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Essential Heavy Metal Guitar Scales And Modes
Are you thinking about learning how to play heavy metal guitar?
If so the first thing that you should know is that there is no
specific set of rules involved when it comes to learning how to
play heavy metal. Nevertheless, there is an unwritten set of
ideas and a musical legacy that metal guitarists normally adhere
to. This general idea also applies to scales and modes for heavy
metal guitarists as well. You can use whichever scales or mode
you want to when playing heavy metal, but the popular trend when
it comes to this genre of music is to use minor scales since you
ultimately want to produce a sound that is guttural and heavy.
The Minor
Pentatonic Scale is the most widely used in heavy metal but
there are many other scales that go well with the dark and
ominous mood of heavy metal music. A few of the more popular
scales and modes are the Natural Minor Scale / Aeolian Mode,
Harmonic Minor Scale, Lydian Mode, Spanish Gypsy / Phrygian
Dominant, Byzantine / Double Harmonic Scale, Romanian Scale /
Dorian #4 Mode, and the Pentatonic scale.
Second to the Minor Pentatonic Scale the most used scale in heavy metal guitar
playing is the Natural Minor Scale / Aeolian Mode. The Natural
Minor Scale / Aeolian Mode is at times used together with the Minor Pentatonic Scale. A lot of Metallica’s music is performed
using this scale. However the Natural Minor Scale / Aeolian Mode
is used in a variety of different genres of music and is
particularly popular amongst death metal guitarists. The
Harmonic Minor Scale is also used when playing heavy metal and
is a slight variation of the Natural Minor Scale / Aeolian Mode.
Another scale
that is common amongst metal guitarists is the Spanish Gypsy /
Phrygian Dominant Scale. This scale has a Spanish flavour to it
and was made popular by Yngwie Malmsteen. You can hear the use
of the Spanish Gypsy / Phrygian Dominant in a lot of Yngwie
Malmsteen music. By playing fast guitar runs you can mix other
genres of music with metal guitar playing. A good illustration
of this is Yngwie Malmsteen neo-classical guitar playing. For a
more offbeat and brooding sound use only the Locrian Scale,
mainly death metal bands use this scale.
I have called this lesson “Essential Heavy Metal Guitar Scales And Modes”, but you can use any scale that you want, whether it is the minor or
major pentatonic
scales, or any thing else. As you can see below there are a lot of other scales besides the
minor pentatonic scale that can be used when playing heavy metal.
The scales below are a few of the more exotic ones used in heavy metal guitar playing. These scales go really well with the power chords that are used in heavy metal. Keep in mind that there are specific riffs and chords that work better in some scales than the others. These scales are fairly easy to master in their simple "boxed" positions, but this lesson won’t teach you how to use these scales instinctively. That is the reason why I strongly recommend the
Scale Mastery
Course.
When you practice the scales below you should use a metronome in order to build up speed and confidence. Once you have learnt the scale move it up to the next octave. Even though we are looking a scales in their box form, once you have learnt them, try to move around the scale to create your own musical phrases. Have some fun by experimenting.
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Essential Heavy Metal Guitar Scales And Modes
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Natural Minor Scale / Aeolian Mode
This scale gets a lot of use when it comes to playing heavy
metal, but many guitarists get bored with it because of
the lack of tension that is found in the more exotic scales. There are those guitarists that use it all the time and
can make it fresh sounding with every solo.
The diagram below
shows the position of the Natural
Minor Scale / Aeolian Mode. It is in the key of F# because
the root notes of the scale falls on an F#. The F# is on the
low E string second fret, and repeats itself on the
fourteenth fret one octave higher. All F# root notes are
indicated in red.
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Harmonic Minor Scale
Notice that the harmonic minor scale is similar to the
natural minor scale, but with an added major 7th.
The power chords that are used in heavy metal are
neither minor nor major; by using this scale you will
give your music the flavor of the "minMaj7"
chord (e.g. AmM7) that has a tense and unstable sound.
This scale has a somewhat exotic feel to our western
ears and is a pleasant substitute for the natural minor
scale, and if you are looking to spice things up then
this a great scale to learn. Key of F#
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Lydian Mode
The Lydian Mode is a major scale. Its unique sound is
characterized by the #4, which is also know as the
tritone in relationship to its root note, which gives it
an otherworldly kind of sound. The Lydian Mode is
positively one of my all time favorites for slower paced
metal guitar playing. Key of C
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Spanish Gypsy / Phrygian Dominant
This scale is also the 5th mode of the harmonic minor
scale, Phrygian Dominant, and is a main stay when it
comes to flamenco guitar playing, but you can make good
use of it when playing heavy metal because its dark and
tense feel. Although it’s a major scale the flat 2nd
interval adds a harsh feel to this scale that is needed
for playing heavy metal. Key of D
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Byzantine / Double Harmonic Scale
This scale is similar to the Spanish Gypsy / Phrygian
Dominant scale, and is thought of as being its wicked
twin brother. The only variation between the two scales
is that the Byzantine / Double Harmonic Scale has a major 7th rather than
a flat 7th. This scale has an uncharacteristic chromatic
interval between the 7th, root note and the flat 2nd
that has a harsh quality to it. It can take some time to
learn how to navigate this one correctly, but take the
time to learn this scale, you will glad that you added
this one to your repertoire. Key of F#
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Romanian Scale / Dorian #4
The Romanian Scale / Dorian #4 is a minor scale that uses a sharp 4th that adds tension which creates a distinctly ominous mood to your guitar playing.
Think of this scale as a Dorian mode with a #4. This one is great for playing heavy metal.
When using this scale you will have to experiment in order to find which notes sound good over certain chords.
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So there you have it, several of the more frequently used scales
for playing heavy metal guitar. The most important thing is that
you spend some time creating your own solos out of these scales.
Learn to pay attention to chord changes and which notes from the scale sounds best with a particular cords.
Create small melodic phrases within the solo this is the best way to lead in to those more effectual tones (e.g. the #4).
Always use a metronome
when you practice in order to build up speed and confidence.
It's all about practice, experimentation, and the time you put in.
Hope you enjoyed it!
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 Guitar Scale Mastery -
This is a step-by-step guide to mastering scales, and is the key
to becoming a
great guitarist.
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