Classic Albums - Cowboys From Hell
Song Lessons in this Course
Song-by-Song Guitar Lessons Taught by Danny Gill
This course provides in-depth guitar lessons for every song on the album, ensuring you can play the entire Cowboys From Hell tracklist with precision and power. Each lesson meticulously breaks down Dimebag's parts, from the crushing rhythms to the blistering leads.
Cowboys From Hell
Primal Concrete Sledge
Psycho Holiday
Heresy
Cemetery Gates
Shattered
Clash with Reality
Medicine Man
Message in Blood
The Sleep
Domination
The Art of Shredding
You will learn to navigate the complex rhythmic shifts, master the aggressive alternate picking, and unlock the secrets behind Dimebag's legendary pinch harmonics and whammy bar tricks. This is the essential Cowboys From Hell guitar lesson package for any serious metal guitarist.
This Course is Ideal for Players Who...
This Pantera guitar lessons course is ideal for players who:
• Are Intermediate to Advanced Guitarists: You should be comfortable with basic power chords, simple scales, and have a desire to significantly increase your speed and technical precision.
• Want to Master the Groove: You are looking to develop a powerful, tight rhythmic feel that is essential for modern metal and 90s metal guitar lessons.
• Are Obsessed with Dimebag Darrell: You want to learn his parts note-for-note, understand his gear and tone choices, and incorporate his unique style into your own playing.
• Need a Technical Challenge: You are ready to tackle advanced techniques like complex string skipping and high-speed alternate picking found throughout the Cowboys From Hell album.
• Love 90s Rock Guitar Lessons: You want to learn the foundational material that defined the sound of the decade, bridging the gap between thrash and modern metal.
What will I achieve from completing this course?
Completing this course is more than just learning a set of songs; it is a complete immersion into the world of modern metal guitar. By the end of these guitar lessons, you will have achieved a significant upgrade in your technical ability and musical understanding:
• Master Dimebag's Signature Techniques: You will gain fluency in Dimebag Darrell's unique blend of aggressive alternate picking, precise palm muting, and the expressive use of pinch harmonics and the whammy bar.
• Elevate Your Rhythmic Precision: The course focuses heavily on the tight, syncopated groove metal rhythms that define the album, dramatically improving your timing and feel for heavy music.
• Expand Your Scale Vocabulary: Learn to apply exotic scales like the E Dorian and Phrygian Dominant in a metal context, moving beyond standard pentatonics to create more interesting solos.
• Build a Foundation in 90s Metal Guitar: This album is a cornerstone of the genre. Mastering it provides a deep understanding of the techniques and stylistic elements that influenced a generation of 90s rock guitar lessons and metal players.
• Develop Advanced Soloing Skills: From the melodic phrasing of "Cemetery Gates" to the sheer speed of "Domination," you will learn advanced legato, picking, and character to construct powerful, memorable solos.
WE CAN HELP...
1-ON-1 COACHING
Access to thousands of lessons is great, but without a plan you can feel like you’re practicing in circles. Book your FREE 1-on-1 video call with a Licklibrary pro to fix your technique, build a practice plan, get motivated, or overcome any challenge. It's all included in your membership!
** Disclaimer **
*This product is not endorsed by or made in association with
Pantera
nor does
Pantera
perform or appear on this course.*
Cowboys From Hell - Pantera
Released on July 24, 1990, "Cowboys From Hell" is the fifth studio album by Pantera and considered by many as the band's breakthrough record. Featuring Dimebag Darrell's phenomenal guitar work, the album showcases a unique blend of groove metal, thrash, and power metal elements. Below is a breakdown of each song on the album, highlighting key guitar techniques and scales. In this Classic Album guitar course, Licklibrary metal guitar virtuoso, Sam Bell brings you a rare and accurate breakdown of how to play Dimebag Darrell’s coveted guitar parts from this full album, including fan favourites Cowboys From Hell and Cemetery Gates, plus crushing metal anthems such as Domination and The Art Of Shredding.
Cowboys From Hell
This anthemic title track sets the tone for the entire album. Guitarists will appreciate Dimebag's use of the E Dorian scale (E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D) and the aggressive alternate picking. The track also features his signature pinch harmonics and an iconic dive bomb in the solo.
