how the heck do i write a song like kirk ham.

[zerofr33ze]

ive been playing for 2 years now and i no most of the basic chords and some scales but ive never taken any classes ive learned everything on the internet and i can play solos like one fade to black entersandman ride the lightning etc.

i can play solos but when it comes to writing i dont understand how the hell does kirk hammet write all these cool songs how would i put the scales together in making a song??? i have no idea could someone pls help meeeee20 :confused:

[Andrew]

Do you mean the song or just the solo? If youre writing songs, then a lot of metallica songs are based around riffs. To be able to write riffs is the first step to writing this this type of song. Heres a trick I learnt when Shawn once posted it on this forum. Take the first part of the minor pentatonic scale (if you dont know it - learn it)-

|-------------------------------------------------
|-------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------5----7----
|---------------------------5----7---------------
|----------------5----7--------------------------
|-----5----8-------------------------------------

And make two-note power chords out of it -

|---------------------------------------------------
|---------------------------------------8---10----
|----------------------------7----9----5----7----
|----------------7----9-----5----7---------------
|-----7---10---5----7---------------------------
|-----5----8--------------------------------------


Just mess around with these chords, also using notes from the first scale.

For solos, go here-

http://www.cyberfret.com/improvisation/index.php

bear in mind that it will take loads of practice to get anywhere near as good as Kirk Hammet.

[zerofr33ze]

that means i should use the scales to make riffs?? i thought they were used in makin solos ?? pls answer

the help is apreciated thanx

[cyberfret]

If I am not mistaken, the primary songwriter in Metallica is not Kirk, but James. Kirk just basically handles the solos.

But regardless, the best way to learn how to write in the Metalica style is to learn a lot of tunes. Buy some Metallica tab books. You can use Internet tab, but having a good professionally transcribed book will be of more value in my opinion. Learn the basics of music....theory, scales, chords etc. This site is full of those basics. Then you can analyze the tunes and see how they were constructed....what scale an chords were used.

The trick that Andrew gave you is one of the first writing exercises that I have all my students do (who are interested in writing music). I really would try writing some riffs and chord progressions out of the minor pentatonic scale first.

Scales are used for writing riffs, and for solos.

--Shawn

[santosh_b]

I've read that Kirk Hammett and Hetfield both use the Phrygian mode a lot in their playing so if u were writing a solo around even simple chord progressions like Am/D/E etc , there is a certain sound that comes from Phrygian mode that u cant get any other way .
Check out http://www.riffinteractive.com where they have some lessons on CD on playing in metallica style . U could also try reading "The Art of Kirk Hammett" from http://www.sheetmusicplus.com where there is a commentary on his techniques and style .
Also do note that Kirk and James are not traditional in that they play most of their runs and riffs with downstrokes while alternate picking would be the way the rest of the world did it . But if it works for them well ......

[steve]

Being a HUGE metallica fan here's the kind of scales they use:

old stuff (master of puppets, ride the lightning): these are modes, fade to black uses the minor scale.......

new stuff: (black album, reload): Kirk uses the minor pentatonic nowadays...... fairly simple

[smfulla]

there's nothing to post on at the moment, so I thought I'd post on this.

Most of metallica's riffs are downstrokes. Where as alternate/economy picking is 'always' used in solos. Jaymz mostly writes the music, lars mostly arranges. Jaymz writes alot of the solo's as well, but usually doesn't play them. Kirk also writes alot of the solo's and usually plays them.

As for writing 'metallica'esque songs... Learn lots of theory first, then work out riffs. Try getting a 'hook' riff e.g. Enter Sandman, and mess around with it to figure out different areas of the song, i.e. chorus, verse, bridge, rhythm behind solo. Remember to play in key when soloing, but adding a little bit of a chromatic scale never hurt anyone. Basically steer towards minor scales, an occasional harmonic minor, and use the blues scale alot. (In recent years they have pretty much used the scale out =])

[chicken_polo]

...you ppl all posting in the theory section but you dont know jack about music .....read a book, son! at least start with the theory section of cyberfret. i know im not the best guitar player on board, but i sure as hell know that almost all metal music is based on phrygian, hehe er let alone know what phrygian is.ppl need to learn some theory before you think about writin all this cool **** and stuf like that

[Black Star]

dude, don't try to write anything like anybody, music is an expression of yourself, write a song that says, yeah that's me, not kirk, that's my own ideas. By all means adopt their ideas into your playing, but just make sure they're not a total copy.

You can write metal in any mode chicken polo, but the phrygian is very cool, probably my fav maybe.

[smfulla]

its not very nice saying that we don't know jack about music
I infact have practically studied metallicas style and really alot of metallica's stuff is not phrygian. It's mainly based on the blues scale. You listen to anyone of his solos, its got the blues scale.
I don't even think the phrygian mode has been use in one of metallica's songs.
But like the guy before me said, don't copy, come up with your own style. Write a metal song with a major key, use the locrian mode, do whatever, but make your music your own

[Black Star]

Yeah chicken, you shouldn't these guys know jack about music. i mean you don't even have a profile, so i guess i'm asuming the same thing about you

[chicken_polo]

ahh...you listen to new metallica.......whatever mandingas

[chicken_polo]

btw steve was rite..kirk uses minor pent. in his soling now, NOT blues.....and you can use pent. over different things its not modal

[mullz]

Actually, a minor pentatonic scale can be used to create a modal sound (or any scale over any chord for that matter)

Eg. A major chord + B maj pentatonic

With an A in the bass (from the chord - in root position) the notes will be:

(A C# E) + (B C# D# F# G#)

= A B C# D# E F# G#
= A lydian

But you have to be careful/thoughtful with your notes for it to work well... anyway...

You dont need to learn/know theory to write Metallica-style riffs... they are proof of that themselves. I think it sure does help (a lot), but its not mandatory. Hendrix didn't know theory. Marty Friedman says he is an ear-player as well. And some people say that learning theory destroys all your creativity... that is only because they let it do that... you have to be able to bend the rules. You need to know the rules before you can bend them. Or you make make the rules as you go. I don't really give a ****, as long as you make good music. (sorry for the bad grammer there :))

Wherever I May Roam is in E Phrygian (loosely), and the solo is Phrygian Dominant

btw, I know jack about music as well ;-)
(who is Jack anyway?):confused:

[mullz]

oops, sorry bout the language again...

[Zed Leppelin]

it would be extremely helpful if one of you kind people would post a solo or a section of a solo and from it point out where the artist has used scales or modes and how it has been constructed from the chords in the song.! Please!

[wise]

I guess this would be more directed toward chicken_polo.

You complained people posting don't know theory. What is with all the fuss about minor pentatonic versus blues scales and Metallica? You claimed minor pentatonic was used and blues was not. Did it ever occur to you that the minor pentatonic is a subset of the blues? The only difference being the blues scale has an extra b5 added into the scale. Therefore anyone who says its blues is just as correct as you are. ;P

'Chris

[smfulla]

Zed Leppelin... I found out that the Wherever I May Roam riff is bassed on the Phrygian mode

[se77en]

not quite sure why anybody would want to write something exactly like Hampster...oh yea...metallica freaks would...lol