as higher or lower than others

Obviously the penatatonic is one hell of alot easier than the phrygian dominant
but things like hybrid picking and legato,,,

I think satch one time said "play whaever you want to play" i think that says it all, you play whatever you want, but i think its important to never be shut off to other musical styles, my guitar teacher played blues for years and was shut of to styles like bluegrass, turns out he is so awsome at those kinda thigs in bluegrass,, its just a pitty he didnt develop them further because he was shut off to that style and he did that himself

As ive allways thought, people who play blues should study metal and learn techniques from that, then techniques from rock, bluegrass, jazz and so on,

This is what makes satch such an amazing guitar player when young even though he learnt alot of jazz techniques and theory he was never shut off and thats what i think is important,,
thats probably what makes him and other virtuosos so unique

So Main Point of this KEEP AN OPEN MIND!!!

Interesting topic dude ill be thinking about it for a while!


~Satriani Guy~





I Shall Soon Be 14!! cant wait for my guitar to arrive!!

Thanks m8, but it is a interesting topic and quite a eye opener to ;)
Ive done pretty much the same myself, im very classical/neo-classical/blues/slide/rock oriented musician, for me Satch is a great guitairist to listen to because he has alot of styles of playing.
Thats why i started learning his music to although i love my above playing styles i don't think you can ever learn enough ;)
Its true aswell, me playing Satch's music especially these last few months ive really stepped into another gear, but i guess its the same for someone who plays alot of Satch to step into my styles of playing, there is alot to learn from either side and indeed from various other styles :)
Its a very interesting if not somewhat amazing the diffrence in based styles and there advantages/disadvantages :D
Well i always keep a open mind , it is great to see the diffrent amount of musicians who come through this forum and others ;)

GOOD MAN!! :rock2: :rock2: :rock2: :rock2:

~Satriani Guy~

I define technique as being able to play fast and still sound articulate and human. I define technique as Paul Gilbert.

Well id call that one POINT of technique, nothing against gilbert, i mean hes a fantastic player, its just i wouldnt call speed souley technique,


I think we need more peoples poinion on this topic, theres enough replies to do this topic justice and to do bahmuts view enough justice :P

~Drew~

I just LOVE this topic!