Primal Concrete Sledge
"Primal Concrete Sledge" starts with an exotic intro riff in the Phrygian Dominant scale (E, F, G#, A, B, C, D). This high-energy track features tight palm-muted rhythm guitars and an unconventional solo where Dimebag experiments with chromaticism and string bends.
Psycho Holiday
This song begins with an eerie clean guitar intro that transitions into a powerful, chugging main riff. The guitar solo uses a mix of pentatonic scales and the natural minor scale (A, B, C, D, E, F, G). The solo showcases Dimebag's impressive legato technique, mixing hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides.
Heresy
"Heresy" is a thrash-influenced track with fast-paced, palm-muted power chord riffing. The guitar solo features the E natural minor scale (E, F#, G, A, B, C, D) and incorporates sweep picking, alternate picking, and an arpeggiated tapping sequence.
Cemetery Gates
"Cemetery Gates" is arguably the album's most famous ballad. The intro and verses feature clean, arpeggiated chord progressions, while the choruses and bridge sections use distorted power chords. The solo section uses the F# harmonic minor scale (F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E#) and showcases Dimebag's incredible vibrato, whammy bar tricks, and string skipping.
Domination
"Domination" boasts a heavy, downtuned riff (in D standard tuning) and a brutal-sounding chorus. The solo, which uses the E Phrygian Dominant scale, highlights Dimebag's fast alternate picking and legato techniques, as well as his trademark pinch harmonics.
Shattered
This track features a powerful intro riff and a catchy verse riff using a combination of palm-muted power chords and single-note lines. The guitar solo, based on the E natural minor scale, showcases an impressive range of techniques, including fast alternate picking, sweep picking, and legato.
Clash With Reality
"Clash With Reality" incorporates various guitar techniques, including fast alternate picking and galloping rhythm patterns. The guitar solo is a perfect example of Dimebag's fluid legato technique, employing hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides, as well as his impressive alternate picking skills.
Medicine Man
This song begins with an atmospheric clean guitar intro before launching into a heavy, chugging main riff. The guitar solo features a mix of the E natural minor and E harmonic minor scales (E, F#, G, A, B, C, D#/E♭) and highlights Dimebag's signature pinch harmonics and wide vibrato.
Message In Blood
"Message in Blood" features a haunting clean guitar intro that transitions into a powerful, downtuned riff. The song also highlights Dimebag's use of the E natural minor scale during the solo, which showcases his impressive alternate picking, string bending, and pinch harmonics.
The Sleep
This track features an atmospheric, clean guitar intro that leads into a heavy, groovy main riff. The solo, based on the E natural minor scale, demonstrates Dimebag's mastery of legato techniques and his impeccable sense of melody and phrasing.
The Art of Shredding
"The Art of Shredding" is a fitting album closer, boasting fast, aggressive riffs and Dimebag's signature shredding style. The solo section features the E natural minor scale and incorporates sweep picking, alternate picking, and string bending.
In summary, "Cowboys From Hell" by Pantera is a must-listen album for guitarists, showcasing Dimebag Darrell's incredible technique and the band's unique sound. The album's blend of aggressive riffing and memorable melodies has made it a classic within the metal genre, and it continues to inspire and influence guitarists to this day.
NB: PERFORMANCE FOOTAGE NOT INCLUDED WITH THIS COURSE
Guitar Techniques Used in Cowboys From Hell
Throughout the album, Dimebag Darrell employs a wide range of guitar techniques that contribute to the distinctive sound of Pantera. These techniques include:
- Alternate picking
- Palm muting
- Pinch harmonics
- Legato (hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides)
- Sweep picking
- String bending
- Vibrato
- Whammy bar tricks
- Tapping
- String skipping
- Galloping rhythm patterns
- Arpeggiated chord progressions
Click on any of the links to view more in depth information about these techniques, and to find more Licklibrary lessons to develop these skills.
About The Tutor
Tutor Profile
Sam Bell
Sam Bell has been playing guitar from the age of 4, since then he has played many styles from Funky Blues to screaming Metal/Fusion on 8 string guitar. A member of UK tech metal band ‘Mask of Judas’, he is also currently writing his own solo instrumental album. He also...