Thanks so much for checking out this week's lesson on Meshuggah! Hope you enjoyed the video, and please do give it a like if you found it useful. Learned a ton from this solo, and will also be talking about technique, as well as a general perspective on how I think of it next week!
Two words that struck me as I first listened to 'Contradictions Collapse' way back in the early '90s, and that juxtaposition between the ethereal, Holdsworth-esque legato solos, and crushing rhythms: Alien Beauty.
I think we have come full circle. Holdsworth clearly learned from some jazz horn players, Fredrik learned from Holdsworth now a jazz guy is learning from Fredrik lol.
Pretty much hahaha! I did put in my fair share of transcribing from horn players and Allan though (along with several pianists). No substitute for going to the source. Thanks for checking out the video and hope you enjoyed it!
Fredrik's solos are like a glitching sinister algorithm, they're so unique and cool. Very creative in their own way. I especially love how there are hardly any effects on any of the guitar except for when the solo kicks in. Adds a lot of cool contrast.
I saw in an article somewhere that it’s the bass player that is more versed in music theory compared to the other members, so I got the impression that Frederik’s playing might not be using theory as much. I’m not sure what it all means but it adds another degree of mystery to their music.
@@TriInfinity hi improvisations for everyshow is unique! Even better than the records, he know what he's doing that's why he can reproduce it over and over.
@@OrganicaShadows I just tried to transcribe a solo were I improvised 9 takes and tried to pull the best bits from each one. Took me hours, now I still need to learn it. You are right you have to be an absolute pro to improvise with random notes and still make it sound good..
I love Meshuggah's solos (and the songs) because in some way they are similar to Holdsworth solos, in fact he's a great influence of thordendhal. It's true that they are not too much into the theory but the sound and the choice of the patterns remember Allan in a good way and this is very distinctive in metal (as the rhythm choice). I read that they listened a lot of fusion when they're younger (maybe more Haake and Thordendhal, but the first bassist too, Gustav Hielm play great many genres). Good video!!
Thank you! Yeah, I remember reading an old Thordendal interview where he said that he only listened to Allan for a long time. Honestly, there's so much to break down in Meshuggah's music from multiple angles. Thanks for checking out the video!
Very kind of you, Jack! Honestly this one really pushed my technical limits, but was a lot of fun and a welcome challenge. Hope you enjoyed the video, and do feel free to check out some of the other stuff on the channel!
@@JuanDhas I think the fact that you were able to play it without tapping made it so much more digestible for me so, thank you! Will definitely be checking out some of your other videos👍
I understand where Fredrik is coming from within the composition....Dissonant with note selection...But bringing in familiarity w/recurring patterns/themes..
Definitely a twist... Hehe. I’m not familiar with the music - but, as you point out, there are hidden gems. I find that true in about all genres😄. Nice dive into it, Juan👍.
Dope video man. I really hear allan holdsworth in fredriks playing, their tone seems similar to me, almost a metallic sheen of a guitar tone. Sharp and bright. But not overwhelmingly loud. And fredriks playing style seems similar to holdsworth as well. They almost sound like saxophonists, i think its well documented that both allan and fredrik admire the saxophone in terms of its capabilities as an instrument. Either way, great vid and great playing. Much better than me. Need to get back to learning. Cheers
@@JuanDhas that band is from Umeå. Lots of bands from there. Great video. Very interesting. When I hear you play the solo by itself, without the "metal" context it makes me think of Ben Monder or certain contemporary composers. Messiaen, perhaps?
@@Mikkokosmos Exactly, it has that Messiaen sound to it, especially if you tweak the context it's played in. I believe diminished is also considered Mode 2 in Messiaen's perspective, so that makes complete sense. Knowing Fredrik's Holdsworth influence, it all links back as well!
Hey dude, very cool video. This is quite high level stuff. I'm pretty sure you lose 99% of viewers around 6min mark, but those who stick to the end get the best music lesson of their lives. Very good job. Great solo on "Stella" too. And yes, I am a jazz musician, and a meshuggah fan....anyway, thank you,really enjoyed this one.
Beautifully done Juan Diego! Meshuggah is totally new to me. I love that solo. The way you break down the solo is very interesting, and then explaining how lesssons could be learnt from it and used, is impressive! Bravo! Another good RU-vid lesson!
fantastic job dude. i had to stop and listen several times @8:05 - pretty sure this shape/sound (or something VERY close to it) is the basis for the intro of Holdsworth's "Three Sheets to the Wind".
Great content, instant subscribe! I'd love to find a channel like this that incorporates "non jazz" vocabulary with a jazz foundation that is a little bit more keyboard or synth friendly. It's really hard to find good dissonant keyboard vocabulary in this kind of heavier context that doesn't lead you to corny symphonic/power metal unfortunately. Any leads would be appreciated!
Thank you, David! Please do feel free to check out some of the other lesson content on here, as it pertains to not just guitarists, but any musician! If you're looking for similar kind of sounds like this, you may want to check out Olivier Messiaen or Allan Holdsworth, as they kind of follow a similar vein. Some of the more modern Chick Corea records are also a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration!
Always loved Chick's stuff! His more convential material was always a huge inspiration for me in college so I definitely owe myself a deep dive into his more experimental stuff.
What could we call the chord at 8:01? I sat staring at it on my guitar for a few minutes and came up with a few names for it, but none of them really helped or revealed how it could function in a progression.
Chords like this usually depend on whatever the bassist is playing to really contextualise. If we wanted to keep that diminished context in the video, you could think of it like E7(#11,13). You could also think of it as coming from E half-whole diminished, and move it around accordingly (minor 3rd movement). A great exercise I usually give students for finding chord voicings is take the chord and stick every possible bass note underneath it to see what sound it gives you. I may have a video on that lying around somewhere on the channel
"he recycles material" is an understatement. 😁. But they were the first band to get famous with this sound so they can have it. Unless we wanna argue maybe someone else famous had a similar sound?
Just curious to know if you know how much fredrik and Reb Beach are actually very similar. Both Fredrik and Reb Beach have been my favorite guitarists for at least 12 years now. They are both influenced by Allan Holdsworth. I feel like the same thing is going on but obviously different in approach.
Yes! I actually used to listen to a lot of Reb Beach when I was growing up and going through my shred phase. Great player, and very melodically driven.
Thank you! It should be available on my Patreon, but you'll have to scroll down to find it. This was probably one of the first things I uploaded on there. Glad you enjoyed the video
Marten does not do solos. Ever. He said he does not like playing them, and is not a big fan of guitar solos. Fredrik does all solos in Meshuggah. (just because someone wrote a song, doesn't mean they did the solo)
uh what????????? nah nah nah.... Chords, keys, and shit, We don't dont do that around Gilgamesh. Chuck that. YOU JUST LAY IT OUT AND PLAY LIKE YOU'RE FUCKING INSANE.
