NGW 2008 Shred-Off Winner Alden Marchand

[iluvyu2127]

this 51yr old man thinks U are absolutly fantastic!!!!!!!

[Justice4themeek]

The first kid had some licks. Im not a hater but its got to be clean or you have not my attention

[danmenez]

Cool. A lot of nothing

[bman462]

not a fan of the tone

[Rasts]

SEEEEAAA TURLTES



[DrunkOnARoof]

the only real downside of it to me is it kinda sounds the same alot :p ohwell fuckin awesum hahaha

[cattarest]

thers no flavor!!!!

[dankspanktank]

yeah that got a bit boring after 5 minutes of it, I would rather hear PG do it lol, he's cleaner, so I guess you'd say this sounds like an intoxicated PG

[Rasts]

I was there for this. James Hogan and Terry looking like some bamfs.

[aldeniw]

Just wanted to say I don't agree or disagree with anybody's opinion on this video. It's hard to evaluate since i'm listening to myself. However if you want to see if I still suck, check out my newer videos on this channel. Let me know what you think!

[D1vid3By0]

@aldeniw

Far from sucking, but i would automatically give you +4 points if you were using an ibanez.

[prsfrank]

What exactly was the point of that. Apart from everything sounding like a bee in a honey pot.

Guitar playing is not a competitive sport its and art form, and if yo you can play at 1000 BPM who gives a shit , its boring and completely unemotional.

[TheKnightCAR]

@prsfrank actually, for some it is. playing fast is the ultimate expression of time spent learning your instrument. Why wouldn't someone who spent thousands of hours deliberately practicing not want to show what they have developed. so yeah, for some, it is a really big deal.

if you think its unemotional, gtfo of here. no one picks up an instrument and plays with out projecting how they're feeling at the time. Fact.

[Shredwizard445]

I would have have atleast made the top 2 if not won this competition

[pbandj718]

man, you suck

[Drew927]

kick ass kid

[oneman1970]

good job yngwie u just looked so young here...cmon everybody..really .this kids good but whats the grade on originality? A+ or F-?

[firefoxx22]

Hes good but he is like a faster, less emtional version of malmsteen

[toml71]

I would have like to see Joey go at it also. He's good also.

[Deanosius]

Sounded like he was playing the same lick over & over - Rubbish!

[aldeniw]

@Deanosius

It's true.. I was 16 and not what one would think of as a fully developed player. I like to think I'm quite a bit better now, but you'd likely disagree ;)

[Ricsic6]

Bet if you asked these guys to play what there playing at half the speed, they'd mess it up completely. They just seem to shred patterns and nothing more..

[huggybear8374]

@Ricsic6 what can you play?

[Ricsic6]

@huggybear8374 Music. I'll leave the fast picked patterns to you guy s :)

[huggybear8374]

@Ricsic6 oo so modes and arpeggios arent music thats very astute of you. if you can play music post a video so we can see your superior "music" abilities. troll

[kar98ksniper]

why he win?

[aldeniw]

I have a new video up of this past summer's shred off which in my opinion was much better. Check it out if you are interested (or if you think i suck and want to see if i've improved :P)!

[circleofpit]

i checked this vid; your alternate picking is better than simon's, but he made his playing more interesting- made blocks with more or less melodic sense; so that's what i recommend you to do, too, because for the spectator like me it's more interesting when you do some other parts in between, build tension and do the fastest parts on the top and then you blow them away

[frantic1337]

u suck donkey dicks

[aldeniw]

Ah, very keen observation! What competitions have you won? Most devastatingly original insult of all time? Man, I've said this many times before but I will repeat it again; if you don't have any examples of your own playing, keep your infantile remarks to yourself, no matter how much you desire to voice your truly meaningful opinions.

[frantic1337]

soz buddy u still suck donkey dicks :/

[huggybear8374]

@frantic1337 you dont like dick what are you straight?

fucking faggot dicks rule

[junkyjuice21]

wow, I think I could have won that! No offense to Alden he's pretty shredtastic.

[aldeniw]

I am in a band and i also do solo recordings, however i don't have any material recorded at this time (still learning). I will send you material when it is done if desired.

[aldeniw]

You have a son? Seems a little immature to make sex jokes at your age. Ok, nice to hear your life story. Thanks for the wishes.

