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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Tips On Forming Heavy Metal Riffs ?
Posted by: Eat-Sleep-andJam Mar 27 2007, 03:38 AM
Well im in a band right now. Weve yet to get a lead singer but my drummer and rhythm guitarist like metal and anything like it. What are some important things to remember when creating heavy riffing leads as well as solos ?
Ex. Chords to play
Scales ( Aeolian, Penatonic, Any suggestions ? )
Licks
Etc. Etc.
Overall im trying to improve my guitar skills in all areas but right now I need to focus on Heavy Metal-
Thanks- John
Posted by: spdalton Mar 27 2007, 07:00 AM
Heeaps of metal songs use the natural and pentatonic minor scales, you can't really go wrong with them. If you want some darker sounding tunes then try the harmonic minor.
As for chords? Power chords!
Kris did some videos for Ultimate Guitar on Kirt Hammet style licks which you could check out, but definatly check out the videos on GMC for other things like tapping, speed picking etc.
If you're trying to come up with riffs, anything goes really as long as it sounds good.
What I find works well with my band is we just get a very basic tune, and all starting playing along with it. It will go in all sorts of different directions usually but in the end we end up with something that we all like. Once we've got that we just refine it, sort out lyrics, timing and everything else.
Learning songs/solos, or even bits of songs, from other heavy metal bands that you like can help give you ideas of how their songs are put together and it can help understand why the things that sound good, do sound good. That said, just go with whatever sounds good as there aren't any rules.
Hope this helps! 
Posted by: MickeM Mar 27 2007, 10:30 AM
Galloping on the open muted E-string, a must! Listen to Iron Maiden - The Trooper for reference.
Cool riff intros can last throughout an entire song and don't have to be complicated.
Judas Priest - Better by you better than me
Dokken - Dream Warriors (sort of)
AC/DC - Hells Bells, Highway to Hell, etc etc etc
Soloing is my abslolute weakest spot but the one and only thing that I try to think of is that a solo must make sence... and the most important thing within the solo is the end. Land on the note everyone is expecting.
A solo with no meaning which is not heading anywhere and without conclusion is better not played at all.
Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Mar 27 2007, 01:47 PM
Cool riff intros can last throughout an entire song and don't have to be complicated.
Judas Priest - Better by you better than me
Dokken - Dream Warriors (sort of)
AC/DC - Hells Bells, Highway to Hell, etc etc etc
Soloing is my abslolute weakest spot but the one and only thing that I try to think of is that a solo must make sence... and the most important thing within the solo is the end. Land on the note everyone is expecting.
A solo with no meaning which is not heading anywhere and without conclusion is better not played at all.
Amen! 10 Carefully chosen and well played notes that resonate with the song is way better than 1000 sweeped speed picked notes that lead nowhere and don't fit. Yngwie and Rusty sound cool because they do 1000s of notes AND they fit with the song.
Posted by: Eat-Sleep-andJam Mar 27 2007, 04:52 PM
Ok im starting to get it now. Galloping on the E-String, i thought about that and then ruled it out because wont that make everything sound generally the same ?
Overall great help! Thanks all! - John 
Posted by: MickeM Mar 28 2007, 11:14 AM
Overall great help! Thanks all! - John
After you learn the basic galloping you can form plenty of different rhythms. Open E is very useful since it allows you to play an E powerchord (A string fret 7) while galloping away on the fat E-string.
Of course you can galopp on ANY string, and you should.
In my book, mastering it is a must for heavy metal.
Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Mar 28 2007, 12:16 PM
Of course you can galopp on ANY string, and you should.
In my book, mastering it is a must for heavy metal.
Ok, I'm not a metal fan, but I think I know what galluping is .. but how do you do it ? Can anyone point me to a lesson here or elsewhere?
Posted by: spdalton Mar 28 2007, 12:33 PM
If you go to www.freelicks.net there is a guitar quickstart course dvd for sale.
It has a whole section on playing heavy metal, with galloping included.
Posted by: The Uncreator Mar 28 2007, 02:40 PM
Galloping in genereal is a good way to get some sick ass riffs,
Example: Iced Earth, look up there song stormrider, thats some intense stuff. also when thinking about a solo, anything goes really, there arent ultimate "defined" rules to a metal solo, since metal has solos that could fit into many other genres like Jazz, Blues, Classical and whatnot.
Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Mar 28 2007, 06:11 PM
It has a whole section on playing heavy metal, with galloping included.
Cool, I was kind of thinking of getting that, that probably clinches it, thanks!
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