The Internet is a great boon for almost everyone, including metal guitar buffs! With the improvement of online technology, metal lovers can get avail of essential information on the subject easily. There are several free heavy metal guitar lessons available online that you can use to improve your skills in guitar playing.
Purchase an apt electric guitar
To be a professional metal guitarist you need to invest in a proper electric guitar. So, the first thing that you will learn from these online lessons is how to buy an effective guitar for playing metal. Remember that heavy metal is all about playing faster and aggressively. So, with time these tutorials will assist you to play with speed. The guitars that are suitable for playing heavy metal generally have a firmer grip and a thicker neck. They also have more frets, are light in weight and have killer styles and color combinations.
Locrian scale
This is one of the most frequently used scales by any metal band. This scale is a hot favorite due to its fifth intervals and flattened second, that can create a dark and mysterious sound effect that will surely lure the audience. Locrian scale is used in different genre of metals which include black metal, death metal and so on. In this interval of the guitar scales, the music that is created is overwhelming and mellow.
String Exercises
The online tutorials will also teach you certain fingers exercises that will assist in making your finger muscles flexible to a large extent to achieve difficult movements with ease. Several of these guitar warm up exercises not only serve as finger dexterity training but also for strength training.
Alternate Picking
If you really want to be a successful metal guitarist then it is mandatory for you to master this technique. Alternate Picking is used for Lead Guitar and Rhythm guitar. In alternate guitar picking, the notes of a string are struck in a down and up motion. This is as opposed to strumming the guitar in only one direction. With the help of effect video clippings, you will be able to master this important guitar technique in time.
So, from the above discussion it is quite evident that online tutorial sites are quite helpful for learning the tricks and styles of heavy metal music. These free metal guitar lessons can enhance your knowledge and skills in heavy metal greatly.
Check Out Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons Today. You Can Learn Learn Heavy Metal Guitar At GuitarPlayerWorld.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Benfort
Saturday 20 February 2010
Thursday 18 February 2010
Heavy Metal Guitar Riff Facts
If you are a fan of heavy metal music, you know how largely it depends on guitar riffs and solos for its existence. Guitar remains the central instrument of heavy metal music and cool guitar riffs are probably the most admired part of a performance. Here are some interesting facts about heavy metal guitar riffs which might help you to appreciate them even more.
For many years now heavy metal music has been critically vilified as an over simplistic and aggressive genre of music. The on stage violence and the showiness of the metal bands have added to the censure. However, there is no denying the fact that the guttural and the primal sounds of the metal guitar remain a popular form of protest against the consumerism and conformity of pop music. The metal guitar riffs are not meant to please, they are meant to express the anguish that results from our modern life style.
Many critics, without knowing the true facts about metal bands, dismiss all metal guitarists as gimmicky. They think that it is all about riffing involving three chords. However, it is a far cry from the truth. Metal guitarists have been leading innovators of many complicated guitar techniques. A good metal guitarist should also be technically sound and should be able to play at a great speed.
Much of the appeal of the heavy metal music depends upon the amplified distortion of the guitar licks. The very genre of the heavy metal music came to be distinguished by its powerful solos and speedy and powerful guitar riffs. In the 1960s, when the metal genre was coming slowly in to the forefront, it heavily depended upon the blues and the psychedelic versions of rock music. But what gradually distinguished it from the others, was the coming of age of the powerful guitar licks.
Therefore, the importance of the heavy metal guitar riffs cannot be undermined in the general growth and development of the metal music. If you really want to play them on your own, you should first work on your basic guitar techniques. Learning to play guitar licks and riffs like a pro will also require the knowledge of musical theory and guitar scales. There is quite a bit of hard work involved in attaining the status of a good metal guitar player. However, once you can manage to master them, there is nothing like the pleasure of playing a guitar like Kirk Hammett or Randy Rhoads.
Check Out Heavy Metal Guitar Riffs Today. Get Your Metal Method Coupon Code At GuitarPlayerWorld.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Benfort_Harrison
For many years now heavy metal music has been critically vilified as an over simplistic and aggressive genre of music. The on stage violence and the showiness of the metal bands have added to the censure. However, there is no denying the fact that the guttural and the primal sounds of the metal guitar remain a popular form of protest against the consumerism and conformity of pop music. The metal guitar riffs are not meant to please, they are meant to express the anguish that results from our modern life style.
Many critics, without knowing the true facts about metal bands, dismiss all metal guitarists as gimmicky. They think that it is all about riffing involving three chords. However, it is a far cry from the truth. Metal guitarists have been leading innovators of many complicated guitar techniques. A good metal guitarist should also be technically sound and should be able to play at a great speed.
Much of the appeal of the heavy metal music depends upon the amplified distortion of the guitar licks. The very genre of the heavy metal music came to be distinguished by its powerful solos and speedy and powerful guitar riffs. In the 1960s, when the metal genre was coming slowly in to the forefront, it heavily depended upon the blues and the psychedelic versions of rock music. But what gradually distinguished it from the others, was the coming of age of the powerful guitar licks.
Therefore, the importance of the heavy metal guitar riffs cannot be undermined in the general growth and development of the metal music. If you really want to play them on your own, you should first work on your basic guitar techniques. Learning to play guitar licks and riffs like a pro will also require the knowledge of musical theory and guitar scales. There is quite a bit of hard work involved in attaining the status of a good metal guitar player. However, once you can manage to master them, there is nothing like the pleasure of playing a guitar like Kirk Hammett or Randy Rhoads.
Check Out Heavy Metal Guitar Riffs Today. Get Your Metal Method Coupon Code At GuitarPlayerWorld.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Benfort_Harrison
Tuesday 16 February 2010
Guitar Lessons - Hammer-on, Pull-offs
One of the primary legato techniques all guitarists must learn is the hammer-on, pull-off. This technique is important because it allows for nuances in tone and expression, and it allows the picking hand a "break" since it does not have to pick the notes on the hammer-on or the pull-off. This results in a faster progression of notes, sometimes called licks.
The hammer-on is accomplished when you pick a note and then using another finger hammer down on the same string. The sound of the hammered note is less pronounced than the picked note. For example place your first finger on the 5th fret of the 3rd string, and the hammer down your third finger on the 7th fret of the 3rd string. Don't use your just quickly strike the second fret position with the tip of your 3rd finger. This would be described in guitar tab as 5h7 or 5 hammer 7. Keep your first finger on the 5th fret because you are going to pull-off of the 7th fret in the next example.
The pull-off results when you release a plucked note with enough force such that the second fretted note rings. This may require a slight side way motion to create enough friction to cause the string to ring out. The sound of the pulled-off note is less pronounced since you aren't using your pick to create it. This would be illustrated in guitar tab 7p5 or 7 pull 5.
If you combine these techniques you can create very fast note runs or licks. Imagine how this sequence of hammer-on, pull-off's would sound when played very quickly 5h7p5h7p5. In deed the hammer-on, pull-off technique is the cornerstone for legato and most speed playing techniques.
It takes time to perfect the technique but it is worth the effort.
Bill McRea is the publisher of http://www.guitarwarehouse.com and their blog at
Also http://www.kansasfans.com and http://diabetes-at-home.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_McRea
The hammer-on is accomplished when you pick a note and then using another finger hammer down on the same string. The sound of the hammered note is less pronounced than the picked note. For example place your first finger on the 5th fret of the 3rd string, and the hammer down your third finger on the 7th fret of the 3rd string. Don't use your just quickly strike the second fret position with the tip of your 3rd finger. This would be described in guitar tab as 5h7 or 5 hammer 7. Keep your first finger on the 5th fret because you are going to pull-off of the 7th fret in the next example.
The pull-off results when you release a plucked note with enough force such that the second fretted note rings. This may require a slight side way motion to create enough friction to cause the string to ring out. The sound of the pulled-off note is less pronounced since you aren't using your pick to create it. This would be illustrated in guitar tab 7p5 or 7 pull 5.
If you combine these techniques you can create very fast note runs or licks. Imagine how this sequence of hammer-on, pull-off's would sound when played very quickly 5h7p5h7p5. In deed the hammer-on, pull-off technique is the cornerstone for legato and most speed playing techniques.
It takes time to perfect the technique but it is worth the effort.
