
A beginner's guide to nailing the basics of heavy metal.
Beginner
Beginner
- Understand the basics of heavy rhythm guitar.
- Learn to effectively palm mute.
- Create riffs in the style of Tony Iommi, AC/DC, and more.
When musical comedy duo Tenacious D proclaimed, "You can't kill the metal/the metal will live on," they were actually preaching some serious gospel truth. Since its genesis in the late '60s and early '70s, the genre known as heavy metal (along with its myriad offshoots and subgenres) has been one of the most consistently popular, enduring, and evolving. Because many beginner students start out by strumming cowboy chords on an acoustic steel-string, making the leap to playing metal seems as daunting as trading in a pedal tricycle for a Triumph Rocket 3. But by mastering a few basic picking-hand moves, anyone can tap into the visceral thrill and unmatched power at the heart of "The Metal"!
Progressions of Power
As amp manufacturers began incorporating more gain (aka overdrive or distortion) into their preamp stages, players altered their techniques to exploit this added sustain. Dialing up the gain meant adding overtones to your sound and this made full-voiced open chords indistinct and muddy.
A simple solution to this sonic dilemma was to pare down chords to just the root and 5. These "5" chords (also known as power chords) are harmonically ambiguous (lacking a 3 that would designate them as either major or minor) but sound thick and full when cranked through an overdriven amp.
Ex. 1 shows some power chord re-voicings of commonly played open shapes. I use a first-finger partial bar on the E5 and A5, and rest my first finger on the 5th string to mute it while grabbing the G5. The key here is to play less strings than you normally would, thus eliminating thirds completely.
Ex. 1
One commonābut surprisingly unnamedāpicking-hand technique employed when articulating power chords involves attacking the lower strings with a short, aggressive "slap" or "push" motion that originates from the wrist as opposed to a traditional strum which originates from the forearm.
Ex. 2 takes our chord shapes from the previous example but adds the element of syncopation by striking them on the off beat, or the "and" of beat 4. This rhythmic displacement of power chords was a distinct technique exploited by AC/DC's Malcom Young, one of the architects of heavy rock rhythm and it sounds undeniably cool against a solid backbeat.
Ex. 2
Hells Bells - Malcolm Young Isolated - Live at Donington
Another power chord pioneer, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, developed a style that relied heavily on the moveable two-finger power chord grips used in Ex. 3. This was largely done as compensation for an industrial accident that sliced off the tips of several fingers on Iommi's fretting hand, but ultimately gave Black Sabbath a distinct riff-based sound that would become the blueprint of most heavy metal styles. Among other things, this economic grip enabled legato movement between chords as evidenced by the slide on beat two of both measures.
Ex. 3
BLACK SABBATH - "War Pigs" (Live Video)
Palm Piloting
While playing power chords through a high-gain amp or stomp box provides epic sustain, to churn out driving percussive eighth-note rhythms it's essential to master the palm mute technique. The name palm mute is something of a misnomer since it's actually performed by resting the outside edge of the picking hand on the bridge just enough to make constant contact with the lowest strings and dampen them. Make sure that the bridge and not the strings are bearing the weight of your hand or the sound will be too choked off. Also remember to strike those low strings with a short aggressive wrist motion, as opposed to a traditional strum motion. I tell my students that strumming is a bit like using a paint roller to cover the walls while palm muting is akin to using a cut brush to paint the corners. It may take some trial and error to find the right equilibrium between contact and pressure with your fretting hand, but once you're in the sweet spot, try playing the palm muted power chord progression in Ex. 4.
Ex. 4
Stylistic nuance can be achieved with the palm mute by accenting certain beats. Very often the accented chord stabs can be enhanced by only playing single root notes on the unaccented articulations. In Ex. 5, the previous chord progression is now enlivened by adding an accent on the first beat of each measure [ONE and two and three and four and] and playing a single palm-muted root rote for the rest of the measure.
Ex. 5
Getting In Sync
Once you've mastered accented palm mutes, they can be strategically deployed to add rhythmic complexity and sophistication to progressions by syncopating certain beats. A common pattern shown in Ex. 6 takes a measure of eighth-notes and divides them in a 3+3+2 grouping with the accent coming on the first eighth-note of each sub-group [ONE-and-two-AND-three-and-FOUR-and].
Ex. 6
A two-bar variation shown in Ex. 7 divides the 16 eighth-notes in a 3+3+3+3+2+2 accent pattern [ONE-and-two-AND-three-and-FOUR-and one-AND-two-and-THREE-and-FOUR-and]. These two motifs are based on the Afro-Cuban clave beat and show up as the rhythmic underpinning in literally thousands of songs of all genres.
