Metal Song Writing Styles
Lessons Included in this Course
Course Content Overview
This in-depth course explores the songwriting techniques and characteristics of a wide range of metal subgenres. Here’s what you’ll learn:
- **80s Glam Rock**: Master the art of the catchy, anthemic rock song with flashy solos and memorable hooks.
- **90s Groove Metal**: Learn to write powerful, rhythmic riffs that will get heads banging.
- **Black Metal**: Discover the secrets of creating dark, atmospheric, and intense black metal soundscapes.
- **Death Metal**: Dive into the world of brutal riffs, complex arrangements, and blistering solos.
- **Grunge**: Learn to write raw, emotional, and powerful songs with a sludgy, heavy edge.
- **Nu Metal**: Explore the fusion of metal with other genres and learn to create unique, experimental tracks.
- **Power Metal**: Master the art of writing epic, melodic, and uplifting power metal anthems.
- **Thrash Metal**: Learn to write fast, aggressive, and technical thrash metal with lightning-fast riffs and shredding solos.
This Course is Ideal for Players Who...
This course is designed for intermediate to advanced guitarists who are passionate about metal and want to take their songwriting skills to the next level. It is perfect for:
- **Guitarists who want to write their own original metal songs** but don’t know where to start.
- **Players who have a collection of riffs** but struggle to turn them into complete songs.
- **Songwriters who want to expand their knowledge** of different metal subgenres and their specific songwriting techniques.
- **Musicians who want to learn the art of arrangement** and create dynamic, interesting song structures.
- **Guitarists who want to develop their own unique songwriting voice** within the metal genre.
What will I achieve from completing this course?
Metal Song Writing Styles is a practical, hands-on course that will give you the tools and confidence to write your own metal music. Here’s why it’s so effective:
- **Learn from a Pro**: Rich Shaw is a world-renowned metal guitarist and songwriter who has toured the world and recorded multiple albums with Cradle of Filth. He shares his real-world experience and insights throughout the course.
- **Genre-Specific Techniques**: This course goes beyond generic songwriting advice and dives deep into the specific techniques and conventions of various metal subgenres.
- **Practical Songwriting Exercises**: You’ll learn by doing, with practical exercises and examples that will help you apply the concepts you’re learning to your own songwriting.
- **Comprehensive Approach**: From riffs and melodies to song structure and arrangement, this course covers all aspects of metal songwriting.
- **Unlock Your Creativity**: By the end of this course, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to write your own killer metal tracks and unleash your creativity.
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1-ON-1 COACHING
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Metal Song Writing Styles by Rich Shaw
Introduction
Unlock the secrets of metal songwriting with our comprehensive guitar lesson series "Metal Song Writing Styles" by Rich Shaw. This series is meticulously designed to explore a vast range of metal genres, each with its distinct sound and technical complexities. Whether you're a beginner eager to dive into the world of metal or an experienced player looking to refine your skills and add new techniques to your repertoire, these lessons cater to all levels. From the theatricality of 80s Glam Rock to the aggressive rhythms of Nu Metal, Rich Shaw's expert guidance will elevate your musical prowess.
Lesson Breakdown
80s Glam Rock
Dive into the flashy world of 80s Glam Rock where guitar techniques like whammy bar tricks and string bending dominate. This style is all about creating a showy, ostentatious sound that captures the era’s extravagant spirit. Learning these techniques not only enhances your playing style but also helps in mastering the art of performance.
90s Groove Metal
Groove Metal focuses on rhythmic precision and heavy riffs. Techniques such as palm muting and syncopated rhythms are pivotal, offering a foundational skill set that improves your timing and dynamic control, essential for any aspiring metal guitarist.
Black Metal
Embrace the raw intensity of Black Metal with lessons on tremolo picking and blast beats. These techniques are crucial for creating the genre's signature atmospheric and fast-paced sound, enhancing your ability to generate mood and pace within your compositions.
Death Metal
Death Metal lessons focus on double stops and sweep picking. These complex techniques require precision and speed, offering significant benefits in finger dexterity and attack clarity, which are vital for mastering the heavier sides of metal.
Grunge
Grunge lessons teach the importance of barre chords and distorted riffs, reflecting the genre’s raw, unpolished aesthetic. These techniques help in developing a sludgy, powerful sound that is as emotive as it is gritty.
Nu Metal
Explore the rhythmic and experimental world of Nu Metal with slap bass techniques adapted for guitar and alternative tunings. This style is all about breaking traditional boundaries and incorporating elements from various genres, fostering creativity and innovation in your playing style.
Power Metal
Power Metal is characterised by its speed and melodic intensity. Techniques like galloping rhythms and dual guitar harmonies are essential, enhancing your ability to create uplifting and epic music that is both powerful and harmonically complex.
Thrash Metal
Thrash Metal lessons will have you mastering fast picking and complex solos. These techniques demand precision and stamina, critical for any guitarist looking to excel in fast-paced, aggressive music styles.
The Performance Aspect
Each lesson includes a performance by tutor Rich Shaw, demonstrating how these techniques are applied in real musical contexts. Watching a skilled guitarist perform provides visual and auditory reinforcement of the techniques learned, making it easier to grasp their practical uses and benefits in a live setting. These performances are not just demonstrations but are designed to inspire, showing how far you can push your creative boundaries.
Conclusion
"Metal Song Writing Styles" by Rich Shaw is not just a series of guitar lessons; it's a journey through the history and evolution of metal music. These lessons equip you with the skills needed to not only play metal music but to understand and innovate within each genre.
List of Guitar Techniques Used
- Vibrato
- Alternate Picking
- Legato
- Double Stop Bends
- Unison Bends
- Pinched Harmonics
- Tremolo Picking
- Chord Progressions
- Harmonics
- Pull-offs
- Power Chords
- Palm Muting
- Barre Chords
- Pre-Bends
- Hammer-ons
- Double Stops
- Slides
- Pick Slides
- String Bending
- Syncopated Rhythms
- Open String Riffs
- Whammy Bar Tricks
- Bluesy Bends
- Octave Melodies
- Galloping Rhythms
- Arpeggiated Chord Progressions
- Chromaticism
- Altered Tuning
About The Tutor
Tutor Profile
Rich Shaw
Richard is most well known as the guitarist and co-songwriter for UK metal band, Cradle of Filth, from 2014 until 2022. In his time with the band, he co-wrote and performed on the albums ‘Hammer of the Witches’ (2015), ‘Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay’ (2017), and ‘Existence is Futile’...