Why do modern guitarists all sound the same? 

When you prioritize skill over emotion, your music comes across more as “look at me” rather than “feel what I feel.”

That's me at 0:14. It's from a shred competition = fastest and cleanest player wins. 6 months ago I won the competition among 20 others. Funnily enough, I can't even listen to shred for more than 2 minutes at a time myself. Talk about ear fatigue. Now try to stand out from the midst of 1500 shredders to the ears of the competition judge who's listened to shred for 100 hours in one sitting. Shred on it's own will only interest other guitarists of the same genre. It needs to either be 20 seconds in length or be included in an actual song. Good points and thanks for the mention!

When I learned to play guitar, I didn't listen to any guitar for years because I didnt want to copy anyone. I'm really not a great guitarist. But Im the best in the world at being me. Be yourself, and you'll always be the best at something.

The thing I've noticed about blues purists in particular but genre purists in general is they seek to emulate their idols in terms of instruments and gear. It's as if they have no awareness of what made their heroes into legends when it was each idol's ORIGINALITY, unique style, chops and tone which grabbed the attention in the first place. Explore originality even in "old school" music genres, keep good music moving, inventing and evolving for the 21st century 🙏

I think Rick Beato said recently that yesterday's music was about CAPTURING a performance, today's music is about CREATING a performance.

One thing is for sure: Greg Howe's string skipping tapping licks from 1989 really had legs...

Another reason is the mass availability of transcriptions. Fingers are way more developed than ears. I grew up with this problem and had to deliberately start learning as much as possible by ear to remedy it.

If only any of it meant something. "I hope you've got good songs, brother." -Daniel Lanois

A long time ago I read a quote by Frank Zappa that went something like this, "I don't want to hear a guitarist play scales really fast, I want to hear someone who surprises me". The examples shown are pretty boring players, in my opinion, obviously.

Steve Lukather had a great quote about these modern shredders " they're playing is like having a 15" cock, it's impressive to look at but where are you going to use it" lot of great players but where are the great songs. I grew up with heroes like Edward Van Halen who was an innovator in playing, technique, guitar building and amp making, but he also was an amazing song writer and an impossibly brilliant rhythm player... There was no one like him before or after him. The Stones, The Who, Journey, The Police, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Prince, Clapton, Guns and Roses, Scorpions, Triumph and on and on... They were all different, all had great players, all had great songs.

WTF?? That sounds like real horns!!! I’m a trumpet player, and I gotta say my mind is blown.

Steve Hillage is a good example of a guitarist expressing himself, who then went on to express himself through electronica. he's one of my all time favorite musical visionaries.

I think people rn forget the real meaning of Virtuoso or Great not just bout great skill but great art expression too. It must be both.

Shredders shred; blues, jazz, rock do what they do. Occasionally, an innovator chimes in.

I’m not quite a boomer but remember back when everyone wanted to sound like Clapton and Gilmore , Van Halen and Yngvie , Satriani and Vai, now Mayer and Henson. Every generation got its clones even way before the internet. It’s just the way it is. That fact that people are even still playing guitars is a miracle in of itself. Let people play, the real artists will always emerge.

This what’s cool about the Dio, We’re Stars, benefit song from the 80’s. Not only does every singer sound unique, every solo is unique to where you can actually guess most of the players, just from listening. Not only technique but tones, all very different.

Yes. As a guitarist I agree. Most internet guitarists are impressive but boring. This was happening by the end of the 80’s in the neoclassical shred scene. It is why SRV was such a refreshing surprise.

For Americans, to make the luxury version of something, just make it really big. For guitarists, make it really fast.

Music today is not about listening. It's about watching.

There's a guy on instagram who mostly plays fuckin weirdass cello music with goblin cackling over it and a kazoo but he picked up a guitar once and played some really unique shit that stood out to me in comparison to the endless covers and shredding.

I started playing guitar in 1960 at the age of 9. I learned to solo by copying all of the great guitarist from the '60's. Everyone of them sounded different. Their sound and personal note choices were very different. You take guys like Steve Howe, Martin Barre, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck.....all of these guys were immediately recognizable after listening to one measure of their guitar solos. Back then, it was understood that a guitarist needed to find his own sound and plot his own path. I performed with a drummer named Carl from 1976 to 1980. We became friends and still keep in touch to this day. About 15 years ago, we had a conversation and Carl said, "Vic, if you and 20 other guitarists were in a room and made to play something, I could pick you out while being blind folded." That was one of the best compliments that I ever got.

