[noodles]

Originally Posted by Vision

What were the 2 biggest things you learned from him?

Mr right hand mechanics was the biggest change. I hold the pick completely differently now, with my hand closed, and have far less unwanted string vibration. He also would get anal with me about left hand positions. If you've ever wanted someone to sit down with you and show you the most efficient left hand fingerings to navigate through difficult passages-whether they are scalar runs and patterns, sweeps, pedal points, or a combination of any or all of them-then he is the right guy for you.

I had to learn all seven diatonic modes in all eleven keys, and demonstrate the ability to pick cleanly and efficiently, before he would teach me to sweep. Speed was never the focus of anything we worked on, since speed is simply a product of time and repetition. I learned to focus on efficiency, which made building speed easier than the way I picked before.

[noodles]

Originally Posted by Luan

It's terrible anyway IMO

I don't choose and instructor based upon his compositional and songwriting abilities, because I'm not looking to learn how to write music like someone else. I look for solid mechanics, advanced technique, and the ability to break it all down in an easily digestable way. Matt doesn't play the kind of music I would ever want to play, but he did make me much better at the kind of music that I want to play. I was immediately able to apply what I learned to what I was doing musically.

Anyone looking for tasteful playing and good songwriting on YouTube is looking in the wrong place. Matt is simply using it as a medium to demonstrate his jaw dropping level of technical proficiency, in order to attract new students, which is something people should keep in mind before they rush to judge him.

[noodles]

Originally Posted by Wiz

Whenever I see something like that I die a little bit inside lol.. knowing that I'd have to sell everything and live in a cave practicing 15 hours a day for the next 20 years to get that kind of technique.

Matt has actually been playing for roughly the same amount of time as I have. He once told me that between practice, recording, and lessons, that he has a guitar in his hand 14 hours a day.

[chaztrip]

Wow.....

[Luan]

Originally Posted by noodles

I don't choose and instructor based upon his compositional and songwriting abilities, because I'm not looking to learn how to write music like someone else. I look for solid mechanics, advanced technique, and the ability to break it all down in an easily digestable way. Matt doesn't play the kind of music I would ever want to play, but he did make me much better at the kind of music that I want to play. I was immediately able to apply what I learned to what I was doing musically.

I think that's perfect, one thing is learning technique wich is something I think that everybody should do.

Originally Posted by noodles

Anyone looking for tasteful playing and good songwriting on YouTube is looking in the wrong place. Matt is simply using it as a medium to demonstrate his jaw dropping level of technical proficiency, in order to attract new students, which is something people should keep in mind before they rush to judge him.

Hey man, there are awesome players on youtube, great songwriters too, I've posted some (speacially on the acoustic section of the forum), and a lot of people have posted other really awesome players or composers.
I understand what you said about this guy showing his technique just to attract new students, I only said that this video didn't impressed me, since he is not doing something creative, or musical, and there are lots of people that do the same.
If I wanted to learn how to sweep or whatever (wich now is something I practice by myself) I could take lessons with a player of this "style", but I would know that is just not very musical.

[AngelVivaldi]

I thought the second video was stellar. Although it was him shredding, I found it to be much more melodic than FF or Rusty. I was very moved.

[Kakaka]

He's very good at technique and mechanical skills indeed, and if he can help someone getting to his own level, he's even better.

I was actually wanting to take some classes with a monster and wondered if anyone has ever done it with Shaneroo to share the experience/write us a review.

Didn't really face it as a song or anything other than pure technical show-off, so I'd rate it a high figure for that.
Some better sound and image would be great, it would make justice to the guy's ability.

Oh, and noodles' last post reminds on how big the impact of seeing a monster playing right before one's eyes can be.
Just seeing Paul Gilbert's close-up videos has helped me a lot in figuring what the picking technique should feel like for me.

I also dig Theodore Ziras' lessons a lot.

[Wolfster]

Yes he is amazing at speed picking and sweeping, I am in awe. But it is possible to have great chops and still use them in creative ways. Examples of musical musicians with great chops would be frank gambale,tony macalpine,allan holdsworth,brett garsed,martin goulding,shaun baxter,derryl gabel.
I found the first video boring and pointless. It had no emotional content in my opinion.