How To Play Guitar Metal Song

Learn how to stop sounding mechanical and start sounding like some of your favorite Metal artists with instruction from Shaun Michaud. In this series of video tutorials, Michaud, course author of the

Course at Berklee , demonstrates several Metal/Progressive Rock techniques that will make your playing faster and more efficient, plus give you a quick how-to for learning quintessential Metal tools like sweep picking and songs like John Petrucci’s solo in “Erotomania.”

In this first video, Michaud demonstrates a technique he developed after years of dissecting solos from his favorite metal guitar players that breaks down a method of approaching the major scale from the entire fretboard. This method strays away from the traditional approach of the major scale from a smaller window on the guitar that is shown in most beginner books. He starts by pairing the strings into two-string groupings. Each group has the same interval between the strings, thus creating the same shape for each set. Starting from each of the seven notes in the major scale, Michaud plays through the scale patterns up the fretboard, through each string set. He then shows how to use this technique to create musical solos.

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Now onward to an Achilles’ heel of guitar players, which is note recognition on the fretboard. Michaud shares an exercise he created that builds note recognition to help with freedom in playing. He starts by looking at the first 12 frets of the guitar and finds only one place to play each note of the scale on each string of the guitar. Using the C Major scale, he finds C on the 6th string, finds D on the 5th string, E on the 4th string, F on the 3rd string, G on the 2nd string, and A on the 1st string. Once he gets to the top string, he reverses direction and continues the scale from where he left off by playing B on the 2nd string etc. This creates what he calls the “neverending” scale.

Combine learning shapes and learning notes on the fretboard, and you will always know where you are. —Shaun Michaud, Author of the Metal Guitar course at @Berklee Click To Tweet

In this next video, Michaud shows you how to play John Petrucci’s solo in “Erotomania” by Dream Theater. Using hexatonic shapes, he breaks down the solo phrase by phrase, showing you exactly what is going on in Petrucci’s playing. It serves as a perfect real-world example of using lanes and shapes of major scale patterns in a metal guitar style solo.

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Now let’s learn Michaud’s approach to pentatonic scales. His method will allow you to learn new ways to divide the notes on the fretboard and create new shapes so that you can play fresh melodic content. Michaud builds upon the lane idea with some familiar sounds of the pentatonic scale.

Michaud moves on to a second way to access the same five notes using the same seven shapes using relative pentatonic shapes, which will allow you to play these notes in a different spot on the guitar neck. This is accomplished by pairing shape one with five, two with six, and so on.

Next we look at sweep arpeggios and the picking technique behind playing a smooth sweep. He breaks down how to accomplish a fluid sweep by playing each string while simultaneously working your way up and down an arpeggio, which involves lifting each finger allowing separation between each note. Michaud starts with arpeggios on the 5th string using the G major triad.

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In this last video, Michaud uses Bach’s Sonata No. 1 in G minor to demonstrate the concept of octave displacement. He explains how octave displacements can create unique-sounding lines. Using this technique, you can play a continuous scale without the listener noticing because of where the scale jumps an octave higher.

Shaun Michaud is a Berklee grad who has been teaching at the school for more than 16 years. The music he has written has appeared on the History Channel, and in films such as

. He has written, recorded, and produced five albums, two of which were released on the Inside Out label. Working as a recording engineer for more than a decade, he has hundreds of recording and mastering credits in the classical music genre for Parma Recordings.By submitting your info, you agree to send it to Tom Hess Music Corporation who will process and use it according to their privacy policy.

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Then change your practicing focus from “finding cool guitar riffs to play” to “learning to make ANY riff you play sound killer and tight”.

This often happens when you want to play fast and your picking hand begins to sacrifice power for speed (making your playing sound weak).

This way tension doesn't build up throughout you hand and arm, making riffs harder to play. (More on how to do this below.)

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For most guitarists, training their rhythm guitar playing is limited to “practicing to a metronome”. Fact is, truly tight playing consists of mastery and integration between the following elements:

Master rhythm guitarists have practiced and developed all of the above elements to a very high level. To join them, you must do the same. The first step towards mastery is to assess how well you can currently hear the difference between truly tight rhythm guitar playing and playing that is not very tight. To test yourself, take 2 minutes to complete this rhythm guitar skills assessment.

If you don’t already know how to correctly practice the elements of tight rhythm guitar playing, get a great guitar teacher to help you master them.

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Unless you intend to only play guitar for yourself, you must practice making your rhythm guitar playing reliable when playing in front of others (and/or in the studio). It’s one thing to play perfectly for yourself, it’s another thing to do this when playing

To learn how you should practice your rhythm guitar riffs to prepare for real-life playing, read this article about playing guitar live.

Hand as your picking hand plays faster (and/or with more articulation and power). This makes rhythm guitar playing much harder than it needs to be and makes your hands tired a whole lot faster.

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The solution is to (mentally) separate the hands when practicing your rhythm guitar riffs. It doesn't matter how hard (or how soft) your picking hand is hitting the strings - your fretting hand must not change the amount of tension

Uses to play notes. As a general rule, your fretting hand needs a whole lot less power and strength to fret notes than the picking hand does to play rhythm guitar.

You should constantly be paying attention to the tension levels in your hands/arms as you play. Rotate your focus when practicing and make sure that each hand uses appropriate amounts of tension for the job it has to do.

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In addition to managing excessive tension in your hands, rhythm guitar endurance is developed through specialized training in this area of playing. This training is done to maximize how long you can play your rhythm guitar parts accurately and consistently at the fastest speed possible.

Level 1: Select a guitar riff that you want to build endurance with, set a time goal and practice to increase the speed at which you can play perfectly for that amount of time without becoming tired. For example, play your guitar riff for 30 seconds non-stop at 100 beats per minute on the metronome. Then (if it feels too easy), increase the metronome by a few beats per minute and repeat the process for another 30 seconds. Continue doing this until you hit a metronome tempo where you cannot play perfectly for 30 seconds without becoming tired. You will then keep practicing until you

Level 2: Select a certain metronome tempo and try to play your rhythm guitar riff for as long as possible at that speed. When you are able to beat your previous time (play longer than you have in the past), you will know that your endurance has improved.

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It doesn't matter what rhythm guitar riffs or specific exercises you use for this training -you can go through this process with any riff you practice.

Note: If you ever feel pain while practicing guitar, this is a sign that you should STOP – never attempt to play through pain!

Now that you know the key elements needed for playing badass rhythm guitar, test yourself to see how close you currently are to mastering this area of your guitar playing. Take a few minutes to complete this rhythm guitar playing assessment and get my free feedback that will help you become a much better rhythm guitar player.We match you with expert teachers in over 300 subjects so that you can learn something new through 100% guaranteed, personalized lessons.

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