Bill McRea is the publisher of http://www.guitarwarehouse.com and their blog at
Also http://www.kansasfans.com and http://diabetes-at-home.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_McRea
How to Play Fast Part 1 - A Lesson From John Petrucci
When John Petrucci starts learning to play fast he was emulating Steve Morse and Al de Meola. He picks every note when practicing like Steve and Al and then he switches gears into a legato mode. Legato means playing all the notes with only his left hand fingers and his right hand doing nothing. When he was younger he saw those guys playing and it looks like cheating but its not and it sounds really smooth and fast. Playing fast is not about cheating but it involves technique. When you have enough technique you can play fast at your desired speed and you can take your speed to the next level. To give you an example, try this pattern in figure 1 shown below in tablature form.
e---------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------
G-------7----4----5----7--------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
Figure 1
Play it repeatedly with picking each note. Start slowly then gradually increase your speed. Now in figure 2, play it with legato by picking only the first note then pull off and hammer on the remaining notes.
e---------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------
G------7-----5----4----5-----7-------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
Figure 2
Then after that, try to play the combination of the two picking each note and then the legato.
Taking that licks further and makes more licks out of it. The next example in figure 3 below is picking the first note which is the G in D string in 5th fret instead of the G string. Picking the first four notes and pull off the next two notes which is the C# and D in G string. Then end up by picking the G note in D string in 5th fret.
e---------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------
G------------2----4----5-----4------2------------------
D-------5-------------------------------------5---------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
Figure 3
In the case of this licks it uses fingers 1, 3 and 4 which is a bit difficult and you need dexterity between fingers 3 and 4 which is really difficult to do. But you can do exercises to practice your weak points. You can do hammer on and pull off exercises that you can thrill those two fingers. It might be easier to do that licks if you use fingers 1, 2 and 4 rather than 1, 3 and 4. You must try to concentrate on your weak points to do the combination of these licks. Start practicing and apply it.
Watch out for the second part of this lesson from John Petrucci.
Learn more about improving your guitar playing Visit GuitarMusicLessons. Reynato Basister is a guitarist in a band for more than 15 years and willing to help you to develop your own guitar playing.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Reynato_Basister
e---------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------
G-------7----4----5----7--------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
Figure 1
Play it repeatedly with picking each note. Start slowly then gradually increase your speed. Now in figure 2, play it with legato by picking only the first note then pull off and hammer on the remaining notes.
e---------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------
G------7-----5----4----5-----7-------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
Figure 2
Then after that, try to play the combination of the two picking each note and then the legato.
Taking that licks further and makes more licks out of it. The next example in figure 3 below is picking the first note which is the G in D string in 5th fret instead of the G string. Picking the first four notes and pull off the next two notes which is the C# and D in G string. Then end up by picking the G note in D string in 5th fret.
e---------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------
G------------2----4----5-----4------2------------------
D-------5-------------------------------------5---------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
Figure 3
In the case of this licks it uses fingers 1, 3 and 4 which is a bit difficult and you need dexterity between fingers 3 and 4 which is really difficult to do. But you can do exercises to practice your weak points. You can do hammer on and pull off exercises that you can thrill those two fingers. It might be easier to do that licks if you use fingers 1, 2 and 4 rather than 1, 3 and 4. You must try to concentrate on your weak points to do the combination of these licks. Start practicing and apply it.
Watch out for the second part of this lesson from John Petrucci.
Learn more about improving your guitar playing Visit GuitarMusicLessons. Reynato Basister is a guitarist in a band for more than 15 years and willing to help you to develop your own guitar playing.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Reynato_Basister
Monday 15 February 2010
Guitar and Metronome Speed Training - Tremelo Picking
One of the best weapons a guitarist has in the the battle to improve their playing speed is the Metronome. This small machine keeps perfect time with a series of beeps that can be configured for several purposes.
In this article I will explain the 2 most crucial settings to use on the metronome and their relationship to developing lethal shredding speed!
A Major factor to becoming truly fast is mastering tremelo picking. And guess what! Yep, our buddy the metronome is going to help us to do it.
Temelo picking is just alternate picking - down,up,down,up etc. - on one note so lets set the metronome up and get started!
Set the Metronome to 8th note triplets and adjust the tempo to a nice easy speed. Your starting tempo should be something you can play easily with no error for an extended time period. You should hear
a steady pulse of clicks (Da,da,da - Da,da.da - Da,da,da, - Da,da,da) with a staggering feel.
Now start alternate picking in time with the clicks on the 5th fret of the large E string(note A). The clicks come in a series of 3 so I want you to play the 1st click of each group of 3 slightly louder than the other 2. This is your pulse click which needs to be in perfect time.
If your metronome has a pendulum arm or a horizontal LED display you should play the pulse note whenever the arm reaches the extreme left or right. In the case of an LED display this is the extreme
left or right LED light. It is common for metronomes to play the pulse note louder as well.
You should realize that when you hear a guitar player playing fast tremelo picking that the notes are a series of small bundles - in this case they are 3 note bundles - tied together to form a larger musical pattern. The pulse note will become familiar to you so if you solo over a song with a fast 4/4 tempo you can simply count off the pulse notes in time with the beat. A bar of tremelo picking using the above setting produces 12 notes per bar. By recognising you pulse note you only have to count from 1 to 4 to keep effective time using tremelo picking.
So now that you have a few ideas about how and why to do things you can increase the tempo speed. I like to jump up in 10bpm lots but you can use smaller amounts. The main thing to remember is not to increase the tempo by large amounts too quickly. Lets say you started at 80bpm and you executed your tremelo picking with no mistakes using relaxed alternate picking technique and economy of movement(small controlled movements). Now, bump it up to 90bpm and listen to clicks before you play anything.
Before you start you should realise that there is no difference between playing slow and fast. Its common for students to hear a faster tempo and immediately say to themselves "That's too fast I'll never do that". And guess what? Their mind makes it true. Your mind is so powerful that it will make statements like this a reality. You should instead clear your mind of all thought and simply play.
Lets continue. Using the correct mindset above you tremelo pick perfectly at 90bpm so you would bump the tempo up to 100bpm make your mind calm and clear of distraction then go for it!
If you find that you were not able to make the jump to 90bpm then stay on 80bpm for a day or two or even a week. If you are new to tremelo picking then you have to condition your muscles to perform the work. Training your muscles should be done at a slow tempo from 40 - 60bpm. Once this is done then attempt to increase your speed again and you will see a huge improvement.
I mentioned 2 crucial settings earlier. The 2nd is 16th notes. Set your metronome to this setting and listen to the clicks. This time you will hear bundles of 4 clicks(Da,da,da,da - Da,da,da,da - Da,da,da,da - Da,da,da,da). Lets start with a nice easy tempo say 60bpm. As before, start alternate picking on the 5th fret of the big E string(Note A). Play the pulse note slightly louder than the other 3.
The process for improving speed is the same for 16th notes as 8th note triplets.
I hope you found this Article helpful and informative. My next Article will be about choosing the right pick or plectrum to get the job done and how to use it.
James Erceg teaches guitar lessons in Auckland New Zealand
If you are interested in more information on my guitar teaching methods I do have an ebook available with MP3's titled Shred Lords - Neoclassical Guitar at http://www.jameserceg.com
You can also view video and audio of my guitar playing at my website. Thanks :P
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Erceg
In this article I will explain the 2 most crucial settings to use on the metronome and their relationship to developing lethal shredding speed!
A Major factor to becoming truly fast is mastering tremelo picking. And guess what! Yep, our buddy the metronome is going to help us to do it.
Temelo picking is just alternate picking - down,up,down,up etc. - on one note so lets set the metronome up and get started!
Set the Metronome to 8th note triplets and adjust the tempo to a nice easy speed. Your starting tempo should be something you can play easily with no error for an extended time period. You should hear
a steady pulse of clicks (Da,da,da - Da,da.da - Da,da,da, - Da,da,da) with a staggering feel.
Now start alternate picking in time with the clicks on the 5th fret of the large E string(note A). The clicks come in a series of 3 so I want you to play the 1st click of each group of 3 slightly louder than the other 2. This is your pulse click which needs to be in perfect time.
If your metronome has a pendulum arm or a horizontal LED display you should play the pulse note whenever the arm reaches the extreme left or right. In the case of an LED display this is the extreme
left or right LED light. It is common for metronomes to play the pulse note louder as well.
You should realize that when you hear a guitar player playing fast tremelo picking that the notes are a series of small bundles - in this case they are 3 note bundles - tied together to form a larger musical pattern. The pulse note will become familiar to you so if you solo over a song with a fast 4/4 tempo you can simply count off the pulse notes in time with the beat. A bar of tremelo picking using the above setting produces 12 notes per bar. By recognising you pulse note you only have to count from 1 to 4 to keep effective time using tremelo picking.
