What is Neo-Classical Metal

8/8/2019 What is Neo-Classical Metal

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What is Neo-classical metal?

Neo-classical metal takes its name from a broad conception of classical music. In this it is aconcept distinct from how neoclassicism is understood within the classical music tradition.Neoclassical music usually refers to the movement in musical modernism in which composersgained influence from the Classical period. This period roughly spans the years from 1750 to

1810 with the best known composers of strictly classical music including Mozart and Haydn andalso Beethoven during the early part of his career before he laid the musical foundations of theromantic movement in music. The classical period was a time in which rigidly structured musicalforms such as the sonata, symphony and string quartet were developed. Musical Neoclassicismdeveloped roughly a century after the end of the classical period and peaked during the years inbetween the two World Wars. It was a reaction against late 19th and early 20th Centuryromanticism as embodied in the works of composers such as Richard Wagner and GustavMahler who had stretched both musical language and musical form to produce massive workswhere the limits of tonality were broken. Neoclassical composers include both Igor Stravinsky[2]and Paul Hindemith[3] who fused elements from the Classical period, such as a "commonpractice" harmony and strict adherence to form, with their own unique "advanced" harmonicvocabularies and rhythmic variety.

On the other hand, neo-classical metal music does not restrict itself to a return to classicalaesthetic ideals, such as equilibrium and formalism. Its influences include both the Romanticmusical period and the Baroque period[1] of the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenthcenturies. The music of late Baroque composers such as Vivaldi, Handel and Bach was oftenhighly ornate. Neo-classical metal musicians such as Yngwie J. Malmsteen are inspired by thisaspect of Baroque music[1], and also by later virtuoso composers such as the violinist NiccolPaganini in using runs and other decorative and showy techniques in their performances.

Neo-classical metal music thus looks to classical music as broadly understood by the generalpublic and not to the more specialist technical definition used within classical circles. Because ofits breadth of influence and avoidance of simplicity, neo-classical metal music is not a form of

Neoclassicism by its traditional definition. Due to this confusion, some see the label "neo-classical" as improper, misleading and even pretentious.

Origins of Neo-classical metal

The 1980s saw the birth and rise of neo-classical metal as a distinct subgenre[1], althoughclassical influences could be heard in the compositions and improvisations of prominentmusicians from the earliest beginnings of heavy metal throughout its evolution. Early classicalinfluences within hard rock and heavy metal are most notably found in the playing of RitchieBlackmore[1], Uli Jon Roth, and Randy Rhoads[1]. The styling existed mainly with guitarists butwas also present with other instrumentalists such as keyboardist Rick Wakeman. Before the1980s musical expression on guitar was confined to a blues approach from most guitar players

in the hard rock and heavy metal genre.Heavy metal guitar technique developed rapidly from its late-'60s beginnings to its late-'80speak, but prior to the 1980s, few metal guitarists displayed the advanced technical proficiencywhich is a hallmark of the neo-classical metal style. The popularization and growth of neo-classical metal is closely related to the ascension of the guitar "shredding" movement[1], asmany neo-classical metal guitarists took inspiration from virtuoso classical musicians such asNiccolo Paganini and Frederic Chopin.


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The "golden age" of neo-classical metal in the middle to late 1980s revolved around the sizableroster of flashy electric-guitar soloists who recorded mostly instrumental albums for MikeVarney's Shrapnel Records label. Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, widely regarded as theoriginator and still-reigning king of neo-classical metal,[1][4] was brought to the United States byVarney to sign with Shrapnel Records in 1982. Malmsteen drew influence from both rock andclassical idioms from a young age in developing his hyper-amplified, hyper-fast technique on the

electric guitar; Malmsteen's style in turn inspired countless imitators from the moment hisearliest Shrapnel recordings appeared.Many subsequent Shrapnel artists, including Tony Macalpine[1], Vinnie Moore[1], Paul Gilbert,Joey Tafolla, David T. Chastain, Jason Becker[1], and Marty Friedman[1], emerged in the latter'80s as exemplars of the neo-classical style. Virtually all these guitarists adhered in great degreeto the stylistic forms pioneered by Malmsteen[1].The Baroque and Classical periods have been particularly influential to the genre because oftheir unique sound and techniques that blend into a rock setting effectively. Some of thetechniques used include counterpoint and pedal point.