Most people who complain about all modern guitarists sounding the same just haven’t researched enough.. besides Matteo Mancuso, Tosin Abasi/Animals as Leaders and Tim Henson/Polyphia, you have plenty of others you can explore.. Nick Johnston with more of a rock/blues influence, Julian Lage for beautiful jazz chord melodies, Kurt Rosewinkel for crazy modern jazz guitar sounds and solos, Mario Camarena/Erick Hansel from Chon as the chill/modern instrumental rock, Aaron Marshall from Intervals as a more catchy modern rock/metal, Jack Gardiner and Owane for some fusion vibes, Plini/David Maxim Micic/Jakub Zytecki/Unprocessed as all great examples of beautiful ambiences paired with hard hitting riffs, TTNG as the pioneers of a math rock sound, using all kinds of alternate tunings and inspiring other bands such as Invalids, Standards, etc - I’m sure there is something on this list which you haven’t heard before! Give them a try!

I could really care less how good or how fast a guitar player is. All I care about is how I feel when I hear the music. That's what's missing. No soul, no experience, no emotion, no stories.

Mindblowing that everything is coming out of his guitar apart from the drums and bass. I cant get my head round it but its on a whole other level. And Andy, youre doing way more rhan keeping time!

These kids don’t know what it’s like to be in a band and play Slow Ride every night.

The opening sequence reminded me of people looking at their phones...except they're guitars.

Roy is awesome and his sound is for sure unique. Love how he emulates different instruments and improvises in the moment.

You made such an important point! Thanks for putting this out there. The joy of striving for one’s own sound and style is so much more fulfilling than copying the latest trend.

I gotta say I wasn't expecting to like the track as much as I did. Funky as hell, swinging like crazy and very very groovy. Right up my street.

Your video should be titled, "Why do all young shredders in the prog-rock sound the same?" Because they all play a similar style, with the same vocabulary. This is not country, blues, classic rock or jazz, and certainly not classical - it's a style-specific vocabulary.

Here are some lyrics from the song "Copy of a" by Nine Inch Nails. This seems appropriate for today's topic. I am just a copy of a copy of a copy Everything I say has come before Assembled into something into something into something I don't know for certain anymore I am just a shadow of a shadow of a shadow Always trying to catch up with myself I am just an echo of an echo of an echo (Echo, echo, echo) Listening to someone's cry for help And let us not forget the peculiarly difficult philosopher Jean Baudrillard's "Simulacra and Simulation" of 1981.

Thanks for promoting your band inside this video! I checked out other videos by Law Of Three. Great musicians and great music! Keep it up Andy. Love the snark and the seriousness of your videos.

Brother I ask this same question. I've been taking lessons with your bandmate, it's been an absolute breath of fresh air.

Andy, I’m so excited for this, can’t wait to receive the CD. I preordered when you shared this on Patreon. The horn voicing just blows my mind. Nice video too. ❤

I get your point. The instant access to any other guitar player tends to create a lack of unique style and individualism on guitar. But there are definitely modern players who have developed a unique, brilliant guitar style all their own: Guthrie Govan, Mateus Asato, Matteo Mancuso, Mike Dawes, etc.

Great that you guys met through the internet and startded collaborating. I think all 3 of you are amazing, but I agree that Roy is somehow lightyears ahead. Really like your video's, because you know what you are talking about and because of your authenticity. That was it for now, I'm at 13.14 min. and gonna continue watching this video. Good luck and Godspeed with "the law of 3", hope it will be a great succes and you guys come over to the Netherlands. Peace and love 🙏

One of the most original voices on her instrument these days is a 43 year old Avant Garde Jazz guitarist/composer named Mary Halvorsen, who was mentored by Anthony Braxton. Her discography is well worth checking out.

Because they are all copycats of each other.

The 80's shredders were superior players to today since they first had to learn vibrato, feel, phrasing, and playing the right note at the right time. They built on guys like Michael Schenker, Ted Nugent, Keith Richards, and Clapton before going all Eddie Van Halen on your face.

All using the same compressed plug-ins and playing streams of 32nd notes, using active pick-ups.

