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Step 1
Do "shredding" guitar techniques with distortion. Shredding is a term guitar insiders use for any style of fast note play or soloing. It involves techniques like sweep picking, tremolo picking or string-skipping arpeggios. Distortion is a great plus for any shredding techniques, in fact, it's usually necessary to sustain notes and make these techniques sound good.
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Step 2
Try easy "power chords." Guitar players create these easy two-note chords on the bottom two strings of the guitar. The A string (second string from bottom) is held two frets above the E string. Distortion helps give the power to these convenient chord structures.
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Step 3
Use full bar chords. To get an even bigger, crunchier sound with distortion, try playing the six-string bar chord. You can find these chord strictures online at sites like Guitar Chord Magic; playing them with distortion gives them additional heft.
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Step 4
Practice other techniques with sustained sounds. A good example is the string bend. Distortion helps your guitar sound stay strong over several seconds. Try plucking a string and bending it up, and listen to how the distorted, amplified sound holds up.
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Step 5
Create slow melody lines. Use the power of distorted amp sustainability to lay out a progression of single notes where each one has its own space. Pause between each note, and make sure each one is struck clearly, so the audience can hear. Lots of favorite songs sound great in a distorted slow melody line.