So now that you have a few ideas about how and why to do things you can increase the tempo speed. I like to jump up in 10bpm lots but you can use smaller amounts. The main thing to remember is not to increase the tempo by large amounts too quickly. Lets say you started at 80bpm and you executed your tremelo picking with no mistakes using relaxed alternate picking technique and economy of movement(small controlled movements). Now, bump it up to 90bpm and listen to clicks before you play anything.
Before you start you should realise that there is no difference between playing slow and fast. Its common for students to hear a faster tempo and immediately say to themselves "That's too fast I'll never do that". And guess what? Their mind makes it true. Your mind is so powerful that it will make statements like this a reality. You should instead clear your mind of all thought and simply play.
Lets continue. Using the correct mindset above you tremelo pick perfectly at 90bpm so you would bump the tempo up to 100bpm make your mind calm and clear of distraction then go for it!
If you find that you were not able to make the jump to 90bpm then stay on 80bpm for a day or two or even a week. If you are new to tremelo picking then you have to condition your muscles to perform the work. Training your muscles should be done at a slow tempo from 40 - 60bpm. Once this is done then attempt to increase your speed again and you will see a huge improvement.
I mentioned 2 crucial settings earlier. The 2nd is 16th notes. Set your metronome to this setting and listen to the clicks. This time you will hear bundles of 4 clicks(Da,da,da,da - Da,da,da,da - Da,da,da,da - Da,da,da,da). Lets start with a nice easy tempo say 60bpm. As before, start alternate picking on the 5th fret of the big E string(Note A). Play the pulse note slightly louder than the other 3.
The process for improving speed is the same for 16th notes as 8th note triplets.
I hope you found this Article helpful and informative. My next Article will be about choosing the right pick or plectrum to get the job done and how to use it.
James Erceg teaches guitar lessons in Auckland New Zealand
If you are interested in more information on my guitar teaching methods I do have an ebook available with MP3's titled Shred Lords - Neoclassical Guitar at http://www.jameserceg.com
You can also view video and audio of my guitar playing at my website. Thanks :P
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Erceg
Sunday 14 February 2010
Using a Metronome
Using a metronome is probably one of the best methods you can use in order to build speed with accuracy, and can be applied to many techniques, including alternate and tremlo picking.
Players like Matt Heafy (Trivium), and John Petrucci (Dream Theater), are both advocates of using this as a way to build not only build speed, but also to synchronise your hands and increase strength and stamina.
You can either buy a metronome (most companies like BOSS, PLANET WAVES, KORG, etc. make them), or download a software version that you can use on your computer.
The key is to start off slow...choose a simple lick (something chromatic is usually good) and begin at maybe 80 beats per minute (BPM). Play this until you can play it accurately and consistently. Once you're happy at that speed, increase the metronome by 5-10 BPM. Once again, ensure you're playing accurately and consistently and just repeat the process.
If you maintain this discipline you'll soon see the results...
Players like Matt Heafy (Trivium), and John Petrucci (Dream Theater), are both advocates of using this as a way to build not only build speed, but also to synchronise your hands and increase strength and stamina.
You can either buy a metronome (most companies like BOSS, PLANET WAVES, KORG, etc. make them), or download a software version that you can use on your computer.
The key is to start off slow...choose a simple lick (something chromatic is usually good) and begin at maybe 80 beats per minute (BPM). Play this until you can play it accurately and consistently. Once you're happy at that speed, increase the metronome by 5-10 BPM. Once again, ensure you're playing accurately and consistently and just repeat the process.
If you maintain this discipline you'll soon see the results...
Saturday 13 February 2010
Death Metal Guitar Lesson - 6 Fast Tips to Rip Through Metal Chords
As a guitarist, you'll have noticed that professional death metal guitarists can really give you a lesson in chords by the way they fly around the guitar neck. The progressions sound filthy and awesome and all of the skills they pull off almost appear effortless.
Learning to bust through fast progressions and chord changes for death metal is great to learn since it can be adapted to other genres of metal and rock. Check out these 6 fast and effective tips for playing chords faster, smoother, and more brutal.
1. Keep your fingers near the lower fret marks on the guitar neck. If there appears to be a lot of twanging and resonation in the strings that doesn't create strong tones, focus on adjusting your fret fingers to sit closer to the frets when you play. For example, if you play the 'F' chord in drop 'D' tuning, you would lay your finger across the third fret while keeping it relatively close to the 2nd fret.
2. Accommodate your fingerings for the next approaching riff. Many times when guitarists mess up during a death metal riff, it's only because they're not planning for the future of the song. There is more than one way to play any lick on the guitar, so plan wisely as how to play certain parts to be ready for the next one.
3. Slide between chords. A very choppy song can seem like the instruments are not working together when they perform. Try to slide between each chord in a very subtle way in order to create the illusion of continuity between chord progressions.
4. Prepare for more calluses. If you're playing death metal guitar, you're most likely playing in one of the drop tunings of 'D' or 'C'. With these tunings you'll be laying your index finger across three strings at a time to create power chords. You'll find out soon enough that more calluses will begin to form along the length of your finger.
5. The uglier the chord progressions, the better. A quick lesson to learn in this metal genre is that the chord progressions don't necessarily have to be pretty or make much sense. Experiment with progressions that only involve four chords exactly adjacent to one another. You might be surprised by the evil things you can come up with.
6. Get a mean growl from partially-open palm-muted chords. Death metal guitarists sometimes like for their palm-muted chords to resonate slightly to give a very eerie and dark feeling in their songs. Release a bit of pressure off the strings when playing palm-muted and you should be able to hear a firm strike with a dark humming that follows.
When playing death metal, really focus on what can make your tone dark, powerful, and aggressive all at the same time. Try out these effective tips and start really thrashing through your metal riffs better.
Kyle Hoffman is an experienced guitarist that has performed in a number of successful rock and hardcore bands over a period of years. Check out his tips on finding the best fast electric guitar course for your money at his popular guitar blog, How To Guitar Tune now!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyle_Hoffman
Learning to bust through fast progressions and chord changes for death metal is great to learn since it can be adapted to other genres of metal and rock. Check out these 6 fast and effective tips for playing chords faster, smoother, and more brutal.
1. Keep your fingers near the lower fret marks on the guitar neck. If there appears to be a lot of twanging and resonation in the strings that doesn't create strong tones, focus on adjusting your fret fingers to sit closer to the frets when you play. For example, if you play the 'F' chord in drop 'D' tuning, you would lay your finger across the third fret while keeping it relatively close to the 2nd fret.
2. Accommodate your fingerings for the next approaching riff. Many times when guitarists mess up during a death metal riff, it's only because they're not planning for the future of the song. There is more than one way to play any lick on the guitar, so plan wisely as how to play certain parts to be ready for the next one.
3. Slide between chords. A very choppy song can seem like the instruments are not working together when they perform. Try to slide between each chord in a very subtle way in order to create the illusion of continuity between chord progressions.
4. Prepare for more calluses. If you're playing death metal guitar, you're most likely playing in one of the drop tunings of 'D' or 'C'. With these tunings you'll be laying your index finger across three strings at a time to create power chords. You'll find out soon enough that more calluses will begin to form along the length of your finger.
5. The uglier the chord progressions, the better. A quick lesson to learn in this metal genre is that the chord progressions don't necessarily have to be pretty or make much sense. Experiment with progressions that only involve four chords exactly adjacent to one another. You might be surprised by the evil things you can come up with.
6. Get a mean growl from partially-open palm-muted chords. Death metal guitarists sometimes like for their palm-muted chords to resonate slightly to give a very eerie and dark feeling in their songs. Release a bit of pressure off the strings when playing palm-muted and you should be able to hear a firm strike with a dark humming that follows.
When playing death metal, really focus on what can make your tone dark, powerful, and aggressive all at the same time. Try out these effective tips and start really thrashing through your metal riffs better.
Kyle Hoffman is an experienced guitarist that has performed in a number of successful rock and hardcore bands over a period of years. Check out his tips on finding the best fast electric guitar course for your money at his popular guitar blog, How To Guitar Tune now!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyle_Hoffman
Thursday 11 February 2010
Learn How to Play - Sweep Picking on the Guitar
If you've ever marveled at Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker or Marty Friedman and thought that you'd never get to that stage in a million years ... don't give up! They aren't robots, with a programmed ability to place every finger perfectly and pick cleanly at a million miles per hour from the beginning. They're human, like us, and needed to learn guitar techniques the same way we do. One of the favourite techniques of neo-classical players like Yngwie, Friedman and Becker is sweep picking. Here we break it down systematically to make it easier to learn.
