My Video Bill Hall...Shred Guitar in the 80s: Growing Up As a Guitar Player In The Shred Era

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#1

Hi, Everyone! I thought I would share this video I just posted on growing up in the 80s Shred Era and the impact the pioneers like Yngwie, Tony Macalpine, Vinnie Moore and David T Chastain had on my playing. I play a lot of examples on my guitar and pull out some of my favorite records from that era. It was a fun video to make! That era was such a great time to be a guitar player…which I am sure a lot of us on here experienced. My guitar story is very much like Troy’s was during that era as far as loving all those players. I throw a little improv solo in at the end. Thanks for watching! :slight_smile:

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#2

Great retrospective. Man you’ve got some choice vinyl there. We actually included a bit of Chastain’s “King Has The Power” in one of the Cracking the Code episodes:

It was on a tape I used to record stuff off the radio in the '80s and it just has tons of snippets of recorded-over songs. Just that tiny piece of the chorus remains. It wasn’t until years later that I even found out that was Chastain.

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#3

Thanks, @Troy! I did catch that when I was watching that episode…actually I have watched it many times! I think your Cracking the Code Series is the best thing on YouTube by far! :slight_smile: You all did amazing work on that series! :slight_smile: Chastain was from Ohio like me so I got to see him live a bunch. He is a very unique player …a lot of double picking and sliding around the neck. I could never really get down those kind of lines he was doing…they were sort of the opposite of what I was trying to get where every note lines up in sync and perfect. I love his playing though because it is so slippery and he has great ideas. I love pulling out all the old albums from time to time and spending the afternoon like a young player in the 80s again! :slight_smile:

#4

Nice video Bill, great playing too.

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#5

Thank you so much, @WhammyStarScream! :slight_smile:

#6

Great video Bill, and amazing albums you have! Thanks also for turning me on to Chastain, I’ve never heard of him before today, which is odd since I’m in the same age group as yourself. Will definitely be checking him out.

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#7

Love it - thanks Bill! Awesome playing.

Also really appreciate your analysis of the early Yngwie turnaround licks from the first Alcatrazz CD in this video

I have found trying to get these to sound exactly like Yngwie via pure alternate picking to be frustratingly elusive. Economy picking is not my first language so that is not working too well either! :rofl:

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#8

Thank You, @ScottyB! Chastain is an interesting player…plus the albums are great old school metal. Try Instrumental Variations or CJSS World Gone Mad. You might enjoy them! I know Joe Stump talks about how much he loves the old Chastain stuff! :slight_smile:

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#9

Thanks so much, @Interestedoz! The Yngwie turnaround licks are tricky for sure. I never did the economy picking thing when trying those. The lick I play from Suffer Me is pretty comfortable for me because it stays all outside picking. I just use upward pick slanting and I am sure I am swiping a bit on the way back to the second string because I never change my pickslant. I find that if I just focus on keeping the timing and phrasing really tight it works great! The timing and sync of the phrase is what makes it work for me. :slight_smile:

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