Best Technical Guitarists
Yeah now we all know there is a Greatest Guitarists Ever List, but a lot of them are not very technical compared to some other guys. Vote for the best technical guitar player. Who's technique is awesome?
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist, composer and producer. He is best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Compared to his level of skill, John Petrucci is relatively unknown in the modern music industry. Other than John Petrucci and Steve Vai, this is a horrible list. No way that the guitarist for 30 seconds to mars should even be here, or the guy from muse. Van Halen was good BACK THEN. I could name 10 dudes who blow these guys out of the water easy. Kirk should not be above Dime, and I don't think herman deserves to be here because he basically only plays the same major scale and taps a lot.
This is just a bad list.
I've never heard of tomo milicevic, so I won't say anything about him, but petrucci not only plays fast, he uses the right techniques at the right time. His well placed arpeggios and screaming pinch harmonics add that extra bit to his songs. He also does all this while changing time signatures every couple bars
Who the hell is Tomo Milicevic compared to him? He is just very popular and no matter what the question is his fans vote for him. That is just wrong, only because he has lots of fans doesn't mean he is the best guitarist. Try looking at John Petrucci's solo's and Tomo's solos and just admit it
This guy should be on the top. As far as technicality and discipline he is the best. He shows his mastery in music theory and the tone of his guitar is just awesome in every song he plays. And again... Who the heck is Tomo Milicevic?
Brian Patrick Carroll, known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who has worked within many genres of music. A master across all styles of music and probably has more creativity than any other guitarist which is evident by his ~300 albums. He can shred with the best of them or play some peaceful melodic stuff that tells a story without words. He improvises his leads live so he does make some mistakes when looking at his live stuff. Check out Hold Me Forever, Look Up There, Soothsayer, Binge and Grab, Coats of Claude, and Crack the Sky. Those are some of my favorites of his 1000s of songs.
Most of the guys on here are shredders, or virtuosos in a certain genre. Bucket beats all of them in their respective branch.
You will never find a guitarist that is as proficient in as many different styles of music as Buckethead.
How are Tomo and Matt more technically proficient than this ultra prolific (13 albums in a single year) man?
Blinding speed and great range. This Bucketed man is sharp as a tack no matter what he is playing.
Ron Jarzombek is an American metal guitarist hailed as one of the most influential progressive metal guitarists and has been called "the Godfather of Technical Metal". He's best known for his work with WatchTower, Spastic Ink, and Blotted Science, featuring Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse. His older brothers are also musicians - Bobby Jarzombek is a metal drummer, Ralph Jarzombek - a keyboard player. My favorite. He does things that you only imagine doing. All of his music is creative and gets the brain-juices flowing. He destroys everyone on this list. He can tap on every genre and not have it sound silly or lame. I liken his music to the classical greats that many don't know or have forgotten. He is at the top of my favorite guitar players. From elderly to young, when you play people the music that he has done everyone enjoys it. I can't think of a more accomplished player when it comes to writing, playing and creativity. My favorite stuff he's done is his Blotted Science stuff. When is the new album coming out?
This dude must be the most incredibly, unbelievably, inhumanly technical guitarist ever. He synchronises his guitar with scenes from movies and cartoons (see 'A Wild Hare by Spastic Ink- synchronised to Bambi, or 'Cereal Mouse' by the same band) He writes loads of stuff in 12 tone, which is one of the most difficult ways of writing, and he does this thing where he assigns notes to letters of the alphabet and spells out words, like his name for example. The songs still sound amazing after all this!
He is the most unbelievably awesome guitarist ever. He has written an album with 45 songs, which can be played from any song and still sound great, and sounds like one 45 minute song if played from the start. He has written an album of songs synchronised to scenes from movies. And, he writes everything in twelve tone, a really complicated system of playing instruments. Listen to 'Cretaceous Chasm' by Blotted Science and you will know what I mean...
His stuff with Blotted Science is the most technical stuff I've ever heard. So technical and brutal, it hurts.
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is an American guitarist, composer, singer, songwriter, and producer, born and raised on Long Island, New York. People often pick guitarist from their favorites bands and while they might be a good guitarist, technically they often are not even close to Steve Vai and I am certainly not a Vai fan. I have my own favorites but this is about being technical wether you the music like it or not. Steve Vai is in control of his instrument but what he actually does might not always be clear to everybody, his amazing skills go by unnoticed.
Saw Steve Vai, Joe Satriani & John Petrucci live in a G3 concert. Steve Vai could play whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted with ease.
