k...i've been playing guitar for just over a year now....and i've only just resently started listening to like strickly metal....i'm alright at guitar...i'm average...but i want to increase my abilities....i wanted to know what are some good metal songs to start off learning to play....or maybe even tips on how to become a better guitar player in general...any help would be great....

For songs to play, the first two that pop up in my mind are Slayer - Reign (or is it Rain?) in Blood and Death - Flesh and the Power it Holds.

For practice, I'd suggest making up something to practice alternate picking, something to practice downpicking, and something to practice left hand speed (for left hand speed some scalar runs over all 6 strings are usually good). And KEEP EVERYTHING ACCURATE!!!! There's no real point in playing fast if all the notes just slur into eachother. When you're not getting a clear ringing note, or when you're not keeping them even, you're either playing too fast or too sloppy.

__________________

The first band I started to tab is Obituary... they tune to d but you can get away with playing in drop d for the most part.

slayer did the job for me when I was in that position. i also found megadeth's 'rust in peace' was helpful.

nail down slayer riffs...that would help in building both the right hand as well as fingering techniques

__________________

No no no... too hard for a novice. Tornado of Souls I guess.

Piece by Piece
Metal Storm/Face the Slayer
Raining Blood
Dreamscape
Agent Orange (as fast as you can do it cleanly)

__________________

Shit like Metallica's For Whom the Bell Tolls is a really good starting point. So isn't Slayer's South of Heaven or Seasons in the Abyss.

Cant go wrong with cryptopsy-phobophile tis a good song to learn

__________________

But for someone just starting in metal?

Cannibal Corpse- Frantic Disembowelment. Thats an easy song.

__________________

actually, most cryptopsys stuff isnt too hard, ive only been 2 years and can play all the tabs hopkins submited, except back to the worms because i dont like new cryptopsy...

__________________

Tornado of Souls is way harder to play than Rust in Peace. Neither song is good for a novice. I'd have to say, as has already been mentioned, "South of Heaven" by Slayer. Some of Metallica's stuff, off of the first 3 or 4 albums. Old Anthrax, too. Most of the stuff off Cannibal Corpse's first 3 albums. Anything off of Deicide's Once Upon the Christ is easy practice material. Exodus' first album has good practice stuff.

EDIT: I meant Once Upon the CROSS, not Christ. Sorry for the mental fart.

That had better be a sarcastic comment!

Hammer Smashed Face? <-Ha Ha, I just had to do that!

Agreed. HSF is not an easy song by any means. Especially for a person who is new to metal.

Try Slayer. And early Death. Very easy shit.

__________________

Thnx....actually before putting this post up i had started with metallica...master of puppets i learned pretty quickly...though it tiz easy...but yea....i'm defenatly gonna go for slayer.....

man, it might just be me but i think the most important thing for any guitarist is to learn several scales, get comfertable with notes and the fretboard, get a good foundation in music; you dont want a good foundation in cannibal corpse riffs. when i started playing guitar i just learned harmonic minor and played it until i could scale the scale. but if you really want to play along to other peoples concouctions play along to an yngwie track... actually a good cd to play along to would be vehemence god was created(great riffs).

__________________

sepultura's 'arise' album is easy, and I find their riffs enjoyable.

About the scales thing - that is a good idea. I took lessons for a bit but then didn't have the time any more, so I stopped learning scales - and still cant be bothered.

The result - I'm shit at soloing

My suggestions are to start off learning some Black Sabbath as its really good fun to play and helps you improve, then move on to slayer, which will help your speed, then move on to perhaps some early cof and then after you ve progressed start learning some DEATH!!! , they fucking rock, best shit ever to learn and real fun, start with some early stuff and then move on to there last but best albums Symbolic and Sound of perseverance. After that you'll be really inspired and will be able to play most shit.

__________________

Just buy "guitar grimore book of exersizes" and you will learn all the metal scales you need.

I said most of the stuff off their first three albums, not all of it, and whether or not HSF is an easy song is debatable. I find it very easy and often use it as a warm up song when I'm tuned in Eb. Good mention on the early Death, though, can't believe nobody else (myself included) said that.

December Wolves and The Berzerker were the first bands i learnt songs from.

I never meant HSF was easy, I just wanted to use that hammer-smashing smiley. And what better way to use it then put it next to the phrase "Hammer Smashed Face".

I've got a real good piece of advice! Play songs by bands you love! I mean, you could probably learn a lot from some band particular band, but if you don't like it you'll be hard pressed to find the motivation to learn the damn thing. Play something by your idols, you'll feel happy when you learn the songs. You'll just lose your motivation, if you try to learn some seriously difficult songs by a band you hate. I think it's important to learn songs that make you happy when you've learned, not songs that you despised from the beginning. Cheers, and happy learnin!

__________________