Guitar/Metal
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Heavy Metal is a genre of music that stemmed from rock in the late 70's. Today, there are many sub-genres of heavy metal that share similarities and differences. Guitars in heavy metal are almost always distorted and are often downtuned.
Contents |
[edit] Techniques
These are some techniques that are mostly unique to metal or hard rock.
[edit] Power Chords
A major element of heavy metal is the use of power chords. Standard tuning of a guitar is (from the thickest string to the thinnest) E,A,D,G,b,e Power chords in this tuning can be performed as follows:
e|----------------| A power chord consists of a root note, its higher octave, and the lower note's fifth. b|----------------| G|----------------| D|2-5-7---2-5-7---| <-----Octave A|2-5-7---2-5-7---| <-----Fifth E|0-3-5---0-3-5---| <-----Root
Not always, however, does a power chord have to have an octave. It may be simply the root and fifth.
[edit] Drop D and Drop Tunings
In dropped tunings, such as dropped D (D,A,D,G,b,e), power chords are more easily played by lowering the bottom (thickest) string two notes. In dropped D, this note is a D. The same riff, transposed and played in dropped D follows:
e|----------------| b|----------------| G|----------------| D|2-5-7---2-5-7---| <-----Octave A|2-5-7---2-5-7---| <-----Fifth D|2-5-7---2-5-7---| <-----Root
Playing in this tuning makes it possible to use only one finger to fret all three strings, allowing faster and more complex riffing.
[edit] Palm Muting
Also, in metal, palm muting plays a large role, although it is also used in other genres. Palm muting is placing the side of your palm, while playing, close to or on the bridge, and lightly muting the strings. This, combined with heavy distortion, creates a thick, "chug" sound. Just one example of this occurs in DevilDriver's "I Dreamed I Died."
X's are placed on the line underneath notes which are to be muted.
C#|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|0--------------00-0-0-3=========|0--------------00-0-0-6=========|
F#|0--------------00-0-0-3=========|0--------------00-0-0-6=========|
B|0--------------00-0-0-3=========|0--------------00-0-0-6=========|
xx x x xx x x
[edit] Pinch Harmonics
Used in lots of kinds of metal, but more in death metal or extreme metal, pinch harmonics create a "screaming" or "squealing" sound. They are sometimes referred to as "Squealies," and mostly are played on the higher strings of the guitar. To perform a pinch harmonic usually requires the use of a plectrum, or pick. The technique involves holding the pick between the thumb and index, lower on the thumb than normal. By doing this, the bottom of the thumb is closer to the strings, and when a note is hit, the thumb should barely touch the vibrating string. This can normally only be heard while the guitar is distorted.
e|----------------| b|----------------| G|----------------| D|3-2-3-2-3-2-3*--| Often, pinch harmonics are shown by placing an asterisk next to the note that is a harmonic. A|3-2-3-2-3-2-----| D|3-2-3-2-3-2-----|
[edit] Exercises
Here are some tabs that will help you train and condition your fingers.
[edit] Power Chords
Here's a basic power chord sequence, no palm muting.
e|----------------------------------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-6-9-5-| A|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-6-9-5-| D|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-6-9-5-|
Here's a similar riff, a little harder.
e|----------------------------------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-3-5-6-0-5-3-6-0-101213| <-\ A|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-3-5-6-0-5-3-6-0-101213| <-Understand this is "10", "12", 13" D|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-3-5-6-0-5-3-6-0-101213| <-/
An even tougher riff, using palm muting.
e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------4-------------5-7-8-----------5-7-8-|
D|003-2-1-001-2-3-003-2-1-003-4-3-003-6-3-005-7-8-0-5-3-6-0-5-7-8-|
A|003-2-1-001-2-3-003-2-1-003-2-3-003-6-3-003-5-6-0-5-3-6-0-3-5-6-|
D|003-2-1-001-2-3-003-2-1-003---3-003-6-3-00------0-5-3-6-0-------|
xx xx xx xx xx xx x x
A riff that requires clever use of fingers:
B|----------------|
F#|----------------|
D|--------------7-|
A|----------------|
E|223-5-3-6-3-225-|
A|223-5-3-6-3-22--|
xx xx
[edit] Fast Riffing
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e|--------------------------------| Remember to start slowly and build up speed once you understand the riff.