John Petrucci was very good but was obviously putting a lot of effort into things. Joe Satriani was a step up from Petrucci - just a pity that the guys he had in his band were just like background noise.
Technique is about control of one's instrument; this is about playing precisely as well as quickly. And in songs like 'Tender Surrender' and 'Call it Sleep' Vai's ability to control every tiny noise of his instrument is mind-blowing. And this is still technique, rather than musicianship or artistry or whatever.
Playing guitar for him is like breathing. I can't understand how buckethead and (who is? ) Tomo Milicevic are placed higher?!
Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956) is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Early in his career, Satriani worked as a guitar instructor, with many of his former students achieving fame, such as Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Kirk Hammett, Andy Timmons, Charlie Hunter, Kevin Cadogan, and Alex Skolnick; he then went on to have a successful solo music career. He is a 15-time Grammy Award nominee and has sold over 10 million albums, making him the biggest-selling instrumental rock guitarist of all time ...read more. When it comes technical guitar he is a contender for the number 1 spot.
Definitely shows that there quite a few amateur guitar players voting on
This post. The question is about the best technical guitarist and Joe is trailing
Players like hammett and buckethead. Good guitarists as they are, they will not
Go down in history as guitar Gods. Joe will hand you your ass on a silver platter
Without Satriani, half these guys probably wouldn't be here. He's the father of technical guitar and he's taught some of the best in the world. There are plenty of mindless shredders out there, but Joe is less interested in showing off than he is in making good music.
He is best Guitarist with greatest Sound, greatest technique and greatest melody. He is the Guitarist of Guitarist. Every Songs from him has its own taste. You can listen his song to lern technik and also just to relax. Even people with no musical Talent like his songs.
This is a music theory encyclopedia...He's forgotten more chords and scales than the rest of this list put together - that said... I don't think his feel can match several of these guys but the list is for TECHNICAL players
Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner (1967-2001) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known as the founder and vocalist, guitarist and bassist of the American heavy metal band Death. He is considered the most influential figure in Death Metal, with some publications referring to Chuck as the "Godfather of Death Metal". Schuldiner died in December 13, 2001 of brain cancer, his death subsequently leading to the disbandment of Death, but has remained influential among many aspiring metal artists.
He was also known for his polite and life loving attitude and openly condemned stereotypes of metal musicians being harmful and evil. God took him away from us because he knew he couldn't let him become more physically powerful otherwise God would lose in a guitar contest. Good chance God lost. Because we all know, Death is inevitable. R.I.P Chuck
From brutal riffs, to the sheer speed of his solos. This guy has it all. He is the godfather of death metal for a reason.
He is the God of Technicality along with Trey, deserves to be #1.
Tomislav "Tomo" Miličević is an American musician and record producer. He was the lead guitarist of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars from 2003 to 2018. I am not saying he isn't technical or bad. But seriously on top 2!
Everyone who voted for this guy has clearly never sean a 30 seconds to mars tab compared to a megadeth tab or maybe they've never even heard a technically proficient guitarist because this is just beyond wrong
Jeff Loomis is an American musician, best known for his role as lead guitarist in the progressive metal band Nevermore and death metal band Arch Enemy. He came after the greatests yngwie malmsteen, jason becker and marty friedman to develop their style and music, very fast and einstein of metal music
Muhammed Suiçmez was born in Karlsruhe, Germany, to Turkish immigrants. He is the frontman and guitarist of the German technical death metal band Necrophagist. #27? Are you kidding me? This guy on everyone else on this list. The complexity of his riffs, the amazing tone and lightening fast precision of his solos, paired with his inhuman consistency (I challenge you to find a mistake in any live show he's ever played)... he is technically unparalleled. Then again, if you leave anything up to popular vote, you're going to get a popularity contest I suppose.
My gosh! This guy is THE most technical guitarist that ever stepped earth! He made one album by himself and played guitar on Necrophagist 's Epitaph... Like a boss. People should appreciate the master skills of Mr. Muhammad Suicmez.
Come on guys he's like the KING of guitar techniques. Just listen to one of his solos and you will understand.
Trying to learn his songs, even the riffs is a real agony,yet very muscial and emotional,he is easily on of the most technical guitarists and composers of all time!
Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt is a Swedish musician, prominently known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of progressive death metal band Opeth, as well as being the former vocalist of death metal supergroup Bloodbath for three albums up until 2012.
He also has a side project with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson known as Storm Corrosion. They released their self titled debut in 2012.
Akerfeldt also performed lead vocals on Katatonia's sophomore album "Brave Murder Day". He is best friends with their regular lead singer, Jonas Renkse. This guy is amazing.