The Ornamentation Techniques in Neo Classical MetalShredding

Sweep-pickingTappingLegato

Shredding- What is shredding?Is a highly controversial subject, as people define it in many different ways.In words of Guitarist Joe Satriani The real meaning of shredding is music that pushes itsboundaries. Normally people define shredding as a combination of all the above mentionedtechniques. I disagree with that as shredding the term was 1st mentioned when YngwieMalmsteen 1st played in the US and was claimed to shred guitars, He had no clue of what itmeant at that time. Yngwies playing was largely tremolo styled alternate picking. If thesetechniques are heard individually they all can be named by their individual names other then fast

alternate picking which is always described as shredding.Shredding is the most aggressive technique used for ornamentation on guitar, as each note ispicked and the attack on each note gives it its aggressive nature.Shredding has been very common in classical, country, jazz fusion and mostly in Spanishclassical styles of guitar playing. For guitar players like Al de Meola and Paco De luciashredding has been their primary choice for ornamentation in their music. In Rock shreddingwas distinctly heard 1st on Yngwie Malmsteens record Rising Force.

Sweep-picking Guitar players have used this technique for a many decades for a desired effectof instantaneous flurry of notes. This technique was not used to base motifs on. This techniquewas used to overcome big arpeggios on the guitar, with the right hand strumming the strings asthe left plays the arpeggios. The technique was used by Yngwie to play arpeggios that were

originally written for violins on guitar, It was 1 st used in rock by him in the early 1980s.

Tapping Tapping is the technique in which the player uses the right hand to play the notes onthe fret board, by hitting the fret. The technique has been used on guitar for many decades, itsorigins can be traced to a style of playing on a Turkish string instrument. Jimmy Webster in the40's developed this method of playing guitar by means of 'two-handed tapping' on the strings,using the left hand mainly for chords or bass notes, and the right hand for melody. This method


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was later adapted for The Chapman Stick, an instrument developed especially for thistechnique. In rock it was 1st used by Eddie Van Halen on the single Eruption.

Legato Legato in guitar vocabulary means that every note is not picked, this technique isopposite to shredding. It gives a smooth flowing effect in the phrases. It is opted by many guitarplayers as its not as harsh and aggressive sounding like shredding. Most new guitar players

now days use this for expression also with the rise of Jazz Fusion has let to this becoming acommon sound.

Causes for the downfall of Neo-Classical MetalComplicated Music This form of music is harder to compose, play and perform than most otherforms of music. As this deprived a lot of people from being able to recreate it. This cause mayhave contributed to the rise of grunge and downfall of metal as grunge is far simpler and henceit receives a lot of repertoire in turn growing the genre.Extreme gone too extreme Neo-Classical Metal was pushing the limits of performers andcomposers alike. This process was taken too far by some who gave the technique moreimportance than the overall composition as a result there were many bands playing extremelygood technical stuff but musicality suffered. Eventually this turned into Extreme Metal.

Another factor that may have affected as most people could not play this complexity they optedfor another kind of complexity rhythmic complexity resulting in what a lot of modern metal bandssound like.Technical complexity is avoided due to performance issues.

ConclusionIn recent years, appreciation of the neo-classical metal oeuvre has been largely confined toguitarists in more of an underground setting, as the style is not well known beyond the realm ofguitarists. Today, there are many more bands that contribute as a whole as opposed to the"solo" musicians in the past. Some of today's notable neo-classical metal performers areMichael Angelo Batio, Vitalij Kuprij, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Mark Wood, Joe Stump,Cacophony, Symphony X, Stratovarius, Artension, Narnia, Rhapsody of Fire, Time Requiem, At

Vance, Galneryus, Versailles, Heavenly, Concerto Moon, Adagio, Dark Moor, Warmen, andRata Blanca. Even more recently there has been a sudden burst of slight neo-classical influencewithin mainstream metal acts such as Children of Bodom, and The Human Abstract.

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What is Neo-Classical Metal