Check out my old bud, Terry Syrek, put on your seat belt! speed limits will be broken

[HarryJ]

I have to say in the chops up the waaahhhzzzooo department, in combination with the good sense to know when NOT to use the afore mentioned chops, my old friend and fellow longtime instructor at the National Guitar Workshop, Terry Syrek is one of the best I have ever heard.

1. Perfect Pitch ( I mean the real deal here)
2. Chops up the waaazzzooo
3. Knows when NOT to use afore mentioned chops
3. Great writer and singer as well
4. INFLECTION!!
5. That chops / waaazzzooo thing again

Terry has quite a following, and is known more for his insane speed and picking clarity... He has a superb sensitive, melodic, dynamic side that's not heard so much in these clips. You should here him whip out a real book tune...SHHH! Don't let his fans find this out!!

Over the past few years, Terry has developed a neurological condition known as Focal Dystonia, as a result he only has the use of 2 of his fretting hand fingers!
Now, I was under the impression these were from an older album, but they are all from his newest.

You may think, how sad, this has to have affected his playing? Well it has to right?
But then again... hummm... 2 fingers... who else comes to mind? :-)
Django surely seemed to manage well no?


http://www.terrysyrek.com/maharaja.mp3
http://www.terrysyrek.com/dance.mp3
http://www.terrysyrek.com/planet,mp3 (http://www.terrysyrek.com/planet.mp3)

THIS IS ALL PLAYED WITH 2 FINGERS!!!! NO BULL!

Personally, I feel, with only 2 functioning fingers, he plays better than most, No??... well better is subjective... how 'bout faster?

He is now in the process of learning how to play lefty. I'm tryin' to talk him into playing slide.

http://www.terrysyrek.com/

My rant is over... I'm hoping the rest of the world's are jus' beginning!

Harry Jacobson
www.harryj.net (http://www.harryj.net/)

[mikem]

Holy shit, just two fingers? You gotta be kidding! I have four and I couldn't play like that if I lived to be four hundred. He's a monster! It just proves something that I have long suspected- if you really want something and you have the talent and the drive, you're gonna get there!

:dude

Mike

[fig]

Wow!!!! Pretty incredible! :AOK

Greg

[fifty9 335]

Personally I cant handle that type of music but the playing technique is incredible.:RoCkIn Shredders everywhere will have to love this guy.

[HarryJ]

Not my taste in music as well, but he really has it all... he plays to his audience. His stuff is more in the prog rock genre than speed metal. His writing is the most rhythmically complex i've heard.

HJ

[johnfindlay]

Thats a blast Harry-damn freakish!-the arpeggios-hmmmm-hows that done?-I think this must be a variation on two fingers-like hammer+tapping etc.-[which I have no idea about!]

Went to his secretish website-really funny lesson stuff I found by clicking randomly.

JF

[Biaxident82]

Terry is nothing short of amazing. I took private lessons from him for roughly two years and am looking to start up again pretty soon.

His lessons were always very clear and he's just a really overall cool guy.

His album, AUM, was just released and it's pretty sweet. If you want heavy, odd-time, virtuoso technique, then you need look no further.

I'm glad that he's getting a little spotlight here.

Mike

[scottl]

Wow HJ! Thanks for posting this. Very nice listen. Hadn't heard any Terry stuff is a couple of years. Nice refresher ;)

[HarryJ]

Scott, Do you remember Terry from Berkley?

HJ

[ivers]

I remember that I stumbled onto this guys site a while ago, and was quite blown away by the immense skills on display. Not my style exactly, but can't deny his musicality and command over the instrument!

[gassyndrome]

That is mindblowing. I literally cannot believe that he's playing with only 2 fingers on this stuff.

You find something/someone amazing on this board almost every day. Makes me wanna chop up my guitars with an axe :)

[HarryJ]

2 fingers or 17 fingers... when ya got it ya got it

HJ

[HarryJ]

Kinna funny,
Terry makes everything LOOK very easy, as so many truly gifted folks do.
He uses pretty scary hybrid picking techniques.

Pretty sure he has an old instructional video out, albeit not the best example of his playin' IMHO
HJ

[HarryJ]

BUMP!
Gotta be some folks who missed this

HJ

[scottl]

Hey Harry,

I don't remember Terry from Berklee. Was he there when I was? 87-90

[HarryJ]

You may have just missed him?
Or would there be an overlap at '89?
He graduated in '92

People used to gather in front of his practice room. Years later, they did the same at the National Guitar Workshop

Link to his bio:
http://www.terrysyrek.com/doorway2.html

HJ

[scottl]

HJ,

There were the "jazz" practice room crowds and the "not jazz" practice room crowds. I was in the former ;) I probably would not have noticed Terry since I was hanging or checking out cats like Danilo Perez, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Donny McCaslin, Matt Garrison, Skuli Sevrisson, Roy Hargrove, Tomo!, etc.... Too bad for me as he is a killer and I would have loved to jam with him!

[Noah]

I just caught this post... I found a copy of the "Shred is not Dead" instructional video by Terry Syrek. I'm sure he's a really nice guy and can play great, but he's really very sloppy on this video. I don't mean anything personal by it of course. I just thought for an instructional video it's strange that he doesn't even make it through most of his own licks.

[jmcerlain]

Just thought I'd chime in and say that Terry has always been an insane player. And one of my good friends since Berklee. Scott he was there the same time as you and I. That's where we met he actually lived next door to me, he stayed to himself alot and practiced constantly. I never had that kind of dedication, still don't. :rolleyes: Terry is also one of the best guys I know, I guess that is why we are still friends.

It's funny, I started teaching at the National Guitar Workshop ( with Harry J) after Berklee and they kept on giving me all the metal classes, all these students wanted to know all that tapping and shred stuff. Frankly I was OK at it but my head wasn't there, so when they asked me to recommend a teacher I said "I think I know the guy". It saved my ass and got them one of the best teachers they ever had.

Other great players, teacher and guys I worked with at the NGW. Harry Jacobson, Angus Clark, David Hamburger, Pat Bergeson, Chris Amelar ( I actually have known Chris since High Shcool) Michael Barnes to name a few.

[gennation]

Even with 4 finger that's "hell on a fretboard"!

Wow! Great control too. Thanks for posting those.