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Metal Riff Writing Techniques

The document provides information on writing metal riffs including using blues scales, pedal tones, Dorian, natural minor, and harmonic minor modes. It also discusses using dyads like perfect fourths, major thirds, and minor thirds as well as three string shapes, power chords, and major triads. Arpeggios and the Phrygian mode are also mentioned for creating riffs and chord progressions.

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Pavel
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57 views1 page

Metal Riff Writing Techniques

The document provides information on writing metal riffs including using blues scales, pedal tones, Dorian, natural minor, and harmonic minor modes. It also discusses using dyads like perfect fourths, major thirds, and minor thirds as well as three string shapes, power chords, and major triads. Arpeggios and the Phrygian mode are also mentioned for creating riffs and chord progressions.

Uploaded by

Pavel
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

WRITING METAL RIFFS

1) Know blues scale in all positions – especially the e and a strings open up a whole world of
riffs, whether single notes or as power chords.
2) Pedal tones – make use of e and a strings as pedal tones. Intersperse them with power
chords or single tones.
3) Dorian mode is minor pentatonic scale with added 2nd and natural 6. Dorian is brighter
minor.
4) Natural minor – same as dorian, just lower 6th to flat 6th
5) Harmonic minor – power metal. 7th is raised to natural 7th. Fifth chord will thus be major
instead of minor, and gets strong 5-1 cadence.
6) Dyads
a. Perfect fourth – inverts perfect fifth – a good example is barre of a and d string
together, or d and g strings. Basing a riff on a succession of these blends harmony
and melody parts together.
b. Major third – examples of movable fors are 2nd fret of D and 1st fret of G, or barre
over G and B strings.
c. Minor third – moveable is 2nd fret D open G.
d. Sus 4 – raise third half step
e. Triton
7) Three string shapes
a. Power chord
b. Major triad
8) Arpeggios – can be played on one or two top strings to create chord progressions and riffs
9) Phrygian – even darker – this lowers 2nd of Aeolian (natural minor)

Rhythm

- SYNCOPATE
-

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