Unsung hero of death metal. Unbelievable skills shown in both rhythm and lead structure.
One of the fastest guitarists in the world.
He is the best
Michael Angelo Batio also known as Mike Batio or MAB, is an American heavy metal guitarist and columnist from Chicago, Illinois. Michael Angelo is the highest level of skill than anyone on this list. Simply because no one else can ever reach his level in the world. A child prodigy that was better than his teachers in a few years. Not only is he the fastest in the world. He can play right or left handed equally as fast and flawless. Even Steve Vai being one of the best ever said Batio is freak and beyond anything he can ever do, yet Vai is higher on the list. Not only can Michaelangelo beat anyone on this list. He can battle the two best below him at the same time with each hand.
MAB is a freak of nature. He can play dual solos with himself, one in each hand, as well as play just as well over the neck as he does normally.
Michael Angelo Batio can smoke Petrucci and Buckethead no problem. And which other guitarist can play two guitars at once without even picking it, and invented the under over technique and can play a guitar upside down. No guitarist in the world can really reach Michael's level of technical proficiency and speed. He is the only guitarist that was able to smoke his teachers at age 12 after two years of playing. Not to mention he has advanced knowledge of music theory and is one of the most versatile players ever.
Michael Angelo is the best when it comes to being flawless and technical, he is also faster than anyone out there. Number 1 shredder for sure... He also can do this right handed or lefty. Super underrated considering he's is better than anyone on the list.
Yngwie Johan Malmsteen is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter and bandleader who was born on June 30th, 1963, in Stockholm, Sweden. He was known for his neoclassical metal playing style back in the 1980s. Yngwie Malmsteen is easily as technical as the majority of the people on this list and is only really NEAR equaled by the likes of John Petrucci, Ron Jarzombek, Joe Satriani, Chris Broderick (although Chris is much lower on this list), and Fredrik Thordendal (depending on which song).
The only guitarist on this list who actually plays more complex pieces of music (and only for brief moments...usually less than 1 minute at a time) is Muhammad Suicmez.
How Yngwie Malmsteen is behind Synyster Gates is completely beyond me.
I'm not saying he should top the list either...nor is he my favorite guitarist (that would be someone like Christian Muenzner, Jari Maenpaa, or something along these lines), but he most certainly deserves to be above at least 99% of the players on this list.
I'm also shocked that Kirk and Dimebag even got a mention on this list. Sure, you could argue they make great music, but neither of them play anything as complex as your average modern ...more
How is this guy not at the top!?!
Yngwie was the pioneer of modern technical guitar playing and the neo-classical movement. He influenced many amazing players and remains one of the greatest guitarists ever.
1. Skwisgaar Skwigelf
2. Yngwie
3. Petrucci
4. Vai
5. Paul Gilbert
6. Satch
7. Buckethead
8. Friedman
9. Dimebag
10. Chuck Schuldiner
Everybody knows that Malmsteen is long been one of the best. I love Malmsteen. But I think some other guys on this list are just technically superior.
Listen to his song Fire and Ice (intro and solo). It's so dang technical, executed perfectly, and is blindingly fast. No one can touch him.
One of the most underrated guitar players ever. Paul's technical solos are the reason Death's "Human" was such a monster of an album. His own band, Cynic is criminally overlooked. "Focus" and "Traced in Air" are masterpieces of technical metal utilizing complex jazz chords, time signatures, and lead techniques. Paul is the whole package and he sings while playing insanely technical licks. Having a genius level IQ doesn't hurt either.
Jason Eli Becker (born July 22, 1969) is an American neoclassical metal guitarist and composer. At the age of 16, he became part of the Shrapnel Records-produced duo Cacophony with his friend Marty Friedman. They released the albums Speed Metal Symphony in 1987 and Go Off! in 1988. Cacophony broke up ...read more. Well off the radar, up there with the best. Listen to his solo album and Cacophany with Friedman. If ALS hadn't taken his hands, he would be the best ever.
Between Gilbert and Becker. That's tuff. Jason Becker is a legend and one of the best in the world.
He transcribed Paganini at age 15.
Almost as good as me
Ihsahn is a Norwegian composer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist. He is best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Emperor.
Karl Sanders is an American musician, most widely known as the founding member of the American ancient Egyptian-themed technical death metal band Nile. I really appreciate Karl's guitar playing and the music he makes. His note choices, phrasing, tone and touch are unique and heartfelt. Those string bends and vibrato are like no one else's.
How Karl plays some of the things he plays I don't know. I have to pick tremolo just to reach his normal picking speed. If Yngwie was death metal and more song oriented.
