Play Thrash Metal
Thrash Metal is one of the main subdivisions of metal music. It can take many different forms and there are many thin lines between thrash metal and other types of metal (like heavy or death metal) or other types of music (punk or hardcore). Try to know the genre as much as possible before defining your style.
Steps
- If you aren't really used to Thrash, listen to and play some softer metal instead of going straight to the thrash metal stuff. Start out with bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, then work your way up heavier and heavier until you get to bands like Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica, and Motorhead. By then, you should be used to Thrash Metal. However,if you are a newcomer and want to play Thrash immediately,you might not want to wait. But don't expect to nail your favorite song on your first try.
- Listen to the instruments in the music. The singing is not always the best. However you don't listen to thrash metal for the singing.
- If you can, try to slow the songs down. If you can't, don't worry, slowing down isn't essential.
- Thrash metal is one of the fastest types of metal. If you like alternative, emo, or classic rock, then you're probably not going to love it, so listen to other forms of metal first.
- You will need a guitar and an amplifier (one with distortion or get a distortion pedal separately).
- Buy any other supplies you will need, like tuners, heavy picks etc.
- You might need help getting started so consider lessons.
- Start with easier metal such as Black Sabbath.
- Learn down strokes, upstrokes, alternate picking and power chords.
- Learn the Pentatonic, Major/Minor, and Minor Harmonic Scales. Also, learn to read tabs.
- Once you get good try playing thrash metal, you can get a tab book at your local guitar center.
- To make your own material just try improvising with power chords using the scales you learned.
- Try to use a lot of open notes. Slayer does that a lot.
- Use Palm muting. You'll hear it a lot from Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer.
- If you can't find a teacher, there are a lot of sources on the Web. Remember that you can teach yourself to play, but you should always study theory.
- Always practice with a metronome!
Tips
- Think of it as punk, or black metal, but instead of strumming the power chords, play the power chords once and add several palmated chugs in between, that's basically the basis behind every thrash riff.
- Many great thrash metal bands never had a big record company behind them to support and promote their music. They are hidden treasures. Feel free to look around and discover what MTV ignored.
- There are two main branches of thrash metal. In the United States the Bay Area bands, like Metallica, Exodus,and Testament. In the East Coast like Anthrax, Overkill, and Nuclear Assault. In Germany, bands Sodom, Kreator, Destruction and Tankard. And Brazil, bands like Sepultura and Korzus. Most of the bands that play thrash have been influenced by at least one of these.
Warnings
- If you're a beginner, some people will make fun of you, and if you get mad, don't rush, take the playing slowly. Remember that musicians who brag about themselves will get kicked out of every band they get into.
- Don't be arrogant. If you like thrash metal, good for you. However it is no reason to make fun of others. If you have, remember not to take your music too seriously.
Things You'll Need
- A good knowledge of metal.
- A large CD or mp3 collection.
- A CD or mp3 player of some sort.
- An open mind.
- Patience
- Ability to control your anger, so you can put it into your riffs.
- Again, patience... and determination
- Guitar and Amplifier
- Metronome (mandatory if you want to take your practice seriously)
- Thick heavy picks
- Cables
- Tuner
Related Articles
- Write a Trash Metal Song
- Play Pentatonic Scales
