First of all, the winner of the poll "What do you think is the best sub-genre of metal?" was, by a long shot, death metal. I couldn't agree more, guys. And as a result, my next post is going to be about some aspect of death metal. I've posted a new poll. It can be found at the bottom of this page. Would you really read this and not vote? Tsk tsk tsk.
As I’m sure many of you know, at the forefront of metal is the guitar (or sometimes known as the “axe”). This is a mighty tool, capable of igniting a previously dull crowd into a swarming mass of violence, headbanging, and fury if used correctly. However, it is a double-edged sword – if you don’t know how to use it, a guitar not only makes you look weak and impotent, but it can cause the crowd to turn on you in an instant. Nothing can ruin a song quicker than a crappy guitar solo.
In case you don’t know me personally, or for some reason doubt that I am a credible source of guitar knowledge, I hereby direct you to a website of my music. ( www.myspace.com/billriggio ) If you need proof that I know what I’m talking about, boom, there it is. The ball’s in your court now, you distrustful, cynical bastard. Anyway, not everyone can be a musical prodigy at guitar, so for the sake of your wild-eyed dreams of being an axe-wielding god of metal, I’ve decided to offer up some tips, tricks, and secrets that I’ve accumulated over the years.
1. Length : When it comes to length, beauty lies in balance, not in either extreme of short or long. (Please, I’m begging you; don’t make that into a penis joke.) Immaturity aside, the point here is that it’s crucial to your status as a guitarist that you know exactly how long to make your solo. If you make it too short, by the time people realize that a potentially wicked guitar solo has begun, it’s already over and nobody likes you. If it’s too long, people will get bored and begin to wonder when the next chorus will finally start. You can be an amazingly talented guitarist, but if you solo for too long nobody will care. (I’m looking at you, John Petrucci. You’re still my favorite, but it’ll be a cold day in hell before you get mass appeal with 6 minute solos.)
2. Timing : This is important not because of you or your solo, but rather it’s important because of the rest of the band. There are two moments to any guitar solo that are absolutely crucial, and those are the initial crescendo and the final crescendo. The initial crescendo is that big moment for the first note of the solo. If done correctly, a good guitarist uses this opportunity to send a wailing screech of epicness into the audience, causing their ears to perk and making them ready for the musical glory to follow. (Also, it is acceptable to use some fancy guitar flair before this note. I’ll go more into these later.) The final crescendo, as can be inferred from the name, is the last note of the solo- it should be the climax of intensity right before the song progresses to its next part. The timing of both of these moments is very importantly based on what the rest of your band is doing- if you hit one of those notes too early or too late, everyone in the audience can tell. Expect disgruntled stares and a total lack of awesomeness in the immediate vicinity of you.
3. Scales : The easiest way that you can instantly and drastically improve the quality of your solos is to learn the following scales in order – Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, Diminished, and Basic Blues. Also, the Phrygian mode. I swear, the Phrygian mode is to metal what Megan Fox is to Transformers – it takes something visually intense, violent, and awesome, and makes it unbelievably sexy. The true value of scales, however, does not lie in the notes of the scale, but rather in the root notes of the scale. Knowing what note the scale starts on makes the difference between an amazing solo and a solo that sounds awkward and just doesn’t fit in. (Although, to be fair, there have been amazing guitarists who never learned a single note of scales.)
4. The Big Finale : I would consider this the most important thing I’ve listed here. If you only learn one thing from wasting your time on my blog, let it be this. The last note you hit in your solo is the most important one. Humans, by nature, have a depressingly short attention span. When you play a solo for the crowd, all that will be fresh in their minds is the last note you hit. If you’ve learned your scales, end on a higher octave of the root note. (In layman’s terms, end your solo on the same note that the scale started on, only at a higher pitch.) A lot of guitarists have a problem with this, especially those who try to emulate Dimebag of Pantera. He never learned any scales, yet always had great solos. If you try to imitate him, for the love of God, end on one of those “sweet notes.” You know, those notes that just sound right. It can be the difference between “Wow, that guy is a really good guitarist! I feel compelled to give him a blowjob” and “Uh…that was weird. Oh well, this chorus makes up for it.” Welcome to Dry-Dick City, population : you. And to think, if you had only listened to my advice…
5. Flourishes and Flair : These are those intricate little trills that you’ll see guitarists throw in now and then. While not ENTIRELY necessary, these are often a good way to show off how talented you are. (Don’t judge, lead guitar is basically all about ego.) Sweep picking, arpeggios, tremolo picking, and all sorts of other fiery little licks here and there can be used to spice up your solo. However, be careful – if you use too many, your solo will sound disjointed and awkward. On the other hand, if you use too little flair, you won’t be very metal. (To clarify, there can be good guitarists with absolutely no flair. For example, Kurt Cobain. But his music was by no stretch of the term “metal”. ) Compare a guitar solo in this example to a cannibal. If the cannibal doesn’t eat enough human flesh, he is malnourished and weak, and can no longer compete with his friends. But if he eats too much human flesh, he gets bloated and unwieldy, causing him to fall behind. Your solo must be like a moderate cannibal! ……that’s pretty metal. I think I should make a death metal band called "Moderate Cannibal."
6. Speed : Simply put, fast guitar solos are impressive and awesome, but I can’t tell you how embarrassing it is to see a guitarist have a solo that from start to finish is solely an insanely fast spree of notes rattled off without any regard for rhythm, timing, or human decency. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
So there you go. Now that I’ve spawned an army of Mustaines and Hammetts, I can’t help but feel like I’ve done my part to try and save heavy metal. Well, my weekly work is done.
Viva la metal!
P.S. Think you’re good at guitar? Show me what you got. I DO have a comment box for a reason…
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