Sweep picking is an advanced two-hand guitar technique, where three or more notes are played in quick succession, however not strummed together as with a chord. In sweep picking.
You will move up or down three or more strings at a time, sounding each string once.
Arpeggios are the note pattern usually used
The end note is usually accentuated above the other notes
You will use one of several techniques for making each note sound separately, rather than together. You might lift your finger off a note on the fret board as it is struck, or palm mute with your right hand, or mute with your left hand using a finger rolling technique.
When you need to sound more than one note on a string, hammer ons or pull offs are often used in order to preserve the natural sweeping motion, rather than alternate or economy picking a small section
Picking hand technique for learning sweep picking:
Think of the sweep as a controlled strum
Make sure that your pick is slightly angled up when you are moving down the strings, and down when you are moving up the strings
Don't hold the pick too hard
Maintain a steady rhythm for the sweep itself
Angle your pick a little more towards 90 degrees from the body for the last note, to accentuate it slightly.
Finger rolling is the easiest way to ensure that all the notes in a sweep sound clearly, but do not ring, while keeping up your speed. If you are moving down the bottom 3 strings, the finger rolling technique would consist of:
Pushing the tip of your finger down on the G string
Lifting it after the note is struck and pushing the middle of your finger down on the B string
Lifting that after the note is struck and pushing the lower part of your finger down on the E string
Sweep picking can be a difficult technique to master. As with all new skills that you're learning on the guitar, always practice first to get it right, and second to get it fast. Don't try to live up to Jason Becker's standard in your first week! If you teach yourself to sweep pick sloppily, for the sake of speed, it will be much more difficult to un-learn your bad habits.
Good songs for practising sweep picking:
A Tout Le Monde, Megadeth
Leper Messiah, Metallica
Bloodlust of the Human Condition, Unearth
Eugene's Trick Bag, Steve Vai
Beast and the Harlot, Avenged Sevenfold
Get FREE Beginner Guitar Lessons And Learn Guitar Online Guitar Lessons Here.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Gian
Sweep picking is an advanced two-hand guitar technique, where three or more notes are played in quick succession, however not strummed together as with a chord. In sweep picking.
You will move up or down three or more strings at a time, sounding each string once.
Arpeggios are the note pattern usually used
The end note is usually accentuated above the other notes
You will use one of several techniques for making each note sound separately, rather than together. You might lift your finger off a note on the fret board as it is struck, or palm mute with your right hand, or mute with your left hand using a finger rolling technique.
When you need to sound more than one note on a string, hammer ons or pull offs are often used in order to preserve the natural sweeping motion, rather than alternate or economy picking a small section
Picking hand technique for learning sweep picking:
Think of the sweep as a controlled strum
Make sure that your pick is slightly angled up when you are moving down the strings, and down when you are moving up the strings
Don't hold the pick too hard
Maintain a steady rhythm for the sweep itself
Angle your pick a little more towards 90 degrees from the body for the last note, to accentuate it slightly.
Finger rolling is the easiest way to ensure that all the notes in a sweep sound clearly, but do not ring, while keeping up your speed. If you are moving down the bottom 3 strings, the finger rolling technique would consist of:
Pushing the tip of your finger down on the G string
Lifting it after the note is struck and pushing the middle of your finger down on the B string
Lifting that after the note is struck and pushing the lower part of your finger down on the E string
Sweep picking can be a difficult technique to master. As with all new skills that you're learning on the guitar, always practice first to get it right, and second to get it fast. Don't try to live up to Jason Becker's standard in your first week! If you teach yourself to sweep pick sloppily, for the sake of speed, it will be much more difficult to un-learn your bad habits.
Good songs for practising sweep picking:
A Tout Le Monde, Megadeth
Leper Messiah, Metallica
Bloodlust of the Human Condition, Unearth
Eugene's Trick Bag, Steve Vai
Beast and the Harlot, Avenged Sevenfold
Get FREE Beginner Guitar Lessons And Learn Guitar Online Guitar Lessons Here.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Gian
Saturday 6 February 2010
Playing Shred Guitar - Your Number One Enemy
Shred guitar is a term that many people are familiar with, but not quite certain what it means. Basically, when someone is playing shred guitar they are playing really really fast. There is a debate about just how fast a guitarist needs to play in order for it to be considered shred. It is commonly thought that anything over 10 notes per second is shred guitar. This is most commonly associated with metal music and hair rock of the 70's and 80's. I have been a fan of shred guitar for quite some time now. I even take a shot at playing some shred guitar. I'm not great, but I have picked up a few things over my playing career and I wanted to impart a piece of wisdom on beginning players today.
My most important piece of advice to beginners is to AVOID TENSION. Tension will be your worst enemy when playing shred guitar. You simply cannot go fast without tension. This is a bit counterintuitive for a lot of people. To illustrate, start playing a scale. Any scale, it doesn't matter. Play it at a nice comfortable pace.
Now, start to increase your tempo until you are playing it at top speed. I am willing to bet that as you speed increased, so did the tension in you arm, shoulder, hand and fingers. Now, try the scales again and instead of increasing tension as tempo increases, consciously focus on decreasing tension. It will be difficult and you will feel like you are holding back but trust me. You need to learn this. Think of the experts in anything, guitar, piano, tennis, whatever. Isn't one thing that they have in common that they make whatever they are doing look easy? This is because they are doing it without tension. All their actions appear to flow effortlessly. I am not trying to get all Zen on you, but this is so important.
On top of that, tension will not only keep you at a slow pace but it will also cause injury. I knew a guitarist who absolutely loved playing but had to quit because the tendonitis in his wrists was so bad. He was also one of the most tensed players I have ever seen. It crushed him. Don't let this happen to you. Avoid tension and start playing shred guitar!
Stop wasting your time and start getting better at guitar! How good could you be if you had the right tools? Come learn to play the guitar by ear [http://www.theguitarprofessor.com] with The Guitar Professor. It's free.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Gloman
My most important piece of advice to beginners is to AVOID TENSION. Tension will be your worst enemy when playing shred guitar. You simply cannot go fast without tension. This is a bit counterintuitive for a lot of people. To illustrate, start playing a scale. Any scale, it doesn't matter. Play it at a nice comfortable pace.
Now, start to increase your tempo until you are playing it at top speed. I am willing to bet that as you speed increased, so did the tension in you arm, shoulder, hand and fingers. Now, try the scales again and instead of increasing tension as tempo increases, consciously focus on decreasing tension. It will be difficult and you will feel like you are holding back but trust me. You need to learn this. Think of the experts in anything, guitar, piano, tennis, whatever. Isn't one thing that they have in common that they make whatever they are doing look easy? This is because they are doing it without tension. All their actions appear to flow effortlessly. I am not trying to get all Zen on you, but this is so important.
On top of that, tension will not only keep you at a slow pace but it will also cause injury. I knew a guitarist who absolutely loved playing but had to quit because the tendonitis in his wrists was so bad. He was also one of the most tensed players I have ever seen. It crushed him. Don't let this happen to you. Avoid tension and start playing shred guitar!
Stop wasting your time and start getting better at guitar! How good could you be if you had the right tools? Come learn to play the guitar by ear [http://www.theguitarprofessor.com] with The Guitar Professor. It's free.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Gloman
Wednesday 3 February 2010
Learning Alternate Picking
When you play guitar with a plectrum, there are two possible ways to use it to pick a string. You can start above the string, pick down towards the ground, and end up below the string. This is known as a down stroke. Or you can start below the string, pick up towards the ceiling, and end up above the string. This is known as an up stroke. When most people start playing the guitar, they use down strokes exclusively. It takes most beginners a while to develop the dexterity and wrist strength needed to correctly execute an up stroke.
Alternate picking is when a player alternates between down strokes and up strokes. The resulting picking pattern is then obviously down, up, down , up. Many guitar virtuosos use alternate picking as their main form of picking.
Most people start out using nothing but down strokes. This is appropriate in some instances because down strokes can create a heavy, thick sound. Some passages call for down strokes exclusively. But for passages which are faster, you might not be able to pick fast enough with only down strokes. This severely limits a player's ability.
