Constructing Modern Power Metal Riffs

Hi everyone!

This time I'll try to explain the basic concept of song making in power metal. These concepts are being used by my band Wisdom as well.

A lot of power metal fans don't realise how much impact had Pantera and Dimebag Darrel on the modern way of constructing riffs and songs. To build up a modern power metal riff, all you need to do is to invent a Pantera style face-smashing riff and combine it with some harmonies and boom, here we go, modern style power metal riffs are born. This is what I did here.

   The basic concept of building up a power metal song is as follows:

1.  Main, or intro riff

2.  Verse

3.  Bridge

4.  Chorus

5.  Main Riff

6.  Verse

7.  Bridge

8.  Chorus

9.  Lead part

10. Chorus

11. Ending or outro riff

There are various means to expand this concept. In this lesson I wanted to make a stronger impact on the listener by playing the bridge part after the main riff, and also I changed the main riff a bit after the chorus part to buld up a tension and a release to the verse.

Don't forget, I tune to D ( D, G, C, F, A, D ).

For further questions please feel free to wisit my personal board.

Have fun practicing
-Zsolt