Okay this is going to sound completely NOOB"ISH"'
Anyway, while going through some thrash tabs i came across this often repeated pattern of riffing


eg from:SLAYER - SOUTH OF HEAVEN

E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
E||---------------------------|---------------------------|
B||---------------------------|---------------------------|
G||---------------------------|---------------------------|
D||---------------------------|---------------------------|
A||-----------10--------8-----|--7--------10--------3--3--|
E||--0--0--0------0--0-----0--|-----0--0------0--0--1--1--|


E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
---------------------------|---------------------------||
---------------------------|---------------------------||
---------------------------|---------------------------||
---------------------------|---------------------------||
-----------10--------8-----|--7--------10--------3--3--||
--0--0--0------0--0-----0--|-----0--0------0--0--1--1--||


what i mean by repeated is that they all have this property in common:
muted 6th string: picked (usually the lowest note), unmuted 5th and 4th string picked (mostly half they way down the neck).


so what i wanted to ask was that: what is this technique called.
and how extensively is it used in metal (IE other than thrash)

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uh... hu huh uh ... what?

it's called a riff, and its used almost exclusively in metal.

EDIT:

if you mean the combination of palm muting with not palm muting, then thats called variation, and variation is used a lot in all good music.

if you mean using more than one string, see above.

using a repeated open E(or whatever you have tuned your open string to) inbetween notes is called a pedal tone, and is originally a classical technique

palm muting your bottom string makes it heavier and tighter and sound cooler, not palm muting your other string allows the notes to be brighter and stand out more.

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But is this what a chug is

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I don't know if I would consider this kind of riffage a "technique". I also don't think it has a name. Its pretty common though.

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I wouldn't call it a technique either but what else could i write.

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the method of writing a riff is used in melodic death metal a lot...a few minor changes...but basically the same set up...also in some metalcore and speed metal too

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Using pedal notes is very common in metal.

Nearly all of my original songs i write contain variations on possible Pedal tones. They just sound good especially when sped up

Okay. Thanks
One more question: is chugging similar to this

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You get the "chug" sound from palm muting. Its not an actual technique. Pedalling on the low E while palm muting it will give you that sound tho.

i would call that type of riff a string skipping riff with a pedal tone

Oh ok thanks guys

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I actually use that "technique" if you want to call it that probably in every one of my songs, not to mention have seen it in almost every song i've heard by any metal band (with in some reason and exceptions to that) . Althoguh i loosely would call it a technique, maybe more of a composition style or riff style.

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Not to act like a guitar guru or anything, but Amon rA is right, it's refferred to as a pedal tone: whereby one repeating note is returned to between interpolated notes. There's a shitty technical definition anyway

'Alternative music' stole it, adapted it, then passed it off in 5 million half arsed 'hardcore' and pop metal songs. Yeah some good bands/riffs use it, but being a stereotyping arsehole is an essential skill of a metal head I hear. Once you recognise the general sound of pedal tones they'll most likely start to irritate you

Look at me I can play pop metal, I can pedal an octave and e minor!

a-------7-----5------8--7
e---0-0---0-0---0-0---0---etc

i hate that type of riffing

Lamb of god does it. So i am okay with it

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i've also heard this type of thing called drone notes, basically when the pedal note is on the bottom, not the top

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I think that applies to typical piano playing whereby a lower note is played and sustained (i.e. wioth the left hand) and the right hand plays 'lead'/other over it. I don't think it applies to this pedalling style.

but... who gives a fuck about names

names are important cause otherwise everything would be refered to as "woss-name" and we would all sound like my ageing father

according to wikipedia


which differs slightly from what i thought, but never mind.

i always though a drone was one long continued note, and a pedal was two notes played alternately, boht in the bass and both with melodies over the top.

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Drone notes, or droning, is most easily performed on the 7th fret.

the thing with droning is that you're just playing one note. ie: strumming the open E string and fretting the E on A string at 7th fret. I find this useful for songs that don't allow much time to hit the E5 at the nut. Droning the E will give it some added body since you're hitting two strings instead of one.

I suppose that playing octaves could be considered droning also.

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I think this was a really stupid question

that was really noobish.

Thank you for mentioning that after 20 proper replies.

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welcome

Try to practice on some riffs of that type...
Henjo from Avantasia allways uses that shit in his solos...try to play some of his stuff

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