Why Do Some People Feel Fast Equals Good?

[Alex]

So we've all heard those guitarists that can shred on their guitar and it is impressive, but some people believe speed=good


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This guy is hitting 160 notes per second (apparently) yet it sounds shit, but some people will think he's the bee's knees because of the speed he's going at.

Now I know there have been guitarists who can play fast that are actually good (Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, Eddie Van Halen etc) but these guys had technique and could play melodies as well, thats what makes them good not the speed that they go at (although it is impressive)

 

[Uncle Phatso]

It's a trend that's becoming more popular as time goes on with rock and metal guitarists. It's progressively been growing faster and faster for years with both guitarists and drummers. Really it's just for a lack of better words, artists measuring their dicks. Faster "mind blowing" speeds will always capture the eyes and ears of the few, I thought when I first heard Dragon Force that it was cool as shit that they could play that fast. But when I actually listened to the whole song, I was like wow... This fucking sucks.

It's just a matter of who's more brutal, this and that. Because apparently good music isn't in anymore. It's all about how fast you play.

 

[This Is My Name Thank You]

It's a trend that's becoming more popular as time goes on with rock and metal guitarists. It's progressively been growing faster and faster for years with both guitarists and drummers. Really it's just for a lack of better words, artists measuring their dicks. Faster "mind blowing" speeds will always capture the eyes and ears of the few, I thought when I first heard Dragon Force that it was cool as shit that they could play that fast. But when I actually listened to the whole song, I was like wow... This fucking sucks.

It's just a matter of who's more brutal, this and that. Because apparently good music isn't in anymore. It's all about how fast you play.

Ehh, so, so, as your right about Dragon Force they sound good and play fast but when you listen close they suck. I've seen them live and wanted to leave if it wasn't for Disturbed and Slipknot playing after.

Not all fast playing is really all that good either nor does it mean the band is brutal. Bands like Kataklysm is brutal but they have a slow heavy sound to them. Also look at Chimaira, they used to be about speed until they realized they were making songs that really sounded the same so they switched to a slower tempo. Their last two albums are amazing with a total different pace and sound and are still brutal.

I think just because a guitarist can play fast is cool, but if it doesn't sound controlled and is all over the place it isn't really all that good. It is just for show and for the bands way to sell records. They're plenty of bands that play fast but have a very good controlled sound to them. Just because it’s fast doesn't mean its good just look at Megadeth.

 

[Alex]

I have to respectfully disagree. I personally think Megadeth play fast in a very melodic way and are one of the few bands that can do it well.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Playing fast does NOT make someone good. In fact, an album that's nothing but trying to play as fast as possible is pretty boring because after a few minutes most fans will go from thinking it's cool to falling asleep. There should be a mix of fast and melodic. Truly skilled musicians can go fast but also slow down as needed. I like most faster paced songs, but not for the speed of the guitar work. I like those songs because of them being a combination of heavy and catchy. There is a difference between the type of fast that is catchy and the type of fast that's just fast for the sake of being fast. Dragonforce are a good example. They are able to be fast AND catchy, therefore I enjoy listening to several of their songs.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

You know this is the same reason why Dragonforce are so praised. They play extremely fast yet their music sounds the exact same in every song. There is no versatality (can never spell that word right) to them. I have seen them live and noticed that they kind of have to make up what they play as they go along as they are not hitting the same notes as they play on albums. I have been a guitar player for over 5 years now and can understand when a song doesn't sound the same as before. I don't hate dragonforce at all, just something I point out a lot.

You also have to take in the distortion factor, there is belief in the guitar playing community that distortion makes everything sound better despite the guitar player not knowing what they are doing. It's like that spongebob episode where I think it was Squidward who say that when people want to sound smart they talk loud, so if we play loud then we will sound good lol.

 

[HKnux5112]

If you're high on drugs or tipsy on alcohol, and you hear a "fast" song, you just start bashing your head and not give a shit.

Let's not mention StudioForce again in this thread. The whole band is a bad idea.