Playing metal guitar
Many people begin playing metal guitar with a dream of storming the metal scene. When they learn the basics, they realize that learning to play metal music is not that easy because there are not as many resources for teaching metal music. Many new and inspiring guitarists are out there wondering how they can play heavy metal.
So, just what is heavy metal? It's a hard thing to describe. It's a variation of rock music that is really fast and has a harsh sound to it. It is often comprised of a few chord formations at different spots on the fret-board.
To help you learn the chords, the fingers will be referred to by numbers as indicated below.
1 = Index finger
2 = Middle finger
3 = Ring finger
4 = Pinky finger
Learning Power Chords
The primary chord used in heavy metal is called the "Power Chord". To play a power chord, practice the F Power Chord.
Fingering for this chord can be done in two ways. You can use finger 1 at the root of the chord (the lower octave note), and use finger 3 on the other string. Or you may use finger 4. There are advantages to both ways. The first method leaves your pinky to move to a fret closer to the body of the guitar. The second way does not allow this, but allows you to fret notes in between the two up or down strings much easier.
Inverted Power Chords
These chords are similar to the power chord, except that these chords switch around the ordering.
This chord formation is the opposite of the power chord above. This is also not an F; it is a G. (3rd fret, 6th string). You can use the same fingering as above, but, also inverted, meaning finger 3 would go on the higher string and finger 1 on the string below. These chords are not at all as common as the regular power chord. However, these chords definitely offer a break to the power chord sound.
Listening to Metal
If you want to learn to play heavy metal, you need to listen to metal music. You may even find yourself trying to duplicate sounds from your favorite songs. The more music you listen to and the more familiar you become with the music and the sounds, the better it will reflect when you play. So go ahead and listen all you want. If you know someone else who plays metal guitar, you may also want to talk to them. You can compare notes and music.