That was incredible, great song

Paul Davids had a funny video showing a shredder that couldn't play Highway to Hell properly. Rhythm guitar is so forgotten about today sadly.

@Andy- Regarding Mancuso -I'm also a grumpy old bloke who's seen all the shred before, but I have a very different takeaway. Yes, there's a new technical approach, but what interests me most is the information (note variety, line contour etc) in his technical parts has more variety and difference to the very typical shredders, and he can play them freely as he wishes. True, there's the occasional straight up Greg Howe lick, but a lot of his more complex lines are far more varied than a typical shredder can manage. And he can play them as he wishes -it's not something he has to pre-write into a solo and practice, which is a huge difference to many current social noodlers. More importantly: reasonably often, he plays things things NO guitar player -rock, fusion, whatever ...has ever played before. He's essentially swerved the specific drawbacks that techniques like alternate picking, sweeping picking and legato all present and can pretty much play what he wants. It's also worth checking to see if you've seen his real recorded output -he's quite committed to playing live with real bands and producing records, and avoids the youtube/tiktok thing. Look on youtube for the stuff like 'silk road' and 'drop d' and you'll have a better feel for what he is attempting as a musician than the stuff where he's blazing in an interview or clinic. TLDR: Careful with the broad brush. Great video with a lot of thoughtful stuff, btw!

So glad and grateful that I grew up listening to and trying to emulate the classic greats: Clapton, Page, Santana, Zappa, Ritchie Blackmore, Alex Lifeson, Al Di Meola, Tom Johnston (Doobie Brothers), Jeff Beck, Steve Hackett etc. I could never play fast and had no desire to. These kids need to listen to the classic great guitarists from back then and just start all over again...

All robotic egotists who just want to be told how wonderful they are. Absolutely no emotion in any of them

Good question. Here's my take. 1) Too much emphasis on technique. speed means nothing if it dowsn't go anywhere. 2) Too much reliance on effects pedals (instant gratification with overdrive, distortion, etc., instead of creating a signature tone. 3) Too many bedroom guitar players. GET OUT AND GET IN A BAND !!!! Know what it's like to play in front of a live audience and get heckled and hear the phrase "Freebird !!" Get the experience of lugging your own equipment, setting up, playing 4 hours, then tearing down, packing up, and collapsing when you get home, sometimes 3 or 4 nights in a row. I'd rather hear a good guitarist play with emotion and a soulful tone than a shredder who sounds like Yngwie anyday.

Absolutely spot on.! And Roy is another level like Shawn Lane.🤘🏻🤘🏻

Andy, that such a great story about how you met Roy and that lead to the founding of Law of Three. All you three compliment each other so well as innovative musicians, very much looking forward to popping the CD in my system!!

as a 26 year old my influences are very old: Steve Howe, Allan Holdsworth, Andy Latimer, Steve Hackett. I don't resonate with the modern styles of guitar. there are some of us out there still!

I noticed this very thing about 10 years ago and I could see an answer was JTC online. They were teaching the same kind of stuff and everyone got very competent, fast and very much cloned! Then those one taught the next Gen and everyone sounds the same.

Holy Camoly Andy!!!! What an unbelievably sweet wild record you guys have made!!! I'm going to pre-order multiple copies of what my ears and brain say is one of the most unique records to come along in a Looooong time!! Thank you!

Congrats Andy. Sounds new nice looking foward to the whole album.

The older I get and the more hyperactive, technical shredding I'm forced to endure, the more I appreciate the vast time and space Robin Trower affords his musical ideas

Modern music - and indeed modern life - is a battle against the bland.

Completely agree about Roy. He’s been criminally underrated forever.

I was born in the 80’s & felt that most of the 80’s hair bands sounded the same but you can tell who is who by the solo. However these days it’s reverse, the solos are the same but the rhythm is the bands style.

None of these internet guitar players bring forth the emotion of an Alvin Lee!

40 years as a professional musician/guitar player and I hate shred guitar. Musically it's generally drivel and sonically (and in many respects, technically) it relies on cheesy fizzy high gain that removes any means of dynamic and tonal variation. It's adolescent techno w*nk.

That’s why I appreciate those very few rising guitar players that offers new sound like Mk.gee.

100% agreement. the track is awesome. i just purchased the CD. i can't wait!

Good topic. Law of Three sounding great!

Let me thank you for this in advance.