The solution to that problem is pretty easy to solve if you analyze it. When you use multiple down strokes in a row, you must bring your pick back above the string to execute another one. If you do an up stroke as you bring it back up, you will in essence double the speed at which you pick at. This is why many people use alternate picking. Also, apart from doubling your picking speed, alternate picking produces very clock-like, clean sounding riffs, and maintains pulsing accents in a passage.
Alternate picking is pretty simple if you are staying on the same string. When you move from string to string is where problems start to arise. There are two basic situations you might encounter when you change strings with alternate picking, outside the string and inside the string. In both, you must remember to keep the "down, up, down, up" pattern that makes it alternate picking.
Article Source: http://guitarteacher.wordpress.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_D.
Alternate picking is when a player alternates between down strokes and up strokes. The resulting picking pattern is then obviously down, up, down , up. Many guitar virtuosos use alternate picking as their main form of picking.
Most people start out using nothing but down strokes. This is appropriate in some instances because down strokes can create a heavy, thick sound. Some passages call for down strokes exclusively. But for passages which are faster, you might not be able to pick fast enough with only down strokes. This severely limits a player's ability.
The solution to that problem is pretty easy to solve if you analyze it. When you use multiple down strokes in a row, you must bring your pick back above the string to execute another one. If you do an up stroke as you bring it back up, you will in essence double the speed at which you pick at. This is why many people use alternate picking. Also, apart from doubling your picking speed, alternate picking produces very clock-like, clean sounding riffs, and maintains pulsing accents in a passage.
Alternate picking is pretty simple if you are staying on the same string. When you move from string to string is where problems start to arise. There are two basic situations you might encounter when you change strings with alternate picking, outside the string and inside the string. In both, you must remember to keep the "down, up, down, up" pattern that makes it alternate picking.
Article Source: http://guitarteacher.wordpress.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_D.
Tuesday 2 February 2010
Death Metal Guitar Lesson - Tips on Finding the Best Metal Axe to Play
Playing death metal on a guitar that's designed for standard rock or jazz just isn't going to cut it. It wouldn't really make much sense to see the professionals head-banging while they're wailing on pink Fender guitars.
If you want to make sure that your skills as a metal guitarist are being compensated well with a good instrument, you need to do your homework. Check out these 6 things that are important to research on a guitar that's good for playing death metal.
1. You can reach easier with a thinner guitar neck. Death metal guitarists are all about playing faster and making it easy to do so, and having a thinner guitar neck suits that purpose perfectly. Sure, you might enjoy a thicker neck for a firmer grip, but those are mostly for rock rhythm players that aren't looking for intense speed brutality.
2. More frets can give you more possibilities. If you're the type of guitarist that likes to solo up and down the neck, you won't want a guitar that's limited in its fret count. Pick out something that you know has enough frets to suit your lead guitar purposes during the shows.
3. Fast action is always a plus. You want your strings to be easy to press down when you're trying to blast through those death metal guitar riffs to keep up with the drums right? Analyze the guitar bridge for its height and if you're set on a guitar, see about getting its action adjusted for an optimum playing experience.
4. Tone in the low end makes it growl. Some guitars for pop rock and punk are more about a boost in the mid-tone range, but for metal we need more low end. Play the guitars in the music store to find out which ones have more low end so that your break downs sound absolutely massive in the midst of a song.
5. Something lightweight is good for movement on stage. Do you like to move around on stage? If you do, then you won't want a big bulky instrument that makes it hard to move at all. Make sure that the instrument is light enough to do some action on stage, but still delivers the tone that you want.
6. You can't go wrong with killer colors and style. As frivolous as this lesson sounds, you can't get a guitar made for death metal unless you like what it looks like. Pick out your favorite dark hues with an awesome shape and style so that you cast the crowd into a state of awe.
You can't expect to really get somewhere as a death metal guitarist if you don't have the axe for the job. The next time you go looking for a new guitar, think of these 6 tips and get the best pick for your music.
Kyle Hoffman is an experienced guitarist that has been performing in rock and metal bands for years. To get his valuable tips on playing fast electric guitar for FREE, visit his popular guitar blog, How To Guitar Tune!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyle_Hoffman
If you want to make sure that your skills as a metal guitarist are being compensated well with a good instrument, you need to do your homework. Check out these 6 things that are important to research on a guitar that's good for playing death metal.
1. You can reach easier with a thinner guitar neck. Death metal guitarists are all about playing faster and making it easy to do so, and having a thinner guitar neck suits that purpose perfectly. Sure, you might enjoy a thicker neck for a firmer grip, but those are mostly for rock rhythm players that aren't looking for intense speed brutality.
2. More frets can give you more possibilities. If you're the type of guitarist that likes to solo up and down the neck, you won't want a guitar that's limited in its fret count. Pick out something that you know has enough frets to suit your lead guitar purposes during the shows.
3. Fast action is always a plus. You want your strings to be easy to press down when you're trying to blast through those death metal guitar riffs to keep up with the drums right? Analyze the guitar bridge for its height and if you're set on a guitar, see about getting its action adjusted for an optimum playing experience.
4. Tone in the low end makes it growl. Some guitars for pop rock and punk are more about a boost in the mid-tone range, but for metal we need more low end. Play the guitars in the music store to find out which ones have more low end so that your break downs sound absolutely massive in the midst of a song.
5. Something lightweight is good for movement on stage. Do you like to move around on stage? If you do, then you won't want a big bulky instrument that makes it hard to move at all. Make sure that the instrument is light enough to do some action on stage, but still delivers the tone that you want.
6. You can't go wrong with killer colors and style. As frivolous as this lesson sounds, you can't get a guitar made for death metal unless you like what it looks like. Pick out your favorite dark hues with an awesome shape and style so that you cast the crowd into a state of awe.
You can't expect to really get somewhere as a death metal guitarist if you don't have the axe for the job. The next time you go looking for a new guitar, think of these 6 tips and get the best pick for your music.
Kyle Hoffman is an experienced guitarist that has been performing in rock and metal bands for years. To get his valuable tips on playing fast electric guitar for FREE, visit his popular guitar blog, How To Guitar Tune!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyle_Hoffman
Death Metal Guitar Lesson - Improving Your Picking to Really Thrash
Learning how to really pick like a professional on your guitar is an essential lesson for playing really powerful death metal guitar. Most of the verses and intros of common tunes are comprised of insane picking sections that really get your head banging.
Professional metal guitarists have usually been playing for years to develop the speed and skill that they have, but you can acquire a similar level of speed and technique with dedication. Check out these 5 effective tips to improve your death metal guitar-picking.
1. Choke up on the guitar pick. Make some small adjustments as to where your fingers feel the most comfortable holding the guitar pick. You might find that choking up on the pick, closer to the strings, gives you more control and power to your picking.
2. Move only your wrist or even just your fingers. Learning the lesson about keeping all the movement in your wrist or even down to your fingers is a good one to learn. In death metal guitar songs you're going to be doing a lot of picking and to improve your speed, you should cut as much tenseness in your arm out of the equation.
3. Decide on what guitar pick size to use. Not everyone has the same preference for guitar pick sizes, so you really need to decide for yourself. Try out a few different thicknesses and shapes to see what really benefits your style of picking.
4. Practice consistent double picking. If you're not already, you should be double picking, which is striking the string as you push it down and when you come back up. Pay close attention to this skill and try to be consistent with each strike for balanced strumming in your death metal songs.
5. Remove your left hand from the equation. Having more than you can handle in one song isn't that fun, so sometimes you need to remove the fret hand. Just let your picking hand work for awhile and add the other to see if you've singled out your picking long enough.
There are a lot of lessons to be studied about death metal guitar that differs from other genres, but having a hard work-ethic will always be important for any style. Try out these tips and be dedicated to improving your picking to a fast and effective level of skill.
Kyle Hoffman is an experienced guitarist that has performed in a number of bands over a period of years. Check out his tips on finding the best fast electric guitar course for your money at his popular guitar blog, How To Guitar Tune now!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyle_Hoffman
Professional metal guitarists have usually been playing for years to develop the speed and skill that they have, but you can acquire a similar level of speed and technique with dedication. Check out these 5 effective tips to improve your death metal guitar-picking.
1. Choke up on the guitar pick. Make some small adjustments as to where your fingers feel the most comfortable holding the guitar pick. You might find that choking up on the pick, closer to the strings, gives you more control and power to your picking.
