How to Play Black Metal

Black metal is a subcategory of heavy metal that is often informally played and full of an odd assortment of chords combined with distortion and other sound effects. But to play black metal requires an attitude more than anything else. It should always be played fast and with an edge to the sound.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Use the tremolo picking method to get the black metal sound. This involves playing the same note rapidly many times. Then change to a different note and repeat that rapidly. This can be done for as long as you like or as long as it fits into the song. Playing one note over and over again can be done much more rapidly than playing a series of notes, and this gives black metal much of its characteristic sound.

2. Play any scale you wish, as the scale guidelines are not concrete. Most black metal is played with a minor scale and not a major scale.

3. Add in distortion. The more distortion you can use in black metal, the better. There doesn't have to be any rhyme or reason to it and it doesn't have to be used throughout the entire song. It can be used at key points or at random intervals.

4. Keep the music loud. There's no such thing as soft black metal. Use extra amps and make sure they're cranked to get a true black metal sound. Keep it fast and loud and you will leave no doubt that what you play is black metal.