B|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|----------5-----------5-0-3/6---|
D|0-3-6-0-6---0-3-6-0-6---0-3/6---|
x x x x x x x x x
e|--------------------------------|
b|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|0-0-0-3/6-0-0-0-----0-1/3-0-1---| Note: You may find it easier to slide from 3 to 6 with your middle finger
A|0-0-0-3/6-0-0-0-----0-1/3-0-1---| rather than your index.
D|0-0-0-3/6-0-0-0-3/6-0-1/3-0-1---|
x x x x x x x ^^^
Hold note
This riff does not only involve power chords:
e|--------------------------------|
b|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|----2---1---2-----------5-2-2-3-|
D|2-2---2---2---2-2-2-2-2-5-2-2-3-|(x2)
x x x x x x x x x x x
e|--------------------------------|
b|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|----0-------0-------------------|
A|----0---4---0-----------3-0-0-1-|
D|0-0---0-6-0---0-0-0-0-0-3-0-0-1-|(x2)
x x x x x x x x x x x
[edit] Pinch Harmonics
[edit] Metal Styles
This section should explain some differences between many genres of metal and provide example riffs in the style of each.
[edit] Progressive Metal
Progressive metal tends to use long, dramatic song structures as well as unusual time signatures. Typically progressive metal draws influence from both metal and progressive rock. There is no defining progressive metal sound, and many progressive metal bands also fit within other genres. Some examples include Neurosis, Fates Warning, Dream Theater and Opeth.
[edit] Death Metal
Death metal evolved out of thrash metal. Death metal tends to use alot of dramatic tempo and key changes as well as atonal chromatic riffing. The genre is famous for its distinct vocal style; called the "death grunt" which is a low, growling form of singing that often make lyrics very hard to make out. Some examples include Origin, Necrophagist, Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Deicide, Behemoth and Death.
B|--------------------------------| G|--------------------------------| D|--------------------------------| A|--------------------------------| E|----4---3-----------4---3-------| B|2-3---3---2-0-1-2-3---3---2-0-1-|
[edit] Black Metal
Black metal is death metal's faster, grimmer sounding cousin. Instead of focusing on being as heavy as possible black metal tends to focus on atmospheric riffs. Some black metal uses keyboards to add a symphonic sound. Some examples of black metal include Dimmu Borgir, Darkthrone, Burzum, Emperor, Gorgoroth and Celtic Frost.
[edit] Grindcore
Grindcore started as a form of screamcore and consisted of mainly highs, but has now evolved into one of the most brutal genres in the metal scene because of the dropped tuning used (mainly drop A) extremely low growls, pig squeals and highs. Such bands are, The Partisan Turbine, Implosive Disgorgence, and Chelsea Grin.
[edit] Speed Metal
Speed metal, as the name indicates, focuses greatly on speed, so much that the entire song can be composed solely by shredding. A very good example would be Dragonforce. A complaint of this is the same as complaints of shredding in general, which is the possible loss of tonal quality and a lack of melodic structure. Speed metal was a commonly used name for early thrash and fast power metal.
[edit] Thrash Metal
Thrash metal started as a hybrid of speed metal and thrash, an offshoot of hardcore punk. Thrash metal tends to employ fast, gallop picked rhythms and complex, technical parts. Some examples of thrash metal are Slayer, Anthrax, Metallica, early Sepultura and Metal Church. Some examples of thrash/thrashcore/crossover thrash are Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, Stormtroopers of Death, Municipal Waste and Charles Bronson.
[edit] Alternative/Groove Metal
Groove metal/post-thrash evolved out of thrash metal. Groove metal bands tend to include slow, chunky riffs alongside more thrash oriented riffs. Groove metal was rather successful during the mid-90s and spawned nu-metal. Some examples of groove metal are Pantera, DevilDriver, later Sepultura and Lamb of God.
[edit] Metalcore
Metalcore is hardcore punk with metal influences. Metalcore evolved in New York. As New York Hardcore bands added beatdown parts and gradually added more and more metal influences the common 'tough guy' sound became more and more heavy. Some metalcore bands are Shai Hulud, Botch, Killswitch Engage and Throwdown.