[huggybear8374]

better than you dude, my buddy alden here could rape you

[avalon1919]

rehtafsedaj777  yes write a song

[aldeniw]

I like how mentally challenged folks like yourself neglect to acknowledge the fact that this was a shredding competition. If i had performed a song, nothing would've come of it. If you have no songs of your own or examples of your playing you should keep your childish comments to yourself.

[isk8girlsowhat]

i roomed with this kid for a week at berklee guitar sessions. hes pretty damn good

[DividedXweXstand]

lol i was there also, it was a damn close shred off.

i had a pro tools class with alden, he said the kid who won blew him away.

[roeslover]

wow I feel like I never left

[almostam97]

fu jeff whyd you hawk a loogie on me douche

[almostam97]

omg red shirt??????????? which guitar did yu have

[almostam97]

lol who is this, i waas there tooo

[ronaldo581]

i love this man.. it's awesome you have guts..

[MetalGearREX093]

Nice Alden...we gotta shred brooooo

[r0kas]

new jeff loomis?

[Gibson1423]

wow. this kid won? me and my friend are 10 times better than this, and we are 15. he is way too sloppy. its good, but he should not have won

[aldeniw]

Sweet dude! I look forward to hearing your playing soon! We should have a shred off, are you up for that?

[Gibson1423]

yea sure. when do you wanna have it?

[aldeniw]

Whenever man, I just have to hear your epic shredding skills man, put some videos up!

[Gibson1423]

epic shreddin skills? i never said tht. i said me and my friend are better than this kid. and personally i dont think he should have fun. he was really good, but not good enough to win

[aldeniw]

Oh, well you agreed to have a shred off so I made the assumption that you must be a shredder. Hmm you don't think I should have fun? Really now?

[Gibson1423]

no i personally do not. sry

[aldeniw]

It's all good man, thanks for the feedback nonetheless. I just really want to hear you and you friends' playing now!

[Gibson1423]

k we will put some videos up as soon as i buy a camera. no hard feelings?

[aldeniw]

great! hard feelings? this is youtube man, you can't take anything you hear seriously.

[agugugachu]

yo man are you doing the one in purchase this year? if so, im fucked lol

[aldeniw]

i would but i don't think they'll let me do it again, i've improved a lot since that video anyway.

[agugugachu]

actually my friend did won 1st in LA last year and this year he competed again. they gave him a full scholarship for next year in lieu of another parker (though i dont think the parker was even offered as a prize this year).

[trionz420]

i had syreks class w him hes a lil faggot

[mattrsg1]

AHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Nohimn]

dualistslipknot doesn't know what he's talking about. In a shred competition, the goal is to show technical mastery of the instrument, not necessarily musical aptitude. However, I find that the style of this guitarist suggests intense musical aptitude, considering his choice of licks. The dissonance in a lot of the licks definitely provides the "what the fuck?" sound matched by the "holy shit" finger technique is definitely what won him this competition.

[Rigo009]

the second part was better than the first

[Rasts]

Who here likes SEATURTLES?

[zzackcc]

SEATURTLES!

[aldeniw]

Seriously, before you insult my playing and talk about melody, maybe you should listen to some music that actually has some melody.. Come on, slipknot? I recommend Wintersun, Ensiferum, Windir, Týr, and Moonsorrow. Listen to them and then you can talk to me about melody.

[trex257]

Hey Andy, I think you did a great job man. It takes a lot of balls to get up there and shred it out with a bunch of other guys, and then win it all to boot. So props bud. Can I ask one question though? Is that your normal tone, because in the video it is a little harsh and trebley sounding. It may just be the recording but it sounds like it has way to much high end. Other than that, you rocked the house man.

[aldeniw]

Thanks for the props man.. And no, we had to use the equipment that was up there already, my tone is pretty articulate and balanced with no harsh trebles.

[trex257]

Yeah, those competitions are usually like that. At least it looks like you got to use your own guitar, at least I'm guessing. I saw other guys using different guitars. Out of the vids that I have seen from this contest, you were definitely the best player. You kept it interesting and didn't play one like 40 times over and over and tried to mix it up some. That helped a lot I am sure. Congrats again.

[TheEternalTriumphant]

If you TRULY believe that all he is playing is "a bunch of notes all over the place," you have an undeveloped ear. This is why you insist on "melody": unless you can readily recognize something, you think it's random. In other words, you're a typical listener. For the record, I am not saying he IS being melodic. I am telling you he is doing something ELSE, and its point is not melodiousness. You'd probably call virtuosic soloing by Van Halen and Rhoads "a bunch of notes," too.

