I have seen way to many Black Metal 'lessons' written by people who obviously do NOT know about this incredible genre beyond the information of the Inner Circle on Wikipedia. So, I've decided to write a lesson on the grimmest of metal know to man... THE DARK AND DESOLATE AWAITS!
Dim lights in room. This is not a time for light and happiness...
To begin with Ill start you off with an easy riff. Remember, Black Metal is about creating atmosphere and this can often be created with the simplest of riffs such as...
Beherit - "Gates Ov Nanna"
G -------------4-4--------------------D 4--4--4-4-4--2-2--4--4--4-4-4--3-3--A 2--2--2-2-2-------2--2--2-2-2--1-1--
See... no palm muting... just plain, hard wrath! Lets add a slide or two to our ritualistic powerchords...
Torgeist - "Sweet Death":
D -----------------5--------A 7--8--7-7/8/7/8--5--------E 5--6--5-5/6/5/6--3--------
YESSS!!!!!
Now to introduce you to one of the most important technique to black metal (second only to knowing how to apply corpsepaint), TREMOLO PICKING! Pick a string, any string. Then pick it going down down. Good, now pick it with the pick going up. Up then down etc. Do it fast this is essential to learning the frostbitten rites of black metal. Heres a few examples:
' = one tremolo pick
Mayhem - "Freezing Moon":
A --------7'''------------7'''8'''E 0'''6'''----6'''0'''6'''--------
Now thats blasphemous!!!! Lets try tremolo picking with 2 strings...
Satanic Warmaster - "Where Eternity Awaits":
H --------------------------------------------------------5'''''''G 5'''''''2'''''''''''5'''2'''4'''5'''''''2'''''''4'''''''''''''''D 2'''''''''''''''3'''''''''''''''2'''''''''''''''5'''''''--------
Do you feel that breeze...
Now lets check out a heavier side of Black Metal. Lets add palm muting to this cacophonous filth. Palm muting is achieved by putting the palm of your picking hand on the bottom part of the... Nevermind. You already know this. Time to check out some more...
X = palm mute
Satanic Warmaster - "Blood Ov Our Fathers":
D ------------------------3---3---A ----3-------5-------3---1---1---E 0-0-1-0-0-0-3-0-0-0-1-0--------- X X X X X X
Nice and chunky. Now were gonna fuse palm muting and tremelo picking into a vortex of midwinter rage!!!
Some Sh-t I Made Up - "Fire Ov Blackness Reigns Upon Those Damned In The Deeps":
T=tremolo
G ------------------------------------7-T-T-6-T-T-D 4-----4-----4-----4-----5-----5-----4-T-T-T-T-T-A 2-222-2-222-2-222-2-222-2-222-2-222-------------
Continued XXX XXX XXX XXX D 5-----5-----4-----4-----------------------------A 2-222-2-222-2-222-2-222-----5-----5-----7-/3--3-E ------------------------0-0-3-0-0-3-0-0-5-/1--1- XXX XXX XXX XXX X X X X X X
This is VERY important to creating Burzumic ambience. No palm mutes, tremolos or slides. Just depressive desolation...
Burzum - "En Ring Til A Herske":
G ------0-------0-----------0-------0-----------0-------0-----D ----2---2---2---2-------2---2---2---2-------2---2---2---2---A --2-------------------2-------------------2-----------------E 0---------0---------0---------0---------0---------0---------
Continued G ------0-------0-----------0---------0---------0---------0---D ----2---2---2---2-------5---------5---------5---------5-----A --2-------------------5---------5---------5---------5-------E 0---------0---------3---------3---------3---------3---------
Continued G --------------------------0---------0---D ----0---------0-------4---------4-------A --4---4-----4---4-------4---------4-----E 2---------2---------2---------2---------
Once you've got that down try doing the same with these chords: e -----0--12-------7---------------H -----1--10---0---8-----------0---G -0---2---0---9---9---0---0--10---D -9---3---0--10---0---9---6---7---A 10-----------0------10---7---8---E -0-------------------7---8---0---
Add some tremolo to the chords...
Behexen - "Blessed Be The Darkness":
G ------9'10'-9'-7'-------------------------------D ---9'------------10'-9'-------9'10'-9'-7'-------A 7'-------------------------7'------------10'-9'-E ------------------------8'----------------------
Hoped you enjoyed this lesson and discovered some new Black Metal! Heres some bands to check out: Bathory, Graveland, Moonblood, Gorgoroth, Darkthrone, Judas Iscariot, Drowning The Light, Wigrid, Thy Light, Grimlair, SAD, Sapthuran, Weakling, Xasthur, Watain, Herbstregen, Goatmoon, Demoncy, Mutiilation, Tsjuder, Obtained Enslavement.
"The northern winds carried a vision of a time yet to be, when the cold breath of evil once ascends from its throne"-Satanic Warmaster.
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