Skip to main content Skip to navigation Skip to search
  • Lessons
  • Articles

Guitar Tutorial

Metal Riff Montage

Instructor: Chris Feener
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Metal
Begin Tutorial
  • Instructor: Chris Feener Level: Intermediate Topic: Rhythm Style: Metal

    Excerpt: In my last tutorial, I spent a fair bit of time explaining and breaking down the factors that make up polymeters. In essence, we scratched the surface of the concept. This month, I chose to turn up the heavy knob just a little, and get your guys' brains back in motion, except this time, with some heavy metal riffs.What you're going to hear are a collaboratio...

    Media Length: 0:31

  • Instructor: Chris Feener Level: Intermediate Topic: Rhythm Style: Metal

    Excerpt: This first riff is a Meshuggah-esque riff in the sense that we're playing a measure of 13/16 under a basic drum groove of 4/4. After three whole bars, the meter still has not reset, so you'll have to pay close attention to the transition from bar 3 back to bar 1. An Easier Approach: Take a look at bar one. The way I approach these riffs is to try to block ...

    Media Length: 0:17

  • Instructor: Chris Feener Level: Intermediate Topic: Rhythm Style: Metal

    Excerpt: This riff consists of almost solely dotted eighth beats, with the exception of one short phrase. The purpose for this riff is to demonstrate what dotted eighth beats sound like being carried from one bar to the next. A very common rhythm form in most rock or metal, is to see five dotted eighth beats, followed by a straight eighth, it fills a bar of 4/4 fully...

    Media Length: 0:26

  • Instructor: Chris Feener Level: Intermediate Topic: Rhythm Style: Metal

    Excerpt: This riff, although not polymetric in nature, is a very common pattern in metal. Lamb of God and Meshuggah should very well come to mind  when playing some of these 32nd beat gallops.We learn early on that alternate picking usually entails a down-up motion, regardless of string/note transitions. Well, there are certain exceptions, especially when it com...

    Media Length: 0:23

  • Instructor: Chris Feener Level: Intermediate Topic: Rhythm Style: Metal

    Excerpt: Here's the backing track for "In the Style of Meshuggah". It's played at 120BPM at full-speed, but remember to check out the nifty built-in metronome and build gradually should you be having issues!

    Media Length: 1:17

  • Instructor: Chris Feener Level: Intermediate Topic: Rhythm Style: Metal

    Excerpt: Here's the backing track for "Dotted Eighth Feel". It's played at 120BPM at full-speed, but remember to check out the nifty built-in metronome and build gradually should you be having issues!

    Media Length: 2:07

  • Instructor: Chris Feener Level: Intermediate Topic: Rhythm Style: Metal

    Excerpt: Here's the backing track for "In the Style of Lamb of God". It's played at 120BPM at full-speed, but remember to check out the nifty built-in metronome and build gradually should you be having issues!

    Media Length: 2:14