| I have always talked about how universal music is, | | | | you need to be able to keep up with it. |
| and when it comes to metal, it can be as universal as | | | | When I was a kid I got involved in a metal band that |
| you want it to be. A lot of people shrug and don't | | | | was way out of my league. As a lead guitarist, I |
| think that it is, but they are quite wrong. | | | | naturally spend more time working on fast solos, and |
| A good place to start would be to study a little bit of | | | | not rhythms. I tried to play these complicated |
| the approach to rock guitar. Metal, like rock, uses a | | | | rhythms, while trying to keep up with our drummer, |
| lot of power chords and a lot of the same scales and | | | | who was a bit of a legend in the area. It stressed |
| modes, but because metal is more adaptable to | | | | my picking hand out so much that it took me about |
| different genres of music, it can include any number | | | | three months of TLC to repair it and bring it back to |
| of modes or chord structures. | | | | its old self. |
| This article has to be vague because there are so | | | | I would suggest sitting down with a metronome and |
| many different forms that heavy metal comes in. | | | | working on riding the low E string, or A string, in |
| You have speed metal, thrash metal, black metal, alt | | | | sixteenths. This will get your picking hand loosened up |
| metal, death metal, neo-classical metal, Black metal, | | | | and give it some added strength. Practice doing this |
| Power metal, Goth metal, Jazz metal, and even Polka | | | | will palm muting and without palm muting, but start at |
| metal. In all reality that list is very tiny, as new forms | | | | a very, very slow tempo. |
| of the musical movement are constantly being | | | | 4. Scales and Modes |
| recognized. | | | | I personally have always thought that when it comes |
| Still, all of these forms of metal have a similar core | | | | to modes in heavy metal, everything is fair game. |
| foundation, and its just ahead that we're going to | | | | The Major scale, Major Pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, |
| talk about this foundation. | | | | Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Phrygian, and the |
| 1. Rhythm Guitar | | | | Exotic Scales are excellent for guitar leads in metal. |
| In a lot of metal songs, a common theme is to ride | | | | Lead guitarists who play metal tend to be quite the |
| one string and insert chords where desired. By riding | | | | achievers, so you should probably take the time to |
| a string, I mean to pick that string multiple times | | | | learn every scale and mode available. |
| while inserting chords (typically power chords) at | | | | 5. Technique |
| different times throughout a riff. A lot of rhythm | | | | Heavy metal guitar also boasts its fair share of |
| guitarists try to do this with down strokes, but I | | | | techniques. Not only that, but it actually dominates |
| highly advise you to correct this and start using | | | | these techniques. Here's a small list.a) alternate |
| alternate picking. This will allow you to produce some | | | | pickingb) string skippingc) tappingd) legatoe) sweep |
| intense and fast rhythms. It is also quite common to | | | | pickingf) economy picking |
| palm mute the string that a guitarist is riding. When I | | | | There are also many more, not so common hybrid |
| say palm mute, I mean to literally rest the palm of | | | | techniques, like sweep legato, or string skip tapping. |
| your picking hand on the string, muffling the string to | | | | 6. Classical Music |
| get a good crunch. The palm is generally laid close to | | | | Classical music is a huge influence for the world of |
| the bridge of the guitar. | | | | metal. It is very important to listen to classical music, |
| 2. Stops and rhythm accents | | | | and study its nature. For instance, Counterpoint is a |
| With the above approach to playing rhythm guitar in | | | | Baroque approach to playing two melodies that has |
| heavy metal, a lot of complicated rhythm structures | | | | resurfaced in the metal community in recent years. It |
| are often created. It is common for a metal guitarist | | | | would also appear that a lot of predominant |
| to insert a lot of stops in their rhythm structure. The | | | | metalguitarists are quite fond of J.S. Bach, and this |
| rhythms are typically always changing, creating | | | | certainly does not exclude the ever famous Yngwie |
| elaborate and interesting riffs. I always think of the | | | | Malmsteen. |
| rhythm guitar in a metal song as being very | | | | Conclusion |
| percussive. If you take the time to familiarize | | | | Metal is one of the most ambitious styles of music |
| yourself with what a drummer is doing in a metal | | | | out their. There is a lot to learn, but start small and |
| band, then this will make better sense to you. | | | | know that you will eventually have finished climbing |
| 3. Metronome | | | | the mountain. This is also inspiring, because if you |
| That's right - use a metronome. If you are just | | | | reach the top of that mountain and decide to study |
| starting out, you'd be wise to practice metal rhythms | | | | a new genre of music, you'll be very much prepared. |
| with a metronome. The rhythm has to be tight, | | | | Alex Skolnick who was the former lead guitarist for |
| because metal is actually a very sophisticated for of | | | | Testament did just this, and mostly plays Jazz guitar |
| music. Often times the drummer is playing very fast, | | | | now. You can be assured that he makes an amazing |
| and is usually using the double bass pedal on a drum | | | | Jazz guitarist. Keep rockin'! |
| set. These guys can really lay it on the bass drum, so | | | | |