2. Move only your wrist or even just your fingers. Learning the lesson about keeping all the movement in your wrist or even down to your fingers is a good one to learn. In death metal guitar songs you're going to be doing a lot of picking and to improve your speed, you should cut as much tenseness in your arm out of the equation.
3. Decide on what guitar pick size to use. Not everyone has the same preference for guitar pick sizes, so you really need to decide for yourself. Try out a few different thicknesses and shapes to see what really benefits your style of picking.
4. Practice consistent double picking. If you're not already, you should be double picking, which is striking the string as you push it down and when you come back up. Pay close attention to this skill and try to be consistent with each strike for balanced strumming in your death metal songs.
5. Remove your left hand from the equation. Having more than you can handle in one song isn't that fun, so sometimes you need to remove the fret hand. Just let your picking hand work for awhile and add the other to see if you've singled out your picking long enough.
There are a lot of lessons to be studied about death metal guitar that differs from other genres, but having a hard work-ethic will always be important for any style. Try out these tips and be dedicated to improving your picking to a fast and effective level of skill.
Kyle Hoffman is an experienced guitarist that has performed in a number of bands over a period of years. Check out his tips on finding the best fast electric guitar course for your money at his popular guitar blog, How To Guitar Tune now!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyle_Hoffman
Monday 1 February 2010
Sweep Picking Arpeggios on Guitar
Sweep picking is a technique on guitar that essentially means picking notes from chords. Instead of strumming the entire chord as one note, all of the notes within the chord are strummed individually. The set of notes that is sweep picked is called an "arpeggio" or "broken chord" in Italian.
To perform sweep picking or to play an arpeggio, the player must train both hands. This is why sometimes the title "sweep picking" can be misleading. The technique does not only involve using your picking hand but your fret hand as well. The player must learn how to move down (or up) the chord with his fret hand and how to pick the notes out with his other hand.
Some sweep pickers even start by picking out notes from the middle of a chord and moving either way. In every case, sweep pickers move from string to string after each note (rather than staying on the same string for multiple notes) because chords never have two notes on the same string.
Sweep picking is commonly used by modern rock musicians such as Yngwie Malmsteen and Dan Donegan to create powerful metal licks. In modern metal, sweep picking utilizes more repetition at quicker speeds which gives it a screaming sound.
Many guitarists who learn how to pick out notes from chords have the ability to create licks from virtually and chord they know. Melodies from arpeggios come easier because the brain has already learned the type of fingering required to form the progression. After all, it is easier to learn how to run if you first know how to walk.
Playing arpeggios from learned chords is easy for advanced guitar players but may require some directed teaching for beginners and intermediates. Check out the guitar chord parser method which is an online guide for learning arpeggios to learn more about the wonderful world of sweep picking and arpeggios.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Mark_Scott
To perform sweep picking or to play an arpeggio, the player must train both hands. This is why sometimes the title "sweep picking" can be misleading. The technique does not only involve using your picking hand but your fret hand as well. The player must learn how to move down (or up) the chord with his fret hand and how to pick the notes out with his other hand.
Some sweep pickers even start by picking out notes from the middle of a chord and moving either way. In every case, sweep pickers move from string to string after each note (rather than staying on the same string for multiple notes) because chords never have two notes on the same string.
Sweep picking is commonly used by modern rock musicians such as Yngwie Malmsteen and Dan Donegan to create powerful metal licks. In modern metal, sweep picking utilizes more repetition at quicker speeds which gives it a screaming sound.
Many guitarists who learn how to pick out notes from chords have the ability to create licks from virtually and chord they know. Melodies from arpeggios come easier because the brain has already learned the type of fingering required to form the progression. After all, it is easier to learn how to run if you first know how to walk.
Playing arpeggios from learned chords is easy for advanced guitar players but may require some directed teaching for beginners and intermediates. Check out the guitar chord parser method which is an online guide for learning arpeggios to learn more about the wonderful world of sweep picking and arpeggios.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Mark_Scott
Metal Guitar Lessons - One Way Ticket to Heavy Metal Paradise
Metal guitar lessons form a totally separate category among all guitar lessons. Since the metal guitar is played in a very different, fast and sometimes brutal manner, techniques and tricks used to play metal guitar widely (or should I say "wildly") differ from most classic techniques.
There are few things in life more impressive than a good metal guitarist shredding his guitar with mind blowing riffs and licks. From Dave Mustaine to Adrian Smith and late Chuck Schuldiner, many metal guitarists inspired lots of us to try to get on stage with their bands and play like them. But to do that, you must learn and master a lot of scales, harmonics, various techniques like alternate picking and even spider walking.
Metal guitar is mainly based on speed and aggressive riffs and tones. Having a strong and heavy tone is so important for metal guitar that in addition to your playing skills, speed and accuracy, you'll also need a good sound system to back up and power your playing. Different items like processors, pedals and amplifiers will have an important effect on your performance as a metal guitarist.
As it is one of the most important genres in music with its numerous sub-genres, being a metal guitarist can indeed be a very rewarding experience. But first you have to make sure that you have what it takes. You must learn the riffs, licks and all kind of tricks used by metal guitarists to produce those outstanding sounds. You must practice a lot to increase finger speed and dexterity, and of course you must also invest in your gear since without -at least- decent gear you'll have a hard time creating that ground shaking sound you want. Luckily, with an above average processor and a good amplifier, you would be good to go at least for a very long time.
So if you are a metal fan and want to play like your heroes, plan your investment for good gear, start to take some metal guitar lessons now and play the music you love until your fingers become numb. Just believe in your dreams and take action. The rest will certainly follow.
If you want to find out how you can learn advanced guitar techniques with an easy, relaxed and fun method without spending a fortune on private lessons, check out the advanced guitar lessons website. You can also find out how to learn guitar songs right away.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joey_Berkin
There are few things in life more impressive than a good metal guitarist shredding his guitar with mind blowing riffs and licks. From Dave Mustaine to Adrian Smith and late Chuck Schuldiner, many metal guitarists inspired lots of us to try to get on stage with their bands and play like them. But to do that, you must learn and master a lot of scales, harmonics, various techniques like alternate picking and even spider walking.
Metal guitar is mainly based on speed and aggressive riffs and tones. Having a strong and heavy tone is so important for metal guitar that in addition to your playing skills, speed and accuracy, you'll also need a good sound system to back up and power your playing. Different items like processors, pedals and amplifiers will have an important effect on your performance as a metal guitarist.
As it is one of the most important genres in music with its numerous sub-genres, being a metal guitarist can indeed be a very rewarding experience. But first you have to make sure that you have what it takes. You must learn the riffs, licks and all kind of tricks used by metal guitarists to produce those outstanding sounds. You must practice a lot to increase finger speed and dexterity, and of course you must also invest in your gear since without -at least- decent gear you'll have a hard time creating that ground shaking sound you want. Luckily, with an above average processor and a good amplifier, you would be good to go at least for a very long time.
So if you are a metal fan and want to play like your heroes, plan your investment for good gear, start to take some metal guitar lessons now and play the music you love until your fingers become numb. Just believe in your dreams and take action. The rest will certainly follow.
If you want to find out how you can learn advanced guitar techniques with an easy, relaxed and fun method without spending a fortune on private lessons, check out the advanced guitar lessons website. You can also find out how to learn guitar songs right away.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joey_Berkin
Saturday 30 January 2010
Metal Guitar Lessons - Take Your Guitar and Get Ready!
Guitar lessons are always looked forward to with great awe and fascination. Playing a guitar like Eric Clapton or Adrian Smith is dreamt of by a vast majority. But learning to play guitar is not a very difficult task.
Guitar lessons vary according to the category one has chosen. Several categories like the blues, the rock, the lead, the jazz, the metal and so on are open before an aspiring guitarist. Amongst all these categories, the metal guitar is one that has attained great fame and popularity.
Metal guitar lessons have to be treated with special and sincere consideration. The way in which the metal guitar is played varies from the other categories. This is often associated with fast numbers, deviating from the usual pace that accompany the classic categories. To master this, it is essential to undergo some training so as to practice the various tricks and techniques.
Playing the guitar with excellent riffs and licks, come with a great deal of training and practice. There are several important aspects that one ought to know before making their way to the lessons of this style of guitar. The scales, harmonics and other techniques have to be first mastered. The knowledge of these can very well support the aggressive style used in playing metal guitar.
