Metal Guitar: Rhythms and Techniques

Metal guitar takes the raw power of rock and pushes it further — heavier riffs, tighter rhythms, faster tempos, and a relentless intensity that demands precision from every note. This handout focuses on the metal guitar techniques you have been developing throughout this course, with arrangements from Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden — two bands that defined the genre. Every arrangement uses skills from the course sessions and is playable on your Saga SF-600C-BK acoustic guitar.

Genre Introduction

Heavy metal was born in Birmingham, England in the late 1960s. Black Sabbath — Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Ozzy Osbourne — created a sound that was darker, slower, and heavier than anything before it. Tony Iommi, who lost the tips of two fingers in a factory accident, tuned his guitar down and developed a thick, crushing tone that became the blueprint for metal guitar.

In the early 1980s, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) pushed the genre forward. Iron Maiden brought galloping rhythms, twin-guitar harmonies, and complex arrangements that drew from classical music as much as from blues. Their guitar work — played by Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and later Janick Gers — combined technical precision with melodic beauty in a way that had not been heard before in heavy music.

What separates metal from rock on guitar is precision. Metal riffs demand exact timing, consistent palm muting, and clean articulation even at high tempos. A sloppy rock riff might still groove; a sloppy metal riff just sounds like noise. The techniques you build here — tight palm muting, controlled power chord movement, and accurate single-note riffing — form the foundation of metal guitar playing.

A note about acoustic vs electric: The songs in this handout were written for electric guitar with heavy distortion. Your acoustic Saga SF-600C-BK will not replicate that wall-of-sound distortion, and that is fine. The melodies, rhythms, and riff structures are identical. Playing these on acoustic is excellent training — you hear every imperfection clearly, which means you fix problems that distortion would mask. When you eventually play through an amplifier with distortion, your technique will be tighter than players who learned sloppy and hid it behind gain.

Key Guitar Techniques

Tight Palm Muting

Metal palm muting is more precise than rock palm muting. The muting should be consistent across every note — no accidental open strings ringing, no dead-muted notes. The sweet spot on the bridge saddle is narrow. Practice finding it: too far back gives no muting, too far forward kills the note entirely.

Palm muting is introduced in Session 9 and refined throughout Phases 3 and 4.

Single-String Riffing

Many metal riffs are played on a single string (usually string 5 or 6) with fret-hand movement across multiple positions. This requires clean fretting, accurate picking, and the ability to shift positions without losing the rhythm.

Single-note picking is introduced in Session 4. The “Iron Man” riff (Session 9) is your first multi-position single-string riff.

Power Chord Movement

Metal uses power chords that move across the neck — not just the open E5 and A5 you learned first, but power chords at fret 1, fret 3, fret 5, and beyond. The moveable power chord shape (introduced in Session 20) is your passport to playing metal riffs in any key.

Dynamic Control

Metal is not just loud. Great metal guitarists control dynamics — quiet palm-muted verses that explode into full-volume choruses, gentle arpeggiated intros that build into crushing riffs. The ability to shift between quiet and loud (covered in Sessions 13 and 20) is essential.

Essential Patterns

Pattern 1 — The Metal Gallop

The gallop is Iron Maiden’s signature rhythm: a triplet feel created by one downstroke followed by two quick alternate picks. It sounds like a horse galloping.

Gallop rhythm on E5 (palm muted):

e|----------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------|
A|---2-----2-2---2-----2-2---2-----2-2---2-----2-2----|
E|---0-----0-0---0-----0-0---0-----0-0---0-----0-0----|
     D     D U   D     D U   D     D U   D     D U
     1     & a   2     & a   3     & a   4     & a
     PM    PM PM PM    PM PM PM    PM PM PM    PM PM

Tempo: Start at 60 BPM, target 90 BPM What makes it sound like metal: The gallop creates a driving, relentless forward motion that is unmistakably Iron Maiden. The rhythm is uneven — long-short-short — which gives it energy.

How to count it: Each beat divides into three (“1-and-a, 2-and-a, 3-and-a, 4-and-a”). The first note is on the beat (long), the second two are quick (short-short). Say “DUH-da-da, DUH-da-da, DUH-da-da, DUH-da-da” to feel it.

Skills needed: E5 power chord (Session 9), palm muting (Session 9), alternate picking (Session 4)

Pattern 2 — The Doom Riff

Black Sabbath pioneered doom metal — slow, heavy riffs that feel like the ground is shaking. This pattern uses whole-beat power chords with space between them.

