How to Use Octaves in Metal Guitar

An octave is two notes on opposite ends of a scale, or in other words, "the same note" in the repeating chromatic landscape. One octave up from a middle C is a high C. Guitar players with any knowledge of the fretboard can recognize the tonal similarity of octave notes. Some guitar players also use octave notes specifically to create interesting sounds in different genres. Here are some ways to use octaves in metal guitar.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Use "quick toggle" octave play. Playing back and forth between the two octaves of a note is a favorite of some rockers (think of the intro in U2's "Even Better Than the Real Thing" off of "Achtung Baby"). Get a good rhythm going with octaves to create your own signature riff.

2. Pound on the twelfth fret. The space between open strings and the twelfth fret is one octave. Lots of guitar players like to use the open/12 combo to display octave changes. With metal guitar effects on your amp, a twelfth fret attack sounds good.

3. Add walking down notes. When you're using a twelfth fret octave approach, you can add color to it by starting at 12, going open, to 10, open, to eight, open, and on down. Hit all of the notes in the chromatic scale and you'll have a genuine metal riff.

4. Try a "movable" octave progression. On lower strings, you can get this by playing a note two strings and two frets lower than your original note. Use a movable octave pattern to create a key-changing octave like: high A, low A, high F, low F. These movable octaves have their own attractive sound in metal guitar.

5. Utilize harmonics. You can often get the octave of a note by doing "harmonics" (placing your left finger lightly in between fret spaces and plucking the string). Find harmonics to go with notes on the fretboard and play a harmonic echo octave for a great metal effect.