Metal guitar is made very peculiar and unique by the pace and the harsh style that go with it. A good mastery on the heavy and strong tones used can prove effective in enhancing your guitar playing skills. Speed and accuracy are aspects that can in no respect be overlooked.
The riffs and the lick give your performance that magical tinge which excites the audience. Learning these can help you to produce some outstanding music.
For more information on Free Online Guitar Lessons, visit the Easy Guitar Songs website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerrant_Wainwright
Guitar lessons vary according to the category one has chosen. Several categories like the blues, the rock, the lead, the jazz, the metal and so on are open before an aspiring guitarist. Amongst all these categories, the metal guitar is one that has attained great fame and popularity.
Metal guitar lessons have to be treated with special and sincere consideration. The way in which the metal guitar is played varies from the other categories. This is often associated with fast numbers, deviating from the usual pace that accompany the classic categories. To master this, it is essential to undergo some training so as to practice the various tricks and techniques.
Playing the guitar with excellent riffs and licks, come with a great deal of training and practice. There are several important aspects that one ought to know before making their way to the lessons of this style of guitar. The scales, harmonics and other techniques have to be first mastered. The knowledge of these can very well support the aggressive style used in playing metal guitar.
Metal guitar is made very peculiar and unique by the pace and the harsh style that go with it. A good mastery on the heavy and strong tones used can prove effective in enhancing your guitar playing skills. Speed and accuracy are aspects that can in no respect be overlooked.
The riffs and the lick give your performance that magical tinge which excites the audience. Learning these can help you to produce some outstanding music.
For more information on Free Online Guitar Lessons, visit the Easy Guitar Songs website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerrant_Wainwright
Metal Guitar Lesson - Two Handed Tapping
Two hand tapping is a key metal guitar lesson for anyone interested in lead guitar since it is one of the coolest and most versatile techniques a metal guitar player can have in their lead arsenal. Popularized by Eddie Van Halen in the late 70's and early 80's, two handed tapping quickly caught on and is now a favourite technique of some of the greatest names in metal guitar. Luckily, it isn't overly complicated to learn. If you can perform hammer-ons and pull-offs, you're already half way there.
Basically, two handed tapping is the act of fretting notes with your fretting hand as normal, but instead of picking, using one of the fingers on the picking hand to perform another hammer-on/pull-off further down the neck from the fretting hand.
Which finger you choose to tap with should really be a function of how you hold your pick. The vast majority of players hold their pick between their thumb and index finger, and so tapping with your index finger would require you ditch the pick somehow and retrieve it when you're done. Because of this, it's much easier to simply tap with your middle finger, allowing you to keep a hold of your pick for when you exit your tapping piece. (Note: Eddie Van Halen is one of few players who holds his pick between his thumb and middle finger, and as such, he taps with this index finger.)
Once you've decided which finger to tap with, it's simply a matter of performing a set of hammer-ons and pull-offs with your fretting hand and then introducing another note to the series with your picking hand. For a visual representation, check out some video lessons. After seeing it in action, you'll pick it up right away.
If you'd like to check out some lessons on techniques like this, as well as others, click here to check out Metal Method Guitar Lessons. I personally used this course and can vouch for the quality of it, and the website contains lots of free video lessons!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Rhoads
Basically, two handed tapping is the act of fretting notes with your fretting hand as normal, but instead of picking, using one of the fingers on the picking hand to perform another hammer-on/pull-off further down the neck from the fretting hand.
Which finger you choose to tap with should really be a function of how you hold your pick. The vast majority of players hold their pick between their thumb and index finger, and so tapping with your index finger would require you ditch the pick somehow and retrieve it when you're done. Because of this, it's much easier to simply tap with your middle finger, allowing you to keep a hold of your pick for when you exit your tapping piece. (Note: Eddie Van Halen is one of few players who holds his pick between his thumb and middle finger, and as such, he taps with this index finger.)
Once you've decided which finger to tap with, it's simply a matter of performing a set of hammer-ons and pull-offs with your fretting hand and then introducing another note to the series with your picking hand. For a visual representation, check out some video lessons. After seeing it in action, you'll pick it up right away.
If you'd like to check out some lessons on techniques like this, as well as others, click here to check out Metal Method Guitar Lessons. I personally used this course and can vouch for the quality of it, and the website contains lots of free video lessons!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Rhoads
Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons - Learn to Play With Power and Speed
Nothing beats the raw power, the energy, the exhilaration of a skillfully played heavy metal guitar power riff... except, perhaps, playing it yourself. Many aspiring metal guitarists are intimidated by the speed and complexity involved. But the truth is, it is really not as hard as you might think. With the teacher and with carefully designed heavy metal guitar lessons, you too can learn to crank out face melting, earth quaking heavy metal guitar.
The key is to find someone who has been through it all before. Everyone who has ever learned to play metal had to start somewhere. They started slow. They started with the fundamentals. If they were lucky, they found a good teacher. Then, after learning some insider tips and techniques, they gradually built up their speed and their skills. Before long they have mastered the skill, the stamina, and the speed required to really show off with the guitar. But they have to start somewhere.
The benefit of heavy metal guitar lessons is that there are some things that can only learn by finding someone who has already been through it. Metal guitar has a certain sound, a certain rhythm, certain tricks and techniques that really make it stand apart from the rest of guitar music. The key is to find a program dedicated to teaching those skills.
Learning to play metal on the guitar is not has difficult or as complicated as you might think. They key is to start at the beginning and take it slow. The speed will come. But what you need first is to study each technique and to practice it over and over again until you've mastered it. Then you can start playing louder and faster. It won't happen over night, but if you follow a dedicated program, it definitely will happen.
Click here for reviews and recommendations on step-by-step online guitar training programs including heavy metal guitar lessons, be sure to visit http://www.guitarpath.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dillon_Rale
The key is to find someone who has been through it all before. Everyone who has ever learned to play metal had to start somewhere. They started slow. They started with the fundamentals. If they were lucky, they found a good teacher. Then, after learning some insider tips and techniques, they gradually built up their speed and their skills. Before long they have mastered the skill, the stamina, and the speed required to really show off with the guitar. But they have to start somewhere.
The benefit of heavy metal guitar lessons is that there are some things that can only learn by finding someone who has already been through it. Metal guitar has a certain sound, a certain rhythm, certain tricks and techniques that really make it stand apart from the rest of guitar music. The key is to find a program dedicated to teaching those skills.
Learning to play metal on the guitar is not has difficult or as complicated as you might think. They key is to start at the beginning and take it slow. The speed will come. But what you need first is to study each technique and to practice it over and over again until you've mastered it. Then you can start playing louder and faster. It won't happen over night, but if you follow a dedicated program, it definitely will happen.
Click here for reviews and recommendations on step-by-step online guitar training programs including heavy metal guitar lessons, be sure to visit http://www.guitarpath.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dillon_Rale
Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons
People often pose the question "what makes metal... metal?" Well, firstly, for posing such a vague question you deserve to be shot! But I'll try my damnedest to make the point...
Metal guitar playing comprises of many features, techniques, tricks, or whatever you want to call them. You'll often find that guitarists will form their own little niche where they excel in one particular area, no different from a footballer's flare or a chess player's technique, and eventually it becomes part of their signature sound. However, the idea is to be a well-rounded player before you find your niche.
I've noticed nowadays that some people make the mistake of jumping ahead, and go straight onto trying to shred as fast as they can, locking themselves away in their bedroom practicing scales to a metronome, but they don't have a creative bone in their body, and if you asked them to write something they'd be stuck! Not to mention their technique tends to be under par, because they don't have the foundation to build on. Solid rhythmic techniques are the foundation of any guitar great. Without it you have no sense of feel and groove, and it's imperative if you don't want your playing to be mechanical and lifeless!
By all means shred, but you'll find the timing so much easier if you have a tight discipline in rhythm. You don't run before you can walk, in other words. I also feel nowadays that a lot of flare has been taken out of guitar riffs, and they're used purely as a stepping stone to get to the next shred passage, or a random section of sweep picked arpeggios are thrown in for good measure. A riff is the main body of the song, it's the bit you remember, and it's the music! If it's not grabbing people's attention, it's not catchy, it has no 'hook' and it's just generic, then you need to revise what the riff is all about!
To find out more about how to play heavy metal guitar, and to grab some great heavy metal guitar lessons, simply follow the link below
Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Aziz
Metal guitar playing comprises of many features, techniques, tricks, or whatever you want to call them. You'll often find that guitarists will form their own little niche where they excel in one particular area, no different from a footballer's flare or a chess player's technique, and eventually it becomes part of their signature sound. However, the idea is to be a well-rounded player before you find your niche.