[aldeniw]

dude, who the hell do you think you are? you don't know a single thing about me, don't go around the internet making assumptions. if you're looking for melody you shouldn't be listening to slipknot, this was a competition and speed for speed's sake. ugh ignorance is starting to piss me off

[jayco4]

theyre great but id love to see gilbert up there showing them whats what. hah but these guys are pretty fucking good.

[Pierre61]

Bored of arpeggios ... come on guys... you've such talent... make people's souls weep.

[aldeniw]

it was a shredding competition buddy, not exactly the place to waste time on soulful playing (which of course can be amazing in the right situation). thanks for watching.

[ConnorShawMusic]

sweet!!great job!!!

[MetalGearREX093]

Yeah ALDEN, FUCKING AWESOME BRO...we gotta jam

[majav15mg]

That was excellent. And you have good vibrato ;-)

[Ragefall]

That's not talent honestly. Thats a lot of time and practice.

[aldeniw]

Hey buddy, yes, it is indeed a lot of time and practice but i'd appreciate it if you'd read what i've said to other people. If you want to see talent, wait for my demo to be released or listen to some real metal like Wintersun instead of rubbish like Killswitch Engage and Atreyu. Thank you!

[Kerros9292]

Ragefall, you're right man. Covering Trivium and KSE songs is fucking pro though. I'm dead serious, you have my support 100%. Fool.

[L337SK337Z]

som1 w/no talent couldnt play it ? honestly

[Ragefall]

I know the guy is a lot better then just playing fast but if ANYONE picks up a guitar and devotes a lot of time to it they can do the same thing not trying to bash on the dude.

[Wumbum311]

i feel like thats how it goes for most talents, right?

[jimrox9000]

BOOO stop being so good lol ;)

[NeoGodHand]

that was awesome but dammit i wish he was more flexible than that....going back and forth with scales is pretty boring you have to surprise the audience and show a bit more soul with it too not looking like a robot but he is very good though

[aldeniw]

Thanks for the feedback buddy! As I've said, this is nothing like my regular style, I write in a folk/viking/black/melodic death/neoclassical metal style that's much more melodic than this mindless wanking :P I'll have some songs done by the spring..

[NeoGodHand]

cool,im lookin forward to seein those,and i didnt mean anything offensive i was just pointing that stuff out but its nice to know that you are better than that BUT it was still good

[jimrox9000]

forget anyone that talks about modes and crap this was a shred off and it was awesome!

[kingofzzzz]

wow.

[Shlyclog]

i thought he was lying when he told me to look him up on youtube

[Archetype3]

Hahahaha, nice ending.

[XCNinja]

Hello :)

yes t4

[Zuberzuber]

thats  awesome but i bet for 100% its only scales scales scales. He wont play ano funky groove i tough riff etc etc.

4/5

[aldeniw]

yes! i agree.. this is not my regular style, as i have told people, this is speed for speed's sake. thank you everybody for the kudos!

[salsasnacker]

nice clean sweeps you have there mate. Most idiots miss about 3 strings in what they call a "five string arpeggio". Unfortunately I didn't go this summer. What did you win for it?

[aldeniw]

Thanks for the compliment :) If you've gone to the workshop before, i may have been in one of your classes. I won that parker P44 that i'm holding up at the end..

[SquirrelSlayerofDOOM]

Alden is so fucking sick

[k1ng92]

I was here for this. this kid is pretty good, but the 3th place guy (Graham i think) should have won. They didn't say how much he should play in the semi final round, they only said "very little" so he played for 30 seconds and then after he went they came out and said "oh, you have over a minute to play" so he obviously lost. but this kid is really good too

[agugugachu]

jesus christ which city was this in? also, do they do more than one shred-off per summer because my friend won his. you're a beast at sweeping man god damn...

[rfgedgdf]

New Milford CT

the original and best NGW

[aldeniw]

yes, it was indeed in new milford as rfgedgdf said. thank you for the compliments as well

[hardkoreholli]

Beast man..i wanna see you do it on my uke now

[survivorman4]

thats crazy

[aldeniw]

i was using the same phrase a lot that day and i sucked in the second round! don't know how i managed to win..