Like a man observing a Picasso for the first time, my initial thought when listening to the three-chord punk stylings of the Sex Pistols was "I can do that." No such bravado entered my mind when I saw Eddie Van Halen perform the "World's Fastest Guitar Solo" on television. Say what you like about Van Halen (and David Lee Roth's glitter pants), the man can shred the fretboard.
The Guitar Shred Show won't teach you how to play like an axe master (despite the heading "lesson," no techniques are ever demonstrated). Instead, you are placed in command of Mr. Fastfinger, a guitar guru who lives on an island seemingly dedicated to his awesomeness. The flash site begins with a trip to the island and I strongly suggest not skipping the intro -- the fabulousness of his opening statements must not be missed.
At the main page watch "The Exploding Solo" and then head over to "The Mountain of the Tapping Dwarves." During the lesson, you can control the hardcore riffage through the keyboard -- make sure to hold each key down for a few seconds, as each contains a unique riff. Switch over to "Jam" and you'll be off for a duel against the accordion-playing demon. Win that battle to set dwarves free and unleash a fretwork free-for-all.
Thom Wong is a law student who spends an unreasonable amount of time online. His 40 bLinks column runs every Monday and Thursday on The Tyee.
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