I've noticed nowadays that some people make the mistake of jumping ahead, and go straight onto trying to shred as fast as they can, locking themselves away in their bedroom practicing scales to a metronome, but they don't have a creative bone in their body, and if you asked them to write something they'd be stuck! Not to mention their technique tends to be under par, because they don't have the foundation to build on. Solid rhythmic techniques are the foundation of any guitar great. Without it you have no sense of feel and groove, and it's imperative if you don't want your playing to be mechanical and lifeless!
By all means shred, but you'll find the timing so much easier if you have a tight discipline in rhythm. You don't run before you can walk, in other words. I also feel nowadays that a lot of flare has been taken out of guitar riffs, and they're used purely as a stepping stone to get to the next shred passage, or a random section of sweep picked arpeggios are thrown in for good measure. A riff is the main body of the song, it's the bit you remember, and it's the music! If it's not grabbing people's attention, it's not catchy, it has no 'hook' and it's just generic, then you need to revise what the riff is all about!
To find out more about how to play heavy metal guitar, and to grab some great heavy metal guitar lessons, simply follow the link below
Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Aziz
Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons Online
If you are looking for heavy metal guitar lessons online you will find several options to choose from. You have books, CDs, DVDs and online guitar membership sites: these are the usual ways for people to learn to play guitar online, although you occasionally find personal tuition advertised by one or other of the national franchises.
The question is, is it possible to learn heavy metal guitar online, or do you simply learn how to play guitar, and then adapt what you have learned into the heavy metal genre? The answer is a bit of both. A guitar beginner won't just start right off learning how to play heavy metal. It might be possible to do so, but you would suffer because of it, and here's why.
You have to get to know your guitar before trying to get any sound out of it. A good beginners course of guitar lessons will first show you each part of your guitar, such as the body, the soundboard, the neck, the strings and so on - even as far as the eyelets the strings are tied to, because these can also affect the sound. There are certain adjustments that can be made to your guitar that can change the sound, and the way you string it can be critical.
The positioning of the pick-ups, and even the type and make of pick-up, has a bearing on what sort of sound you get, and for a heavy metal player the pick-ups are very important, as is the choice of strings. These are all aspects of your guitar that you should be taught as you go along - and at the appropriate time, since much of it would be meaningless until you were in a position to understand the differences.
Before you start thinking you are Tony Iommi or Slash, you first have to learn how to hold your guitar, and then how to strum properly. Then you have to get your fret fingering right, pick up a few chords and get started on some fingerpicking. Before you can really start playing solos, you have to master some scales, particularly the pentatonics that are the basis behind most of the great licks you have heard. Most are simply pentatonic scales played up, and down the frets, perhaps with a few harmonics and chords thrown in.
Very few people learn heavy metal just by picking up a guitar and starting to play. Some do, but at some time in their career they have to learn the proper techniques or they will never get past ordinary. You need tuition for that. Or the time to stand and watch great guitarists doing their stuff and trying to copy how they do it. Far quicker to take an online guitar course!
So, your heavy metal guitar lessons online should start with a beginners guitar course, and then you should move on to intermediate. Once you can play your instrument reasonably well, and are familiar with several chords and some scales, you are ready to look at a specific genre: in your case heavy metal.
Online heavy metal lessons will teach you how to get the right sound, and also the various techniques required to enable you to increase your playing speed. You will learn hammer ons that allow you to play more that one note with a single pick of a string, and various other techniques such as vibrato and spider walking around the frets, that not only helps with the flexibility and strength of your fingers, but also enables you to play single notes pretty fast.
The most useful tool for you, however, is the pentatonic scale. Consisting of just five notes, pentatonic scales will enable you to play some good-sounding licks on your guitar, but they take some practice. When you are playing heavy metal, and are into a fast lick, you don't have time to think of the individual notes. You will be playing virtually on autopilot, and will simply be benefiting from and repeating all these hours you spent on your pentatonics.
That is all that most guitar licks are: scales played around the frets, and up and down the neck. Because they are scales, everything stays in tune, which is why they sound so good. Without proper guitar tuition you would find it very difficult to achieve, and would be nothing but one of the "might have beens" that thought they were too good for formal guitar lessons. There is nobody too good for lessons, and every single player out there can benefit from a few lessons, even if just to brush up on their skills and technique.
That is why an online guitar membership site is such a great choice for heavy metal guitar lessons. You can take the beginners courses and then move on to the heavy metal guitar course. Even when you are an adept, you can come back and practice your skills with a few advanced lessons, and perhaps take part in the forum and chat to some of your old friends.
There is no doubt that if you take heavy metal guitar lessons online, you will have a better chance than most of becoming a very good guitar player, and the membership will allow you visit as often and for as long as you like, and try out any of the many courses or teachers available to you on the website.
Read Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons Online and other articles on iMasterGuitar.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andre_Sanchez
The question is, is it possible to learn heavy metal guitar online, or do you simply learn how to play guitar, and then adapt what you have learned into the heavy metal genre? The answer is a bit of both. A guitar beginner won't just start right off learning how to play heavy metal. It might be possible to do so, but you would suffer because of it, and here's why.
You have to get to know your guitar before trying to get any sound out of it. A good beginners course of guitar lessons will first show you each part of your guitar, such as the body, the soundboard, the neck, the strings and so on - even as far as the eyelets the strings are tied to, because these can also affect the sound. There are certain adjustments that can be made to your guitar that can change the sound, and the way you string it can be critical.
The positioning of the pick-ups, and even the type and make of pick-up, has a bearing on what sort of sound you get, and for a heavy metal player the pick-ups are very important, as is the choice of strings. These are all aspects of your guitar that you should be taught as you go along - and at the appropriate time, since much of it would be meaningless until you were in a position to understand the differences.
Before you start thinking you are Tony Iommi or Slash, you first have to learn how to hold your guitar, and then how to strum properly. Then you have to get your fret fingering right, pick up a few chords and get started on some fingerpicking. Before you can really start playing solos, you have to master some scales, particularly the pentatonics that are the basis behind most of the great licks you have heard. Most are simply pentatonic scales played up, and down the frets, perhaps with a few harmonics and chords thrown in.
Very few people learn heavy metal just by picking up a guitar and starting to play. Some do, but at some time in their career they have to learn the proper techniques or they will never get past ordinary. You need tuition for that. Or the time to stand and watch great guitarists doing their stuff and trying to copy how they do it. Far quicker to take an online guitar course!
So, your heavy metal guitar lessons online should start with a beginners guitar course, and then you should move on to intermediate. Once you can play your instrument reasonably well, and are familiar with several chords and some scales, you are ready to look at a specific genre: in your case heavy metal.
Online heavy metal lessons will teach you how to get the right sound, and also the various techniques required to enable you to increase your playing speed. You will learn hammer ons that allow you to play more that one note with a single pick of a string, and various other techniques such as vibrato and spider walking around the frets, that not only helps with the flexibility and strength of your fingers, but also enables you to play single notes pretty fast.
The most useful tool for you, however, is the pentatonic scale. Consisting of just five notes, pentatonic scales will enable you to play some good-sounding licks on your guitar, but they take some practice. When you are playing heavy metal, and are into a fast lick, you don't have time to think of the individual notes. You will be playing virtually on autopilot, and will simply be benefiting from and repeating all these hours you spent on your pentatonics.
That is all that most guitar licks are: scales played around the frets, and up and down the neck. Because they are scales, everything stays in tune, which is why they sound so good. Without proper guitar tuition you would find it very difficult to achieve, and would be nothing but one of the "might have beens" that thought they were too good for formal guitar lessons. There is nobody too good for lessons, and every single player out there can benefit from a few lessons, even if just to brush up on their skills and technique.
That is why an online guitar membership site is such a great choice for heavy metal guitar lessons. You can take the beginners courses and then move on to the heavy metal guitar course. Even when you are an adept, you can come back and practice your skills with a few advanced lessons, and perhaps take part in the forum and chat to some of your old friends.
There is no doubt that if you take heavy metal guitar lessons online, you will have a better chance than most of becoming a very good guitar player, and the membership will allow you visit as often and for as long as you like, and try out any of the many courses or teachers available to you on the website.
Read Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons Online and other articles on iMasterGuitar.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andre_Sanchez
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