Wow... are you, like, on something to be able to play this?!?!

(Almost called you dude, LOL!)

F-Yeah!!!

Geezus Mark, you've got more chops than I thought! Wow! I need to catch my breath...

That was a lot of fun man. While I did start getting fatigued about halfway through (I call it getting "note stoned"), I enjoyed it thoroughly. Like I've said before, when I hear good technique, it really makes me wish I had it too. I'd be curious to see how you navigate the longer runs, fingering-wise; the position shifts. This is such a huge part of technique, and it seems that metal has its own indiginous position-patterns that are a bit different from the slur-filled shifts in jazz phrasing. Maybe you could give me a lesson sometime! ;-)

Oh, and the whammy/panned cop sirens were very cool - I had a big-ass grin on my face when they came in. A good thing, as this forced my jaw up off the floor...

What I am on actually, is the maximum dosage of "LOOK at me...LOOK how fast I can play....."that the human body can withstand.

heh...guitar ..it's easy to play fast..now, let's see you doing that on a piano
( with doubled octaves...wicked ;)

6 buddy ,just kidding ..WOW, amazing job there.. keep on playin' , sounds great

Thanks Al....and you got it right I am afraid....The piano is much harder to play at break-neck speeds for sure. The guitar is a comfort thing, meaning once you get comfortable with patterns and such (shapes) tyou can sort of whip em out. And lets not forget about sweep picking! There is not much of that in this one however....Thanks Al

Now Jamester my friend. What a thrill it is to recieve a post from you like that. Put a huge smile on my face. Now I wonder, did you see the post on the first page where I outline the harmonic minor scale fingering that I used several times on this song? It might be of some interest to you if you were really curious.
Jamester, The thing with those long runs at super fast tempo (the beat on this one is 150bpm I think...I can check....but the "trick" as you well know (but are humoring me I imagine;-)
is simple...3 note per string runs.like for instance Cmajor in the 5th position (I believe that position number is correct) meaning starting on the 8th fret 6th string, play the traditional shape of Cmaj starting there. You would fret notes 8 | 10 on 6th string then on the 5th string frets 7 | 8 | 10 then 4th 7 | 9 | 10 and on up...right?...now this scale shape is much more difficult to play fast because you have two notes on some strings and three on others. Not so easy to blaze up that super fast. BUT if you play the notes as follows (starting on the 8th fret 3 notes per string it would go...8 | 10 | 12 next string 8 | 10 | 12 next 9 | 10 | 12 next 9 | 10 | 12 and on up....Now you may have just been toying with me as I know your theory is excellent and you teach but I just thought if anyone else reads this thread might want the answers to your querry. Thanks for letting me spew...
And thank you sooooo much for the kudos....

Boogie: Thanks guy. I always appreciate your comments. when will there be new Tommy Homicide to hear?

Thanks all...
Mark

Absolutely Xavier I would be happy to...and look forward to it.....Thanks for posting...
Regards,
Mark

Nobody is too shy for me to have a good conversation with. Hell you think I play fast...you should hear me have conversations with myself...I never let me finish, I am always interrupting myself, finishing my own sentences...it is very very irritating....he he....;-)

sounds like me. Remember our conversation?

P.S. Where's my juice? <g>

And yes always pluto for now

okey dokey.....pluto

(PS...you can call me Mark....shhhhhh)

mark,
so that's what a couple more millimeters on the ol' "big stubby" will do for you eh? ;-) i'm especially impressed how clean and clear the flurries of notes sound. no mud at all. yeah, it may be a little gratuitous, but you play your ass off man. i loved it! did your arm get sore? or just fall off?
shred on!

Hey Mark-

Haven't gotten around to checking out that scale you posted, but as you can imagine I certainly know my three-note per string scales! lol I have a theory that part of being able to shred is genetic. Have you ever thought about that? I think some peoples wrist/fingers are just smoother and better than others, sort of like car transmissions. This goes for the fretting hand, obviously. Coordinating the picking to the fretting is still basically about repetition and endurance. But being able to fly up and down the neck is something my hands just won't seem to do, and it's not for lack of repetitious practice - although granted, I've never really studied metal styles before, mostly just jazz/blues-funk.

I'd be interested to know what you think of this...

Y'know, maybe "gene" wasn't the correct term. I just mean bone/tendon/muscle structure - just like an athlete is 'built' for playing sports. As you know, playing guitar is very much an athletic activity. I just feel like it is more than determination. But I dunno...

As for your questions:
I can't rapidfire legato through a scale, if that's what you mean. I can tremolo pick, however. My hands coordinate pretty well, as far as pick/string/fretting finger. It's all my left hand (fretting hand) that's the problem.

I do alternate pick exclusively - except for like, whole notes! lol
Hybrid-picking is a manistay of my technique, but only for comping chords or doing chords w/ syncopated basslines. I don't/can't do banjo rolls, or melodic fingerstyle. My fingerpicking dexterity is rudimentary at best, though I can pull off some basic Travis picking.

Same with sweeping. I can do it somewhat, though not across all six strings, but five on a good day. However, I really can only do it as in a demonstration, not 'live' in a solo, except for top three strings diagonals (minor shape) easy stuff.

I would love to get some excercises/examples from you if you'd be so gracious. I've often thought of taking some lessons from a metal guy, but there's no one that I know of in my area that really impresses me. But I'm not really in that scene, either.

Feel free to email me: james@jamesguitar.com if you don't want me hijacking this thread any further!
Thanks Mark!

Dude<g>.....Holy Crap.....I finally got a chance to listen to this. Way 2 freakin' go Bud! I feel like I just got off an amusement park ride.....it was THAT intense. Some fingers ya got there my man. Thanks for sharing it.

DAYUM that's impressive! (bows at Mark's feet proclaiming "We're not worthy We're not worthy!")

I wouldn't worry about being 41! I'm 42 and things just keep getting better!

Loved your song, kept looking over my sholder for cops like I do when I'm driving.

It's not in my genre, I'm more acoustic country/bluegrass/folk. Now if you were picking that fast on an acoustic, I'd really not like you at all!!!!

Fred

Hey Fred...Now you should not have gone and done that....you challenged me....And I will just have to get you hating me.
Will post an acoustic note-a-thon by ohhhhh.....lets say....TONIGHT!
Ha Ha.....you have got yourself a challenge....or wait I am the only contestant...so...am I a jerk?
Mark

PS I really will post this evening though. You asked for it
Mark

Do you still have the version from a few months ago? I remember liking it better then, somehow -- the guitar playing is fantastic, but the overall sound is too full somehow in this one, and I don't remember that from listening quite awhile ago. But maybe it's a difference in my equipment or listening area, and I'd be curious to compare them now.