Oluwatosin Ayoyinka Olumide "Tosin" Abasi (born January 7, 1983), is a Nigerian American musician, best known as the founder and lead guitarist of the instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. Before founding Animals as Leaders, he was the guitarist for the technical metalcore band Reflux. He has recorded and released four albums with Animals as Leaders: a self-titled debut, Weightless, The Joy of Motion and their most recent album, The Madness of Many. Guitar World ranks Abasi at #97 on their list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of all time. The only reason this guy isn't number one is that he isn't particularly well know. Google 'Animals As Leaders' and listen to a song or two. He is one of the most, insanely, ridiculously technical guitarists ever, along with Jeff Loomis and Ron Jarzombek.
If we are talking pure technicality, this guy has to be Number 1. He can sweep pick like a god, tap like a god, play the most intricate Rhythms, overall even more technical than Petrucci.
Just watch him. Please. Do yourself a favor. Doesn't get any better than Tosin.
He's insane. John Petrucci is very impressive too, but this guy is CRAZY.
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen (January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was a Dutch-American musician, songwriter, producer, and inventor. He was best known as the lead guitarist, occasional keyboardist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen. Eddie Van Halen is the best technical guitarist of all time. He can do things that only a few others can do. Steve Vai is right up there with him, but Eddie gets the crown by a nose.
Pretty overrated, but great guitarist, however I don't think he was the first guitarist who used the tapping technique.
Greatest guitarist of all time. Most influential.
EVH. Half the people in the world play guitar because of this guy.
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American hard rock/heavy metal guitarist. He is best known for being the co-founder of the band Mr. Big. He was also a member of Racer X, with whom he released several albums. I admit I can't believe that Paul wasn't part of the best list until now. He's amongst the best out there, both in technique and song-writing.
His alternate picking is near unmatched. Plus his string skipping arpeggios are scary. This dude is the real deal.
Paul is the most technical guitarist in the world. No one can beat him he's a guitar God.
Paul Gilbert was Bucket head's teacher and in my opinion is one of the very best other than MAB.
Fredrik Thordendal (born February 11, 1970) is a Swedish musician, best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah. He's considered the originator of the djent technique. Thordendal was rated No. 35 by Guitar World in the top 100 greatest heavy metal guitarists of all-time, along with Meshuggah's rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström. This man needed to be in the list! He deserves to be in the top ten lists! Listen to Vanished, Sane, and Soul Burn. The main reason to listen to the great technicality of Meshuggah.
Should be much higher than #22. How is Kirk Hammett higher than him?
Guthrie Govan is an English virtuoso guitarist and guitar teacher, known for his work with the bands The Aristocrats, Asia, GPS, The Young Punx and The Fellowship, as well as his solo project Erotic Cakes. Guthrie Govan at 28... he is quite literally the most technically proficient guitarist on Earth right now. Tosin Abasi has even said 'he is the most complete guitarist on the planet'. He rejected an album recording offer from Steve Vai. Surely that should be enough to at least put him in the top ten.
Well...Guthrie should not be included in this list. Firstly he is a guitarist's guitarist. He has reached a robotic level not comparable to humans. He is easily the 'scariest' guitarist alive! He has mastered every possible style and surpassed it. He is on a league on his own.
The guy can outshred anyone with his teeth! Everyone guitarist that knows him well says he's the greatest and that includes Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Tosin Abasi just to name a few. if you asked Guthrie to play in any style he would do so to perfection and the craziest part is that he doesn't practice much at all
Guthrie at 18 and '30 seconds from Mars' guitarist at number 1. This is quite possibly the most hilarious list I have EVER seen. Anyone who honestly believes this list needs a serious psychological intervention.
Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho (April 8th 1979 - December 29th 2020) was a Finnish guitarist, composer, and vocalist. He is best known as the lead guitarist, lead vocalist, and founding member of the melodic death metal band Children of Bodom. He was also the guitarist for Sinergy, The Local Band, and Kylähullut. Compare Laiho to other fast playing guitarist. Hear how cleanly Laiho plays those complex rifs.
Herman Li is a Hong Kong-born, British Chinese musician, record producer, and lead guitarist for the British Power-Metal band Dragonforce.
Darrell Lance Abbott, also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of two bands, Pantera and Damageplan, alongside his brother, Vinnie Paul. Abbott died in 2004 after he was shot by a mentally unstable fan. I agree... The ability that he had to use harmonics make a guitar squeal was amazing.
Just cover some of his song and you will understand!
Why isn't he in the top 10?