Neoclassical Shred Guitar: The Old Meets The New

Neoclassical shred guitar is a fusion of classical and shred styles. It combines the technical precision and virtuosity of classical guitar with the high-energy, fast-paced style of shred guitar. It’s a unique and exciting blend of old and new, and it has cemented itself as one of the most important playing styles in the evolution of Shred.

While it’s a very difficult style to play that requires serious practice, I recommend that every shredder spend at least some time familiarizing themselves with it.

Neoclassical shred guitar continues to evolve both as a playing style and a genre of music and can be utilized as a source for inspiration and virtuosic techniques that can be applied to other styles that you may be more interested in.

The Neoclassical Shred Guitar Masters

So, who are some of the masters of this style? Well, there are plenty of talented neoclassical shred guitarists out there, but a few that come to mind are Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, Uli Jon Roth, Vinnie Moore and, one of my personal favorites, Dan Mumm.

Let’s take a brief look at the original Neoclassical shredder and one of the more recent top players to see how things can change over the years and how neoclassical can be used in completely different ways.

Since neoclassical is blend of the old and new, let’s take a look at the original (Yngwie will never get old) and new of neoclassical…

Yngwie Malmsteen

Yngwie Malmsteen is a Swedish guitar virtuoso who has been at the forefront of neoclassical shred guitar for decades. His technical ability and speed on the guitar are truly impressive, and he has inspired countless guitarists with his style. He’s considered the father of neoclassical shred guitar. Countless guitarists have been inspired and influenced by the original neoclassical shred virtuoso. 

Dan Mumm

Dan Mumm is one of those countless guitarists who have obviously taken inspiration from Yngwie but he stands out as something of an anomaly.

He’s a neoclassical shred guitarist and multi-instrumentalist composer who has made a name for himself with his covers of popular classical music, his incredible playing, and his ingenious guitar courses. His ability to blend classical and shred elements in a way that is both elegant and entirely original is truly impressive, and his solos always manage to surprise. It’s as if someone gave Beethoven an electric guitar and some LSD and said “go write some metal music.”

Mumm’s relative obscurity might be due to the fact that he seems to forget he’s working in an established genre. I warn you that you’ll be hearing about him a lot in this blog.

Here’s a particularly weird example of Dan Mumm’s strange genius.  The composition is so out of left field that it might take you a couple listens to start to understand it.  Once you do, it will blow your mind:

If you’re interested in learning more about neoclassical shred guitar, there are plenty of resources out there to help you get started. Just remember, it’s not for the faint of heart – this is a style that requires dedication, practice, and a genuine love for music.

So, if you’re ready to take your guitar skills to the next level, give neoclassical shred guitar a try. You might just find that it’s the perfect blend of classical and shred for you.

Shred on!

-Anton