Why most shred guitarists can't write a hit song...

[skunky_funk]

I am a shred fan myself but of course, I do not expect the general public to have the same CDs in my collection.

The most common problem with shred though is that the music is VERY COMPLEX, that only a few people, mostly shredders too, can appreciate.

Now, I tried to find out what makes it so difficult to be a HIT SONGWRITER when you are a shred guitarist, based from personal experience.

1. Shredders normally have a very wide musical vocabulary, to the point that they want to squeeze to many notes and too many overtones into a song. That makes a song very hard to appreciate for the general public.

2. Shredders feel "insulted" when they play a simple chord progression, especially with open chords in the guitar. They find a A-D-E-D progression too boring, even with a great melody it may accompany.

3. Shredders feel awkward with a simple song structure. While most shredders prefer variations in very long songs, the general public likes short songs with a melody and arrangement that they can catch.

4. Shredders can't live with a simple time signature, say 4/4. In contrast, most people can relate only to the simple time sigs like 3/4, 2/4 and 4/4. Forget about making a hit song in 7/8 and 9/8.

5. Shredders always want to squeeze in a lightning-fast finger solo in a song. Without the right vibe, a jaw-dropping solo will sound awkward in an oversimple song meant for radio.

Just my $ 0.02. :)

[ageofzeppelin]

of course there are exceptions, and to me this doesn't jsut describe shred - songs by tool, for example, have many of the don'ts from your list. They're popular, but of course, tool doesn't shred.

[thelonius74]

Well I would put quite simply that shredders are guitarists not musicians. They think everything in terms of guitars. So they write songs that are cool for them to shred over on the guitar. As you said they may not appreciate playing a simple progression. Because they're thinking of how boring that would be for them to play on the GUITAR. Shredders are guitarists. And nothing more in my opinion. But there's no shame in just being a guitarist.

I will have to disagree about the complexity of shred music. There are some rhythmic complexities in there a lot of times but from a harmonic and melodic standpoint I think it's quite elementary.

I think Paul Simon is one of the most incredible guitarists. You talk about crazy ass chord progressions, go listen to some Simon. But he doesn't really care about the guitar. He cares about the best way to express what's on his mind. Take the song "Still Crazy After All These Years" Fairly complex progression for a pop song. Although the way he weaves in the melody, it doesn't sound like it. He wrote it on guitar. On the recording, there is no guitar. It's done on a Fender Rhodes. He changed it because he thought about the song and not the guitar.

[PFB]

Insecurity - I think shredders become afraid that if they don't put enough different things in a song, its not done. They need more scales, more chords, more solos to impress everyone.

Sort of like how George Lucas is making movies these days, keep adding effects, effects, effects. Meanwhile, you start to lose the whole story you wanted to put in the movie in the first place.

[crazydave]

hence why you team a great shreeder up with a great songwriter

[rosskoss]

Originally posted by crazydave
hence why you team a great shreeder up with a great songwriter

There are plenty of those around.But unfortunately they get lumped into the 'shred' category as well.