Ex. 7
Alternate Routes
We've been relying heavily on downstrokes so far, but basic fluency with alternate picking techniques is a must-have skill for playing rhythmic and melodic patterns with speed and accuracy. One of the challenges beginners seem to have with alternate picking is approaching strings on an upstroke. In Ex. 8 the fourth note of the pattern moves to an E on the 4th string and should be picked with an upstroke motion. Practice this minor scale move slowly, making sure to place all the alternate strokes correctly. Once you have it up to a reasonable speed, try playing it twice in one position then sliding it up one fret to the next position. Continue moving the drill all the way up the neck.
Ex. 8
This and all previous examples can be played with a metronome, but keep in mind that a metronome can't teach you rhythm. It can only refine your accuracy and help increase speed gradually. I strongly recommend learning to grasp each exercise slowly and correctly before dialing in Mach 5 metronome tempos. Accuracy leads to speed, but speed won't lead to accuracy and developing a strong accurate picking hand is essential to mastering heavy metal guitar.
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Kemper updated the entire product range introducing the all-new Kemper Profiler MK 2 Series. More Power. More Flexibility.
KEMPER PROFILER - The all-new PROFILER MK 2 Series
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Kemper announces a new profiling technology for the MK 2 series. Availabilty is expected during Summer. Currently in extended testing with some selected third-party profile vendors the new profiling offers:
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Speed and Responsiveness Upgrades - Major improvements under the hood. Boot times, preset switching, and UI responsiveness are noticeably faster and smoother, especially in Performance Mode.
Christoph Kemper, Founder & CEO:
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At a glance!
The Kemper Profiler MK 2 Series isnāt just about doing more. Itās about doing it better, faster, and without compromise. With unmatched tonal power, surgical precision, and effortless usability, this is the most complete and forward-thinking Profiler platform yet.
There's a reason Danny Gatton's nickname was "The Humbler." He earned it through sheer Tele mastery. From his limitless technique and musical vocabulary to his command over his sound, Gatton was one of the greatest 6-stringers around.
Guitarist Scott Metzger (LaMP, Joe Russo's Almost Dead) is a modern master of the Telecaster vernacular, and he slings lyrical licks that offer nods to the masters of the form, all the way back to the first Tele virtuoso, Jimmy Bryant through aces Roy Buchanan, Jim Campilongo, and Gatton. He's joins us on this episode to help breakdown Gatton's playing and gives us some listening tips.
Cort Guitars announces a new multi-scale, seven string guitar in the KX507 series ā the KX507MS Pale Moon. The addition to the beloved series shows Cortās efforts to continue elevating their position in the marketplace. The guitar is now available online and in local retail stores.
The double cut, mahogany body is topped with a pale moon ebony to help support the strong mid-range and low response needed on a multi scale seven string. A 5-piece maple and purple heart bolt on neck supports a 25.5ā ā 27ā scale, macassar ebony fingerboard with a neutral fret at the 8th position for improved playability. 24 jumbo, stainless-steel frets offer maximum range with teardrop inlays and side dots for easy navigation. Measuring 2.059ā (52.3mm) at the nut, this guitar is built for performance and comfort. And with the two-way adjustable truss rod and spoke nut, this guitar delivers ultimate stability in any tuning in any environment. Performance is further enhanced with a D shape neck and 16ā radius.
At the core of the KX507MS Pale Moon is the FishmanĀ® Fluence Modern humbucker set. With a ceramic magnet in the bridge, and an alnico magnet in the neck, these pickups deliver all the musicality of traditional pickups but have three unique voices. Voice 1 is a modern active, high output. Voice 2 delivers crisp, clean tones. And Voice 3 is a single coil with glassy, clear performance. To unleash the potential of these pickups, Cort uses a simple single volume, single tone, each as a push/pull control and three-way selector switch. The volume push/pull put selects between Voice 1 and Voice 2 while the tone push/pull pot selects between humbucker and single coil mode.
Finally, to provide exact intonation and tuning stability, the KX507MS is loaded with seven individual string bridges and Cortās very own locking tuners. The bridges allow for thru body string installation to maximize sustain and vibration transfer at each string saddle. All guitars are shipped from the factory with DāAddario EXL110-7 strings.
For more information, please visit www.CortGuitars.com
MAP: $949.99 USD
Grover has introduced Grover Guitar Polish, a premium, all-natural guitar care solution designed to clean, shine, and protect your guitarās finish. Whether you're polishing your prized axe or simply maintaining your gear, Grover Guitar Polish offers a safe, effective choice for making your guitarās finish look its best.
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Grover Guitar Polish carries a $14.95 suggested retail price. For more information visit the Grover website at grotro.com.