When ever we get a new band member audition I always tell them I want to hear their interpretation of our songs. I don't want them copying the last guitarist.

Absolutely blown away by Roy Marchbank’s sounds. And Mark’s bass tone is exquisite. And I love your cymbals, that ride is fantastic. I look forward to hearing the whole record.

Great tune, Andy. I just ordered a CD copy from your Bandcamp page. I'm definitely looking forward to rocking it (er, uh...funkin' it?) while driving my truck around here along the bayous of southern Louisiana. Well done, y'all!

These kids didn’t grow up on Rockabilly, give ‘em a good What For !!

I really liked Deja Funk! I didn’t need to know that there were no real horns to like it, but that fact just makes it more impressive.

Just during the last few months I discovered this guy called Adam Levy... Completely new to me. His playing and tone really speak to me. My kind of shredder!

One of the shredders was Renne Haapanen, oy he´s my mate! That video was like a contest of shredders so thats not so fair..He´s very unique really!

When you play a million notes per second it's hard to sound different from everyone else playing a million notes per second.

Much respect to the guitarists that can play that sort of stuff. Sweep picking, tapping... getting it right is really really hard. I'm of the sort I can take these type of virtuoso stuff in small doses, but rarely listen to a full album. It's a bit exhausting to listen too for long. But still, all these virtuoso neoclassical, fusion, progmetal stuff is absolutely impressive. I really enjoy these players in the setting of a guitar clinic/masterclass, especially attending one in person.

I've played guitar since 1977 and being in bands was everything. Because I played with others, I was forced to compromise my choice of songs, whether it was covers or stuff that we wrote ourselves. Over the years I played punk, ska, rock, hard rock, metal, fusion and so on. That created my tone and my style. I definitely agree that what we see today is immense skill, but also a brutal lack of uniqueness. I can't play like some of this guitar players but I sound like... me. During my shredding years in the 80's, I did play Yngwie, Satriani, Macalpine and similar and they were really, really different. Yngwie, while playing fast is what he is known for I suppose, had a sense for vibrato that made me appreciate him more than the tedious superfast arpeggios. I also want to say that some of those younger youtube guitarists do develop their own style over time, and become absolutely great and versatile musicians.

Wow! That track is a breath of fresh air. Absolutely fantastic!

Nobody sounds like Ritchie Blackmore....the original shredder. But.....his solos had a melodic basis to them, even at high velocity....they weren't simply scale exercises. Ritchie's solos would take the listener on a journey. Or how about Bill Connors (ex-RTF)....very versatile jazz rock fusion guitarist whose soloing could also approach light speed, but was totally imbued with soul.

There’s such a good opportunity for guitars to explore with Gypsy, flamenco, and middle eastern but it’s very scarce in rock music, although it fits perfectly, and ironically, part of it comes from a land and time when Catholics, Jews, and Moors all lived in harmony, and the culture reflected it-as a golden age, if you dig into my RU-vid channel here, you may discover more of what I’m talking about

Wow, Roy Marchbank is absolutely insane. Great find, thanks for the recommendation.

90% of all blues guitarists sound the same. 90% of all 70s classic rock guitarists sound the same. 90% of all 80s hair metal guitarists sound the same. 90% of all jazz guitarists sound the same. 90% of all gypsy swing guitarists sound the same. 90% of all folk pickers sound the same. 95% of all classical guitarists sound the same. ah, and yes, 90% of all youtube bedroom guitarists sound the same. ... I see a pattern here. I don't see the point.

Sorry to Van Halen fans but EVH was responsible for the modern shredders. Guitar playing is not an Olympic sport. Give me emotion over technique any time.

I appreciate the music critique in this. Although I am blown away by Matteo Mancuso, I recognize the absence of both the tension and the joy of musicians actually playing together. I also appreciate your very honest approach to modern marketing, Andy. I look forward to receiving my copy of the Law of 3 CD!

Answer- Because you haven't found the ones that aren't the same- Try Kanami from Band-Maid playing Blooming Official Music video. It's only 3 minutes long so no long solos.

