Here Today... Gone To Hell!

I'm not an expert thats why I want to know.  But when people talk of BBF or Buckethead, they are called shedders, because they can play very fast, but then  what are Slash and Finck ... conventional players?  Can someone people explain the difference?

Bluesy is thrown around often when describing Slash and Finck.

You've basically said it yourself. What don't you understand?

I don't see Finck as a naturally bluesy player, given his previous work, not shredding does not equal bluesy in my opinion.

IF his solo in Better isn't bluesy, I don't know what is!  :D

BBF and BH generally play at speeds that would be considered shredding. Slash would generally be considered blues rock. He has a blues approach to soloing (pentatonic scales, lots of emotive bends, legato, highly melodic) but in the context of the song they are rock solos. From a guitar playing approach blues and rock soloing are similiar but listening to the music there is a clear difference. Now and again he will do something completely different such as in Double Talkin' Jive where he uses the Phyrigian scale to give a flamenco spanish feel. He is an extremely versatile player as evident by all his guest spots with various artists

As for Finck, I don't know much of his stuff outside GnR but on the new songs that we've heard his solos have a lot of the same properties as Slash.

BH and BBF generally play extremely fast alternate picking, legato, sweep picking, tapping, etc. to create flurries of notes. They might use some way-out scales rather than sticking to pentatonics. Having said that they are better than most shredders because they are still melodic and retain some sense of structure. However, both are clearly capable of Slash's type of playing as is evident with BH's solo in There Was A Time, which is much more blues rock than shred. The same for Madagascar. So to label BH as merely a shredder is a bit unfair.  I haven't heard any of BBF contributions obviously but I suspect he is similiarly versatile.

Fincks stuff in NIN was mainly power chords and octaves, not very dynamic playing by any means, i suppose the move to more rock based music in GNR allows him to play with a more bluesy style as far a soloing goes. Finck is also a versatile player, but not as much as BBF in terms of the things he writes.

What is cool to about Slash vs. a Player like say Zakk Wylde is the amount of Notes Slash will use at his disposal that encompass much more than just pentatonic.  He hits the blues notes and other Chromatic notes.  Slash also plays in a mode, intentionally or unintentionally at times as well. 

Bumble and Bucket are often building on what Slash does.  Playing 3 to 4 notes per string and blazing runs.  Or playing something that Slash would play, but just a much higher speed.  When you can't really sing the solo anymore, I guess you may be shredding.  ha!  Bumble and Bucket have a lot of classic 80's moves that YJMalmsteen, Vai, Satriani, EVH, and Paul Gilbert employ.  Slash comes from the Jimmy Page/ Joe Perry school but with more modern/pure chops. 

Fink, though can play Slash stuff, is far from a musical level of say a Slash.  I think Slash musically is way beyond his ability to play.  I think he is on virtuoso level of thought, but his hands can't move that fast!  Ha!..

Listen to Ain't life Grand close and you can hear some shred there.