How to Play a Deep Metal Sound on an Electric Guitar

Dual-coil pickups can be an integral part of the metal guitar sound.

If you're interested in playing heavy metal, chances are you're a lot more interested in lead and iron than aluminum or tin. A deep, heavy guitar sound is the one of the most basic components of metal music. From the distorted fuzz of classic rock to the thunderous baritone of modern hardcore, musicians are constantly evolving the way they harness the heavy metal sound. Still, there are basic components to a deep metal sound that almost any musician can learn. Moderate investments in equipment and subtle changes in playing style will have you shaking the house in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Guitar
• Tuner
• Tuning charts
• Guitar cables
• Various pedals
• Strings
• Humbucker pickups
• Amplifier

Instructions

Change Your Tune

1. Lower your guitar tuning from the standard EADGBE. Use a tuner and some basic tuning charts. While many metal bands still play in standard tuning, the low, deep metal sound you're looking for is most easily achieved through low, deep tuning.

2. Find the tuning that sounds right to you. Some bands tune their low E strings down several steps, others as far down as A, to achieve the deep sound they desire. The sound you want to create will depend on how low you want to go.

3. Study some bands that have a tone similar to what you want. If you can find tablature or notation for any of their songs, you'll most likely find out how they tune their guitars.

Alter Your Style

1. Practice the palm mute more often in your playing. This involves gently resting your hand on the strings near the bridge while picking the notes. This simple technique is all that stands between you and that chunky, crunchy rhythm sound used by metal players.

2. Switch from using standard, full voice chords at the bottom of the neck to almost exclusively using two- and three-string power chords. These chords are the cornerstones of rock, punk and metal music and consist of a root note, its fifth on the next string and its octave on the third string. Avoiding the thin, high strings when voicing chords will beef up your sound.

3. Practice picking your notes with a little more force when you play. Metal is an aggressive style of music, and your pick attack needs to match that ferocity. Don't hurt yourself or your guitar, but be sure to do more than just sound the strings when you play.

Properly Equip Yourself

1. Purchase a good distortion or overdrive pedal to boost your sound. There are literally thousands of unique-sounding pedals built specifically for metal guitar. Go to your music store with your guitar and plug into a few and see if you find any you like.

2. Buy some thicker strings for your thicker sound. Tuning down while simultaneously picking more aggressively can easily knock thin strings out of tune or even break them. Be sure to have good, solid strings on your guitar.

3. If your guitar doesn't already have them, consider installing humbucker pickups. Single-coil pickups produce a thinner, more fluid sound than dual-coil humbuckers, and are not often used in metal.

Adjust Your Amplifier

1. Lean towards amplifiers that have high wattage and multiple tone knobs. This will ensure that the amp can handle high amounts of distortion from your pedal. Some amps have built in distortion, which can serve you just as well, providing you have tone knobs to refine the sound to your liking.

2. Increase the bass and the treble on your amplifier while simultaneously lowering the mids. This is a classic starting point for a metal tone. Adjust as you see fit to fine tune your unique sound.

3. Consider purchasing a larger amp with multiple speakers. You will naturally get a thicker, fuller sound from a thicker, fuller sound system. Multiple speakers and high output are expensive, but they are invaluable when playing at heavy metal volume.

Tips & Warnings

• When adjusting your tuning, pay attention to the way your sound changes. Extremely low tunings loosen the strings and create a sludgy, baritone sound. Tunings like C and D keep the strings a bit tighter and limit extra resonance. Even tuning down just a half-step to Eb can make a significant difference in your sound.

• If you thicken your strings, consider thickening your picks as well. Floppy guitar picks tend to bounce off the strings rather than punch through them, and will result in a wimpy sound.

References

• Fret Jam: Metal Guitar Lessons
• Ezine: 7 Tips to Get a Heavy Tone

Resources

• Pedals Plus Effects Warehouse: Metal Pedals