Doom riff pattern (slow and heavy):

e|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
D|---2-----------2---------------|---2-----------0---------------|
A|---2-----------2---------------|---2-----------0---------------|
E|---0-----------0---------------|---0-----------0---------------|
     1   2   3   4                   1   2   3   4
     E5          E5                  E5          (open)
     PM          O                   PM          O


Strum: D           D                 D           D

Tempo: 60 BPM (doom metal is slow by design) What makes it sound like metal: The space between the chords and the contrast between palm-muted and open hits creates tension and weight. Doom metal is about gravity, not speed.

Skills needed: E5 (Session 9), palm muting (Session 9), dynamic control (Session 13)

Pattern 3 — The Pedal Tone Riff

A pedal tone riff alternates between an open string (the “pedal”) and fretted notes on the same string. It is a staple of metal guitar.

Pedal tone riff on string 6 (palm muted):

e|-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|
E|---0---3---0---5---0---3---0---|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4
     PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM

Finger guide:
  Fret 0: Open (no finger)
  Fret 3: Finger 3 (ring)
  Fret 5: Finger 4 (pinky)

Tempo: Start at 60 BPM, target 80 BPM What makes it sound like metal: The open string acts as an anchor while the fretted notes create melody. The palm muting keeps it tight and aggressive. This pattern appears in countless metal riffs.

Skills needed: Single-note picking (Session 4), palm muting (Session 9), fret-hand stretching (fret 5 uses the pinky, practised from Session 9 “Iron Man”)

Beginner Arrangements

Arrangement 1 — “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath

Original artist: Black Sabbath (Paranoid, 1970) Arrangement type: Single-note riff with power chords Skills needed: Single-note picking on string 5 (Session 4), frets 2, 5, 7 (Session 9), E5 power chord (Session 9), palm muting (Session 9)

This riff is taught in Session 9. Here is the complete arrangement for extended practice.

Tempo: Start at 55 BPM, target 76 BPM (original tempo)

"Iron Man" — Main Riff

Part 1: Signature melody (play twice)
All notes on string 5 (A), palm muted:

e|------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|
A|---2---2---5---5---7---7---5---5-----------|
E|------------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
     PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM

Finger guide:
  Fret 2: Finger 1 (index)
  Fret 5: Finger 3 (ring)
  Fret 7: Finger 4 (pinky)


Part 2: Power chord descent (play once)

e|------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------|
D|---2---2---2---2--------------------------|
A|---2---2---2---2---0---0---0---0-----------|
E|---0---0---0---0--------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
     E5              Open A string

Full riff: Part 1 (x2) + Part 2 (x1) = one cycle. Repeat.

Performance tips:

• Palm muting must be consistent throughout Part 1. Every note should have the same tight “chunk.”
• The jump from fret 2 to fret 5 is a position shift. Keep finger 1 hovering near fret 2 as an anchor point while finger 3 reaches for fret 5.
• The jump from fret 5 to fret 7 uses your pinky. Press firmly and close to the fret wire.
• Tony Iommi played this slowly and deliberately. Do not rush. The weight of the riff comes from its pace.
• The original uses heavy distortion on electric guitar. On your acoustic, the melody is clear and recognisable even without distortion.

Arrangement 2 — “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath

Original artist: Black Sabbath (Paranoid, 1970) Arrangement type: Power chord riff with syncopation Skills needed: E5 power chord (Session 9), moveable power chord shapes, palm muting (Session 9), syncopated strumming (Session 13)

This riff is introduced in Session 13. Here is the full arrangement.

Tempo: Start at 70 BPM, target 100 BPM

"Paranoid" — Main Riff

The riff uses power chords on string 6 and string 5:

e|----------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|
A|---2---2---2---2---5---5---5---5---2---2---2---|
E|---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &   1   &   2
     E5  E5  E5  E5                  E5  E5  E5
     PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM

Note: Fret 5 on string 5 (D note) with open string 6 (E note) creates
a heavy two-note interval that approximates the chord movement of the
original. This is a simplified version — the original uses moveable
power chords.

