Arteconciencias: Al Di Meola: "I see a lot of young players online with such super-phenomenal technique – but very rarely do I see it in the framework of a composition"

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October 12, 2022

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Editor's Note

Al Di Meola on the next generation of players

Al Di Meola knows a thing or two about playing fast.

As Guitar World's Joe Matera notes in our new interview with the fusion guitar master, Di Meola's virtuosic guitar work has inspired many a (many thousands, that is) guitarist to spend "hours with a metronome."

When Matera asked Di Meola about his thoughts on the ever-present "speed vs. substance" debate, the guitar great took care to sing the praises of the fast, technically adept young players he often sees, before cautioning that what matters most is "how it’s all applied."

“It’s one thing to come up with a lot of fast, interesting lines which in itself is interesting, but it’s another thing to see how it will be applied within the context of a composition, and that is something that doesn’t go hand in hand," he says. "It’s like a whole separate side of a musician that you might not even have."

Food for thought from someone quite knowledgeable in the subject of "fast, interesting lines"...

Jackson Maxwell – Associate Editor, guitarworld.com

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Features

Al Di Meola: "I see a lot of young players online with such super-phenomenal technique – but very rarely do I see it in the framework of a composition"

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The fusion guitar master shares his thoughts on the next generation of players, maintaining speed on the fretboard, and what makes his '59 Gibson Les Paul the best-sounding guitar he's ever played

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