It's a lot like trying to develop a free thinker if everybody's being taught the same out of the same book I think the same when everybody is being taught how to play a musical instrument by the same scales is it going to sound the same I agree that rock and roll pulled a lot of people out of poverty that creativity flourished and people would listen to music and they would have to try to emulate it without any instruction so in essence they were self-taught and that's why you have stand-out musicians like John McLaughlin Jimmy Page Rory Gallagher Eric Clapton it only takes a few notes for you to recognize who they are and I only stopping because of space the list is endless and that's what makes the mid-60s through the 70s the Golden Age of rock and roll the creativity not necessarily the musicianship I will happily give up technicality for creativity anyhow love your videos keep up the good work

It’s the Steve Terryberry syndrome. Never leaving the basement or standing on a stage in front of a bunch of girls.

Andy, you are describing a phenomena that is close to something referred to as "audience capture". It is a phenomena that has existed for some time, but has greatly accelerated in the age of modern social media. To clarify, by modern social media (MSM), I am referring to platforms which artificially amplify or squelch the speech of social media "celebrities", particularly based upon how those "celebrities" attract the attention of the audience on the platform. Audience capture is when a social media "celebrity" responds to his/her audience by intentionally creating material that is likely to keep the audience, regardless of the intellectual or emotional honesty of the material. With regards to Matteo Mancuso, I think that it is important to note that his right--hand technique seems to be highly related to the right hand technique of the lute, rather than the classical guitar. His physical attributes (very slender hands) have a synergy with this technique which is quite amazing to witness. At the same time, I must admit that you are quite correct about his tone and phrasing. Once again, however, social media is supplying "what the pubic wants". Popular culture often focuses on "fireworks" rather than "substance". I think with Mancuso, we are seeing a young musician who is developing into a musician of substance. If the fame that has accompanied his blazing technique, gives him the support he needs to move to the next level, then "more power to him". If he falls victim to "audience capture", it would be a shame.

Someone that really stands out to me, especially on the melodic choices and phrasing is Nick Johnston.

Where are the composers today?? That's what I loved about 70's-80's fusion, amazing technique, with amazing songs!! Matteo has been the only "wow-factor" guitarist in many years, he's got horn-like phrases, unlike many guitarists lately. We need virtuoso fusion BANDS that can compose!! Where are the Weather Reports/RTF's nowadays?? 😞 We are letting the internet influence us too much, I guess we'll see how the "disposable consumer-based musicians" and music last... This is brilliant, Andy, btw, thanks. You speak what a lot of musicians are feeling nowadays.

Where are all these Holdsworth clones you speak of? The people who can really play like Holdsworth and not just a few licks are very few. I can probably count them on one hand.

There is so much depth in what you’re saying. I have felt the same way for as long as I can remember. But I would have never been able to phrase these thoughts the way you did. It’s genuinely refreshing that someone is talking about the likes of Holdsworth and Roy. Thanks for sharing!

Paul Waggoner from Between the Buried and Me has been one of the very best guitar players since 1997 and is still putting out amazing music

Agree with u about M.Mancuso. Great guitar -player but After few hours listening at Matteo a big question emerges....do i Need this?

These are ‘bedroom solo guitarists on RU-vid’, not guitarists in bands!

I have pre-ordered your new CD. It sounds so good! 😊❤

You are dead on correct, Andrew. Great video. And I dig the new project and song. I will be purchasing. How the heck are all those sounds from a guitar? Wow!

I play like me. My guitar impersonations are also hilarious.

Hot take: because they are guitarists, but not artists...

Because information is so readily available now as in you tube tutorials most players never learn anything outside of the box, it's the messing around and working out a run or passage that we find our way and our sound

I took an extended break from guitar back in 2011 and when I got back to it in a few years was absolutely blown away by all of these incredibly technical players on youtube, they just seemed to be able to play anything and it was super clean. But after working at it for a while i noticed they all were lacking originality and was disillusioned by all of it very quickly

will buy it Andy. We are in the era of clones, but clones who play technically well but musically bland

Ben Monder/Julian Lage/Lage Lund/Gilad Hekselman.....they are NOT sounding the same. Just these RU-vid Speed/Sport Guitar players sound the same. So in parts you are right, but also wrong. There is a way you have to play to get klicks, thats all.

Sooooo educational!!! Fantastic video!!!!! Time well spent!!!!❤❤❤❤❤

In Gestalt there is the concept of background and the figure. Figure is percepted against the background. It needs the background also to be enjoyed so to speak. This mass of shredder-bots is the background for us to appreciate and enjoy the figures: Matteo Mancuso, Tim Henson etc.