Next Level Metal Guitar techniques
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5 Metal Guitar Techniques to Take Your Riffs to the Next Level

ByJason Stallworth

I’ll never forget the first time I heard Blackened by Metallica. That riff completely captivated me to the point where I didn’t just want to listen to metal anymore. I had to be a part of it. I had to learn how to play this stuff.

By the way, Blackened uses a really cool technique called string skipping, and that’s just one of the many techniques I’ll share with you below.

In this post, I’m going to walk you through five metal guitar techniques that will take your riffs and rhythm playing to the next level.

Sure, power chords and palm muting are the foundation of heavy metal guitar (and pretty much every sub-genre of metal). But if you want to go beyond the basics and create more captivating riffs and write your own killer riffs, this post is for you.

Next Level Metal Guitar Techniques: Video Lesson

Oh, and these are the same concepts I teach in my free Metal Riffs & Licks guide and inside the Jason Stallworth Guitar Academy (get my free stuff first!).

1. Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs for Metal Riffs

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are often associated with guitar solos, but they can also add a whole new dimension to your metal rhythm playing. Using them in riffs can give your rhythms more character and add a new dynamic.

Hammer-Ons

A hammer-on happens when you pick one note and then immediately “hammer” another finger onto a higher fret without picking again.

Example:

  • Pick the 7th fret on the D string with your index finger.
  • Then “hammer” your middle finger onto the 8th fret. No picking, just pressing down.
  • That new note rings out from the force of your finger.

👉 You picked once, but you got two notes.

Pull-Offs

A pull-off is the opposite. You pick a note and then release your finger in a way that makes the lower note sound.

Example:

  • Start with the same 7th fret on the D string (index finger).
  • Hammer-on to the 8th fret (middle finger).
  • Now pull off your middle finger so the 7th fret note rings out again.

👉 In this case, you picked once, but you heard three notes: 7th fret → 8th fret → back to 7th fret.

Expanding the Idea

Once you’re comfortable, try moving the pattern to different frets. For instance:

  • Pick the 5th fret on the D string (index finger).
  • Hammer-on to the 7th fret (ring finger).
  • Pull-off back to the 5th fret.

Now you’re creating small licks that can be dropped into riffs anywhere across the fretboard.

Making It Sound Like a Riff

Here’s a cool way to make hammer-ons and pull-offs sound more like a riff and less like an exercise:

  • Palm mute the open A string twice.
  • Play your hammer-on/pull-off lick.
  • Palm mute the open A string twice again.
  • Repeat.

You can even take it a step further: on the D string 7th fret, hammer to the 8th fret, pull off back to 7th, then pull off again to let the open D string ring out. Combine that with your palm-muted A string, and you’ll instantly have a riff with attitude.

👉 Don’t limit yourself to just these examples. Move this concept around the fretboard, mix it with palm muting, and see what riffs you come up with.

2. String Skipping for Creative Riffs

String skipping is a simple concept, but it can completely change the way your riffs sound. Instead of always playing notes that are right next to each other, you skip over a string to reach a note further away. This opens up new sounds and textures you won’t get from standard power chords or clustered single-note riffs.

There are two examples of string skipping below, both equally cool to add to your rhythm playing.

Example 1: Single-Note String Skipping

Let’s start with a basic example:

  • Play the 2nd fret on the A string (index finger).
  • Skip over the D string.
  • Play the 4th fret on the G string, then the 5th fret, then back to the 4th fret.

👉 You’ve just skipped over an entire string (the D string). You can also apply the technique we just covered for this 3-note riff, in hammer-ons and pull-offs.

This simple move immediately opens up your ‘note library’ for riffs. And once you get faster with it, your rhythm playing takes on a whole new dimension.

Example 2: Dual-Note String-Skipping

Another way to use string skipping is by playing two notes at the same time, almost like a chord, but with a string skipped in the middle.

Try this:

  • Play the 2nd fret on the A string with your index finger.
  • Skip over the D string.
  • Play the 4th fret on the G string with your pinky (or ring finger, if that feels better).
  • Pick both strings together.