I was hanging out in the Harmony Central forums earlier this week and found an interesting question in the “Lesson Loft” section. A metal guitarist had been taking lessons for awhile and was learning a bunch of theory, but he didn’t feel like it had anything to do with the style of music he wants to play. He’s into bands with serious technique and he’s motivated to do the work needed to get better, but he wants to make sure he’s doing the right work that achieves his goals.
As a guitar teacher, I always have a few students like this and I have to be careful. If I force them to learn a bunch of theory with no obvious connection to their favorite bands they get turned off to practicing. On the other hand if I just teach them their favorite songs and riffs they won’t see the theory that brought those guitarists to those riffs in the first place.
Not that EVERYTHING has to be explained and connected to theory. Then you’re getting bogged down in concepts and lectures instead of playing. This reminds me of a bass student I had who worshipped Jaco Pastorius. He seemed motivated to practice seriously, so I started him with one major scale position. He came back the next week knowing ALL the major scale positions, not my preferred method of doing things (as discussed in another blog), but no worries, so I got into deeper techniques with one scale position.
Which he didn’t practice.
Tried out other things that he wouldn’t practice either. Then one day he brings in a Pastorius songbook, full of riffs that would kick MY butt. Alright, let’s do it–one measure at a time (and I’ll learn some cool things as well). We check out the first two measures, I stress how you can pick up a lot of great info studying little bits like that. But since he hadn’t practiced the rhythm exercises we’d studied earlier (quarters, triplets, etc.) he couldn’t get the feel of this Jaco riff, leading to more frustration.
I’m not some saintly, all-knowing musician in this regard. I invested three years of college in music theory classes, contrary/oblique motion, making sure the cadences worked on paper…then went home to practice guitar stuff that had nothing to do with school. It wasn’t until I started teaching after college that I had to make sure I knew what I was talking about and fortunately I did, as I made the connections between the classes (which were geared toward piano, as most music theory programs are) and my instrument.
But the students aren’t always interested in how the parts work, they want the guitar to simply sound “cool” when they play it!
I’m doing all this typing, trying to figure out if I have any advice on how to be a kick-ass metal player. There are some obvious trends:
–Detuned guitars.
–Harmonic minor scale.
–Phrygian or Aeolian modes.
–Fast 16th note patterns.
–Insanely high tempos or slow, menacing ones.
–Use of dissonant chords or intervals.
Some of those things will be totally obvious to some yet confusing to others. And as you might have figured, it will depend on how much THEORY you know. 
A good teacher should be able to explain how the standard theory concepts apply to your desired style of music. BUT…at some point you need to accept that getting to your shredding goals requires passing through the same gates all musicians must pass in their journey.
We all need to learn the major scale.
How can you play complex, Tool-inspired grooves without knowing how to subdivide the beat?
You need to know how chords are constructed (starting with the happy major ones) so you can figure out how to identify or create the creepy ones.
And so on.
Open mindedness is critical. I’m not much of a country music fan, but I LOVE studying those cool “pedal steel” bends and chickin’ pickin’. If you read interviews with great guitarists you’ll usually find that they listen to lots of genres outside the style of their band. Chances are the guys into extended string bend-type stuff listen to a lot of blues, guys into strange sounding atonal or chromatic riffs have probably logged in some iPod time with jazz or fusion players.
Like Allan Holdsworth! Not metal, but dayammm, he’s still shredding in a metal fashion!
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Actually I’m still kinda in the frame, too: trying to teach myself theory and harmony after all this time. Trouble is I got it then, but, because in the 70s in St. Louis I didn’t think I could get to major in music because I only played guitar (then read Steve Morse’s bio a few years later — shows you what real determination is!). I think the thing is trying to figure out how to make theory and harmony “sexy” for lack of a better term. But, I don’t take vitamins, either, so what do I know?
And Allan Holdsworth is *still* better than you! (from the GP article this year). Now someone who can make both Eddie Van Halen AND John McLaughlin shake their heads, well, that’s one serious, player!
Yeah, making theory “sexy” is challenging. I think the band has a lot to do with it. I remember subscribing to Guitar World in the early 90s, when Satch, Vai and Johnson ruled the covers. The Private Lesson articles were full of theory, modes, complex uses of pentatonics–a bit much at times, but still cool. Then by the mid-90s there would be “A Private Lesson with Green Day” and it would be all these generic power chord riffs!
On the other hand, those guys made guitar more accessible and less intimidating to newer players because they weren’t consumed with theory, so it works both ways.