Simplified version using E5 and A5 only:

Strum: D U D U D U D U | D U D U D U D U |

Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |

Chord: E5 A5

     PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM    PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM

Performance tips:

• “Paranoid” is fast — one of the fastest songs in this course. Start slow and build tempo gradually.
• The syncopated feel comes from accenting the offbeats (the “ands”). Practise the accent pattern from Session 13.
• Palm mute throughout. The tight, driving rhythm is what makes this riff work.
• The simplified E5-A5 version captures the energy of the original. As your skills develop, you can add the fret 5 power chord for the full riff.

Arrangement 3 — “N.I.B.” by Black Sabbath

Original artist: Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath, 1970) Arrangement type: Chord riff (Em to E major) Skills needed: Em (Session 2), E major (Session 5), D D U U D U strumming (Session 5)

This song is taught in Session 5. Here is the complete verse riff.

Tempo: Start at 60 BPM, target 100 BPM

“N.I.B.” — Verse Riff

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 &

Chord: Em Em

 

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 &

Chord: E E

Repeat from the beginning.

TAB:

Measures 1-2 (Em): 


e|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
B|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
G|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
D|---2-------2---2---2---2---|---2-------2---2---2---2---|
A|---2-------2---2---2---2---|---2-------2---2---2---2---|
E|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|


Measures 3-4 (E major): 


e|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
B|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
G|---1-------1---1---1---1---|---1-------1---1---1---1---|
D|---2-------2---2---2---2---|---2-------2---2---2---2---|
A|---2-------2---2---2---2---|---2-------2---2---2---2---|
E|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|

Performance tips:

• The transition from Em to E major is the easiest chord change on guitar: just add or remove finger 1 on string 3 fret 1.
• Hit the downstrokes hard. This is Black Sabbath — aggressive, not delicate.
• The contrast between Em (dark, brooding) and E major (bright, powerful) is what makes the riff compelling. Lean into that contrast.
• The original bass intro by Geezer Butler is one of the most famous in metal. On guitar, the verse chord riff captures the song’s heavy, driving energy.

Listening List

Five essential metal tracks. Listen for the guitar techniques — palm muting, riff precision, dynamic contrast, and how the guitar drives each song.

1. “Black Sabbath” — Black Sabbath — The song that started metal. A single tritone interval (the “devil’s interval”) over a slow, doom-laden riff. Listen for the space between notes — metal is not always fast.
2. “The Trooper” — Iron Maiden — The gallop rhythm at full speed with twin-guitar harmonies. Listen for how the two guitars play the same melody in harmony (like two singers singing in thirds).
3. “War Pigs” — Black Sabbath — A masterclass in riff-based songwriting. The song changes tempo and feel multiple times. Listen for the heavy verse riff versus the faster middle section.
4. “Hallowed Be Thy Name” — Iron Maiden — Starts with clean arpeggiated chords (similar to what you learned in Session 15) and builds into a full metal onslaught. Listen for the dynamic journey from quiet to heavy.
5. “Children of the Grave” — Black Sabbath — Arguably the first thrash metal song. Palm-muted single-note riffing at tempo. Listen for how the riff creates forward momentum without ever letting up.

Practice Tips

1. Precision before speed. Metal demands accuracy. A sloppy riff at 120 BPM is not impressive — a clean riff at 70 BPM is. Use a metronome for every practice session. Increase tempo by 5 BPM only when the current tempo is perfectly clean.

2. Palm muting consistency. Spend 5 minutes daily on palm-muted eighth notes on string 6. Every note should sound identical — same volume, same tightness. If one note rings open or one note is dead, adjust your palm position.

3. Pinky strength. Metal riffs use frets 5 and 7 (and higher) frequently. Your pinky is your weakest finger. Strengthen it with the spider crawl exercise (Session 10) and by deliberately using your pinky whenever a riff calls for higher frets.

4. Listen to the bass. In Black Sabbath, the bass guitar often plays the same riff as the guitar (sometimes in unison, sometimes an octave lower). Listening to the bass helps you hear the riff’s rhythm and note choices more clearly.

5. Respect the slow. Not all metal is fast. Black Sabbath’s heaviest riffs are often at 60-70 BPM. Doom and sludge metal are entirely built on slow tempos. Practise playing slowly with maximum control and weight — every note should feel deliberate.

6. Build a riff vocabulary. Metal guitarists think in riffs, not just chords. Memorise the riffs in this handout until you can play them without reading TAB. A riff you know by heart is a riff you can use, modify, and build upon. Once you know ten riffs well, you will start hearing patterns and creating your own.