It's shocking to think that a song like Freight Train, which was created at the peak of the shred era, is now over 15 years old. Though Nitro's AquaNet and Pleather fashion statement may place them firmly in the days of the Iran-Contra Affair and handbag-sized cell phones, Michael Angelo's playing on the track is still state of the art. And therein lies the challenge for 21st-century guitar. Even if the clarity and precision of Mike's technique cannot meaningfully be surpassed, it's up to the current generation of players to understand why. Thanks to desktop multimedia and the vast reach of the internet, there are better tools for this quest in the hands of more players than ever before. With any luck, the next Michael Angelo will be a fifth-grader.

I hope you've enjoyed these insights as much as I've enjoyed putting them together. Thanks again to Joel Wanasek for having me. If your metronome and your wrists haven't mounted a mutiny yet, feel free to head on over to my site for a monthly dose of similarly detailed lessons, audio, and video. Also check out my documentary movie project, Cracking the Code: The Secrets of Shred Guitar, which will attempt push humanity that much closer to a true understanding of "insane" guitar.

Thanks!

Troy
http://www.troygrady.com