Matteo Mancuso says modern guitar players reach fluency on the instrument faster, thanks to online resources. But that has also made many players focus less on musicality and more on shredding to grow and maintain their social media following.
The 28-year-old virtuoso discussed the benefits and pitfalls of social media In a new interview with Guitar World. In particular, he says guitarists tend to shred because it gets a positive response from their followers.
"That’s why people on Instagram tend to focus on that," he says. For that matter, he says, "They tend to focus more on Instagram reels rather than actual music."
Indeed, due to the fast-paced nature of social media, many users swipe away from a reel after a few seconds if it doesn’t grab their attention. If players pulling out their biggest and boldest tricks tend to outperform those performing with subtlety and nuance, others will feel they need to do likewise.
“I always say, 'Never judge a guitar player by a short reel',” Mancuso continues. “But to make it work, you have to do really short videos with a lot of 'Wow.' People tend to concentrate too much on the 'Wow.'”
Mancuso already had admirers in Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, and Al Di Meola by the time he launched his debut album, The Journey, last year. However, while he can shred circles around most of his peers, his dynamism with the electric guitar, more than his acrobatics, has seen his reputation flourish.
He points to guidance he received from Vai as being key to his outlook. "Steve gave me some good advice: ‘Concentrate on music and not too much on guitar.’ You can open up a lot of new ideas with that mindset.”
While Mancuso occasionally uploads short eye-catching videos to his Instagram, "they’re not to be associated with my musical offerings," he says. "They’re separate things."
Mancuso's comments harmonize with recent points made by Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher about how the current crop of players have an easier entry into learning the instrument. But he too feels too many over-shred simply because they can.
“There's a lot more information out there now when you're starting, for equipment, what it does and what you should be doing,” he says. “Tips for this, videos for that. They'd have a sleepless night thinking about what we used to be. I don't know how we got by.”
However, after his son called him out for not being able to shred, he responded in a typically priceless fashion, saying: “Thank the fucking Lord.”
David Gilmour, in his early days as a player, recently told Rick Beato that his inability to shred forced him to be a more tuneful guitarist. It paid dividends in forging his now instantly recognizable signature style.
That’s two big-name players echoing Mancuso’s sentiments.
So while players may find it easier to master the guitar today, knowing when to shred, and when to be a little more tasteful will forever be a tightrope they have to walk.
Mancuso released his tribute to Paul Gilbert, a song called Paul Poisiton, earlier this year as he continues to – tastefully – showcase his talents.
