Guitar Center Master Class with Synyster Gates

As part of Guitar Center's Master Class artist program, 10 winners around the country were hand-chosen by Synyster Gates for a unique experience to sit in and experience a private master class with Synyster Gates from Avenged Sevenfold at Guitar Center, Hollywood.

[FCValle]

I find it hilarious when metalheads start criticising this guy. I mean, I study guitar and I like to play stuff from Dream Theater, Angra, Guthrie Govan, and those are very complex, yes, but now I got myself into an A7x cover gig and i'm strugling with some synyster solos. This guy is a monster, very sophisticated as guitar player and musician.

[MetalRob]

Love or Hate A7X, you have to respect this man as a guitar player.  Especially when it comes to his influence on the younger generation of players.  I would of loved to have been there!  

[bastaudio]

To everyone who's about to say he's just a mindless shredder, listen to the ballads he has written with A7X. Hell, even listening to this you can hear the melody and SOUL of what he's playing so clearly. Synyster Gates is one of the rare shredders who can actually play incredibly fast while still retaining the soul of the jazz and blues work he knows so well. People keep ripping on Avenged Sevenfold, and not to be a fanboy, but its just a bunch of trolls. They're not bound by the laws of your stupid genres. They write what they write because that's who they are. Not everyone is as bone crushing as Ola Englund's writing every day of the week, not even Ola Englund. They're a band that are open to whatever they FEEL they want to express. That is why they're an excellent group of musicians. They don't set boundaries for themselves, neither should you.

[TheSamuraiApocalypse]

Yeah, when I'm not so busy touring with Avenged Sevenfold I'll take some time to practice, thanks for the tip Brian.

[ZachHarless]

Synyster Gates needs a solo album without anyone else from A7x. He's that good at guitar. Like a Slash, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, etc.

[Britton_Thompson]

I don't care what anyone says– For my money, Synyster Gates is the best in the biz right now. The guy is just one of those rare talents that comes along once in a generation and advances the field. Listen to him when he talks about his process. I love that he basically says, "I still love playing the guitar and I always will... I need my time off to stop being 'Synyster Gates', and go be Brian Davis again– just another student of music who enjoys listening to other genres for ideas on arrangements & melodies." The rock/metal genre is a field populated with guys who've just gotten burnt-out from playing their instruments all the time and rarely pick them up during their down time away from the recording studio or the stage. Not this guy though. He's a sincere, genuine student of the art form who has a curiosity for learning more and a passion for making it happen. He's never satisfied. He always wants to learn more and push new boundaries. You've just got to love that about him!

[xGuitarInFlamesx]

It really upsets me how underrated he is. He should already be known as one of the best guitarrists ever, despite if you like avenged or not, no one ever can deny he is a beast of a player

[IvIrtn]

Greatest guitarist of our generation. Hall of famer. Guitar master. Bro I am impressed by the discipline this dude has mastered. 🤯

[sableanntrejo]

Synyster Gates is a fucking Legend. He and A7X are huge inspirations to me. 

[aaron]

rev's name is engraved on his fretboard... rip man

[crimsoncool-aid]

I'm tired of the "real" metal heads always giving Synyster Gates and the rest of a7x shit about not being metal. how the hell are these guys not metal? or that syn is nothing compared to other guitarist. gates is gonna be a fucking legend. The Rev is a drumming legend as well as synyster gates with guitar. I know if an asshole metal see's this comment he'll get pissed. but in some ways I find synyster to be better or at least on the level of dimebag darrell. they all just don't wanna admit it and they wanna get mad and call all of us avenged sevenfold fans scene and emo kids. I'm far from an emo or scene kid and Avenged sevenfold, the entire group is such a wonderful and very fucking talented metal band. they are my favorite band ever and always will be. I've been listening to them for years and years sense city of evil came out. I still love them

[Butterpants]

just came back to this years later and i finally realize how syn gets better with every album. his masterclass wasnt even about what he does. it was about how he learns. he is telling people HOW to learn and be unique at the same time. with this thought process, everyone will go down a different path and sound different, BUT everyone will be better musicians.

[mars]

I got the "Fuck up all over the place." part down pretty good. HA!

[Doozii_]

i truly believe he is one of the best guitar minds in metal for the last 20 years. So much emotion in his guitar playing, you can FEEL what hes trying to put out. Its a no brainer every time. the MASTER GATES

[loganblackfire]

Synester would make a badass high school music teacher

[peterlespaul]

Always knew Syn was damn good but didn't know he could play such insane licks.
He should really consider a solo project

[PatriotIzzy]

Incredible. Amazing guitar musician. Probably the most influential of the past decade.

[BartonOutdoors]

This guy is one of the best guitar players I have ever heard

[FartsTasteDelicious]

Damn, Papa Gates must be beyond himself as a proud Father watching Brian do this along with everything else he has accomplished.🤙🏻🔥

[thespectre]

Syn Gates is honestly the reason why I’m getting into guitar, now! The Scream solo just sounds like it’s brutal and I would love to learn it someday!