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Metal Guitar Scales
Metal
scales lesson with backing tracks
I've specifically named this lesson "metal guitar
scales", but of
course you can play any damn scale you want, whether it be pentatonic,
major, minor, whatever! What I'll do is go through some of the more
exotic
scales used in heavy metal, scales that really complement the
dark
power chord melodies.
They're pretty easy to play in
their basic "boxed" positions and I'll
give you some backing tracks to try them over.
The heavy metal
guitar scales featured in this lesson are the most commonly used -
I'm not pigeon holing at all, but it's true that minor, exotic and
"ethereal" scales tend to best fit the intense nature of this style of
music.
Note that
more than one scale can be played over each of the backing tracks in
this lesson - these are just for example!
Most popular
heavy metal guitar scales
We'll start with the most
commonly used metal guitar
scales.
These scale patterns are
"boxed" and
movable, meaning you can slide the scale patterns up and down the
fretboard to change key (you can learn to expand out of these boxes in
the individual scale's lesson).
Natural
Minor Scale
/ Aeolian
The natural minor scale also falls as
the 6th mode
of the major scale (Aeolian).
Look at the diagram below -
we're in the key of F# because the root notes of
the scale lie on... F#
(for example, that's fret 2 on the low E string, and also an octave
higher at fret 14). This is the key the backing track will be in.
The fingering is only a
suggestion - you should play it how you feel
comfortable.
Fret
2
Fret 14
The natural minor scale is
used a lot in heavy metal. Some people get
bored of it because it lacks the tension found in more "exotic" scales.
However, others use it religiously and can make it
sound fresh every solo.
Before you try accompanying
the backing track below, get up to speed and confident with this scale
by using a metronome.
Also, don't just play it down
at the 2nd fret - get to know it an
octave higher, and in this case, for the key of F#, up at fret 14.
Although we're just looking at
the boxed scale shapes at the moment,
try to skip around the scale and find your own little hooks over the
backing tracks. This means holding on some notes for longer (we'll get
to bends and vibratos another lesson...) and skipping strings to
construct musical phrases.
When you're ready, Right click to download
the backing track
Remember you can also use minor pentatonic over ANY
minor key riff, so any of the minor scale backing tracks in this lesson
will be compatible.
Harmonic
Minor Scale
The harmonic minor scale is almost the
same as natural minor, but with a major 7th
(if you don't know what that means, don't worry - it's all in the
lesson linked to above).
As metal commonly uses
power chords which are neither major nor minor, using this scale will
give it the flavour of the "minMaj7" chord (e.g. AmM7), which has a
naturally tense,
unsettling sound.
It's a nice alternative
to natural minor as a metal guitar scale, when you want to spice things
up a little.
Again, use a metronome
to build up speed and confidence with jumping around this scale.
Backing track
coming soon!
To learn how to really use these scales in a
fluid and musical way, take a look at the Guitar Scale
Mastery course.
Lydian
Scale
This one's a major
scale, but also lies as
the 4th mode of the major scale. Its "flavour" is characterised by the
sharp 4th (#4), also known as the tritone in relation to its root note,
which gives it an ethereal sort of quality. Lydian is
definitely one of my favourites for slow paced and down-tuned
metal.
Fret 8
Fret 20
We're in the key of C
for this one.
Right click to download
the backing track
Spanish
Gypsy / Phrygian Dominant Scale
The Spanish scale
(also the 5th mode of harmonic minor, Phrygian Dominant) is a staple
scale of flamenco music, but metal has made use of it for its powerful,
aggressive sound. It's a major scale, but the flat 2nd gives it a
dissonant, jarring quality making it a perfect metal guitar scale.
Fret 10
The below backing track is in the key of D, as indicated on
the fret diagram above.
Right click to download
the backing track
Byzantine /
Double Harmonic Scale
The Byzantine scale is like
the Spanish scale's evil
twin brother. The only difference between the two is Byzantine uses a
major 7th instead of a flat 7th. This creates an unusual chromatic
interval sequence between the 7th, root and flat 2nd that gives it a
very unique sound.
It
takes a while to learn how to negotiate this one properly, but give it
the time and attention it deserves and you'll be glad you added it to
your repetoire.
Tense, dark, and definitely fun to play.
Backing track
coming soon!
Romanian
Scale / Dorian #4
This is a minor
scale that uses a
sharp 4th tension to create a
distinctly ominous atmosphere. It can be seen as the Dorian mode with a
#4, basically. Great for metal.
Fret 12
When playing over a melody you
have to experiment and
find which tones of the scale you're playing are best played at certain
points of the riff. E.g. You may be able to hold one of the scale's
notes over one chord, but when the chord changes, you might find it no
longer "fits", so you need to change the note there and then.
Key of E
this time.
Right click to download
the backing track
Hope
you enjoyed it!
So there are just a few of the most commonly used
heavy metal guitar
scales. If
you like, you can go back and experiment with each scale over a
different backing track. The main thing is that you spend time writing
some of your own solos.
Learn to respect chord changes and how they affect what notes you play
from a scale.
Building small
phrases within the solo is a good way to lead in to
those more
effective tones (e.g. the #4).
It's all about time, practice
and experimentation. This lesson just got you on your feet.
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