How to Play Metal Guitar for Beginners
Learning to play heavy metal guitar can seem like a very difficult, challenging task for a new guitarist with no musical training. While hiring a private teacher or taking group lessons are common ways to learn to play guitar, it is not impossible to teach yourself the fundamentals of heavy metal guitar. The most important part of learning guitar is simply understanding what you must learn to progress, as well as patience, dedication and lots of practice.
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Things You'll Need
- Electric guitar
- Guitar amplifier
- Gum-free stickers
- Guitar fretboard chart
- Guitar scale book
- Guitar tablature
Instructions
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Learn the notes on your guitar. There are a variety of ways to help yourself memorize the notes on the fretboard, and many guitarists find one method easier than the other. You can place gum-free stickers that have the note names written on them on the fingerboard, or you can purchase a note chart that you can look at while you are practicing. Many beginning guitarists find that the combination of the two methods is most beneficial.
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Learn the most commonly used guitar scales in heavy metal music. The most common scales are the major scale, minor scale, pentatonic scale, minor pentatonic scale and the blues scale. While there are many websites that can show you how to play the scales in different positions, most guitarists, even at a more advanced level, find that it is quite helpful to have a book for reference.
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Learn the basic chords used in heavy metal music. Learn the major chords, minor chords and power chords first, followed by the seventh, augmented and suspended chords. Chord generators are widely available online, but most guitarists purchase a chord book with a bit of chord theory when they are just starting out. Chord theory is especially beneficial to players who want to write songs or play in bands, as it will help you to learn how chords work together.
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Learn to read guitar tablature. Guitar tablature is less expressive than standard sheet music, but it is easier for a beginner to learn, and it will help guide you as you first start to learn songs. Reading guitar tablature is fairly simple, and information can easily be found on the internet.
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Purchase guitar tablature that contains songs you have recordings of. Practicing the songs while listening to them is a great way to see if you are making mistakes or where you can improve. It can also be a fun way to practice the fundamentals needed to advance as a player.
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Tips & Warnings
Try to play with other musicians or a singer as you start to master the fundamentals. Playing with another guitarist or singer can be a lot of fun, and you may learn things from each other as you go.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit electric guitar image by Cindy Haggerty from Fotolia.com
