"More Than Meets the Eye" by Testament

Welcome to our "More Than Meets the Eye" guitar lesson, a detailed breakdown of one of Testament’s most powerful songs. This song encapsulates the intense thrash and melodic metal style of Testament, with layers of intricate guitar work and a variety of advanced guitar techniques that allow guitarists to explore their technical skills. Whether you’re aiming to replicate Alex Skolnick's fiery solos or Eric Peterson’s relentless rhythms, this lesson gives you everything you need to master this song and expand your guitar abilities. Andy James breaks down this classic metal track in this exclusive Lick Library video tutorial.

About the Guitarists: Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson

Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson, the guitarists for Testament, are celebrated figures in the metal world. Alex Skolnick’s jazz-inspired, technically advanced playing style perfectly complements Eric Peterson’s relentless, thrash-heavy rhythm sections, making for an incredible dual-guitar approach that defines Testament’s sound. Skolnick’s influence, rooted in both jazz and rock, brings a unique melodic phrasing to his solos, while Peterson’s aggressive rhythm and deep understanding of thrash guitar create a powerful blend of speed and precision. Together, they embody a dynamic that both challenges and inspires guitarists around the world.

Techniques Featured in the Lesson

This lesson covers a variety of essential techniques, each integral to playing "More Than Meets the Eye" as well as becoming a more versatile guitarist. Here’s a breakdown of the techniques we’ll focus on and their benefits to you as a guitarist:

Palm Muting

Palm muting is an essential technique in metal, providing a tight, rhythmic punch that drives the song forward. By muting the strings with the palm of your picking hand, you can create percussive and defined sounds. Learning palm muting helps guitarists gain control over their tone and dynamics, essential for heavy, fast-paced rhythms like those in Testament’s music.

Alternate Picking

Alternate picking, a core aspect of Testament’s speed, ensures a smooth and fast picking motion, alternating between upstrokes and downstrokes. This technique is crucial for maintaining speed and precision, allowing you to tackle faster riffs without sacrificing accuracy. Developing this skill not only improves speed but also enhances timing, giving you the foundation for faster, intricate riffs.

Galloping Rhythms

One of the hallmark sounds in "More Than Meets the Eye" is the galloping rhythm, a rapid three-note pattern that creates intensity. Practicing galloping rhythms improves timing, stamina, and right-hand coordination, all while reinforcing control over fast, aggressive strumming. It’s a technique that adds a powerful, thrash-inspired element to your playing.

String Bending

Alex Skolnick’s solo sections utilise string bending, where strings are pushed or pulled to reach specific pitches, often to emphasise emotion in a solo. This technique adds expressiveness to your playing, allowing you to add depth and texture to individual notes. Practicing string bending develops pitch control and increases finger strength, enhancing the overall feel of your lead work.

Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

These legato techniques allow for smooth, fluid transitions between notes. Hammer-ons involve pressing down a string with a fretting finger without picking, while pull-offs release a fretted note to a lower note. Both techniques are crucial for creating fluid, lightning-fast solos. Learning these techniques will add smoothness and speed to your playing, a must for metal solos.

Whammy Bar Tricks

Throughout the song, Alex Skolnick incorporates whammy bar techniques to add dramatic pitch shifts and dives. These tricks contribute to the wild, almost chaotic sound Testament is known for. Learning whammy bar tricks opens up a range of expressive possibilities and adds flair to your solos, helping you stand out in your playing.

Tapped Harmonics

Tapped harmonics are used in the song’s solo sections to create bell-like tones, adding a unique layer to the melody. This technique involves lightly tapping a fret with your finger while picking the string. Mastering tapped harmonics will give your solos a distinctive sound and teach you how to create different harmonic textures on the guitar.

Two-Handed Tapping

A staple of heavy metal solos, two-handed tapping allows for rapid note transitions that create a complex, cascading effect. This technique involves using both hands to fret notes in rapid succession. Developing this skill helps you create fast, intricate melodic lines, perfect for capturing the intensity of Testament’s music.

Power Chords

Eric Peterson’s heavy riffing relies on power chords, a foundation for creating that classic metal sound. Power chords are easy to move around the fretboard and are great for establishing strong, aggressive rhythm parts. Practicing power chords will improve your hand strength, positioning, and rhythm, making it easier to learn other metal and rock songs.

Slides

Slides add a smooth transition between notes or chords, creating fluid movement in both rhythm and lead parts. In "More Than Meets the Eye," slides enhance the intensity of riffs and provide a dramatic flair. By incorporating slides into your playing, you’ll improve finger dexterity and learn to add expressive motion to your solos.

Benefits of Learning These Techniques

Each technique covered in this lesson not only helps you learn "More Than Meets the Eye" accurately but also equips you with the skills to tackle other challenging songs. Mastering these techniques builds foundational skills in rhythm, speed, and melody, essential for any aspiring metal guitarist. These skills give you the versatility to handle other styles of rock and metal, and they enhance your overall musicality, enabling you to express yourself through advanced technical abilities.

Guitar Techniques List

• Palm Muting
• Alternate Picking
• Galloping Rhythms
• String Bending
• Hammer-Ons
• Pull-Offs
• Whammy Bar Tricks
• Tapped Harmonics
• Two-Handed Tapping
• Power Chords
• Slides

This lesson breaks down every aspect of Testament’s "More Than Meets the Eye," guiding you through the technical skills to elevate your playing and connect you to the powerful, complex sound of one of metal’s legendary bands. Dive in, master each technique, and bring your playing to the next level.