In this post (and the video below), I’m going to walk you through 6 essential metal guitar techniques that every beginner needs to know.

If you’re just getting started—or if you’re coming back after months or years away—these techniques will help you build real skills and start playing heavy metal riffs that sound legit.

Now, I keep things simple. You won’t get bogged down with music theory or endless warmups. Instead, I’m going to show you the exact techniques you need to get your hands moving and your tone sounding heavy, right from day one.

And if you’re already past the beginner phase, stick around. These are also foundational metal skills that many intermediate players overlook or need to clean up, especially if you want tighter rhythms, better tone, and faster progress.

Metal Guitar for Beginners – Basic Techniques to Get Started

These 6 techniques are what I consider the core of playing metal guitar. If you lock these down, you’ll be able to start learning real songs and writing your own riffs fast. And it all starts with rhythm—that’s the heartbeat of metal.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this post:

Power chords made simple

The core of almost every heavy metal riff.

Palm muting that actually sounds heavy

Learn how to make your chugs tight and controlled (not sloppy).

Downstrokes that hit hard

From Metallica to Slayer, this is the engine behind that aggressive sound.

Metal riffing techniques

Start moving around the fretboard and build your rhythm chops.

Alternate picking

Play fast and clean—without relying on just downstrokes.

Galloping

One of the coolest (and most fun) metal techniques to learn.

We’ll keep it straightforward and practical so you can start playing metal riffs today—not weeks from now.

Watch the Lesson Below

I walk you through these 6 core techniques and simplify everything you need to know in this video below. If you’re a beginner or just getting back into guitar, this will get you playing metal riffs fast.

Click play below to get started…

Video Timestamps – 6 Metal Guitar Techniques:

• 00:46 – Easy Way to Learn Power Chords
• 03:01 – The Right Way to Palm Mute for Metal
• 04:49 – Downstrokes with Power Chords + Palm Muting
• 06:59 – How to Riff on Guitar
• 10:12 – Playing Fast Rhythms with Alternate Picking
• 14:51 – Galloping (Triplets That Sound Awesome!)

1 – Power Chords Made Easy

Power chords are the foundation of metal guitar. In fact, this is the first technique I cover in depth in my metal guitar for beginners course. More on that later.

These chords bring out the heaviness and chunk of metal riffs. Just dial back to bands like Black Sabbath—they made power chords a metal staple. (Though the first to really use them was Link Wray—known as the “Father of the Power Chord.”)

So, what is a power chord?

It’s simply a root note and the 5th. That’s it. No major or minor tonality, which is part of what gives it that heavy, neutral, powerful sound.

Let’s look at three common power chords you’ll start with:

E Power Chord (open)

• E string (6th) = open
• A string (5th) = 2nd fret

G Power Chord

• E string (6th) = 3rd fret
• A string (5th) = 5th fret

C Power Chord

• A string (5th) = 3rd fret
• D string (4th) = 5th fret

Notice how the G and C shapes are exactly the same, just moved over a string. That’s the beauty of power chords—you can move them all over the fretboard.

2 – How to Palm Mute Properly

Right after power chords, palm muting is the next essential skill for metal guitar.

It’s that chunky, chugging sound you hear in nearly every metal riff—it feels like a freight train is headed straight toward you (no, I didn’t mean to steal that line from Metallica’s “No Leaf Clover!”).

Palm muting gives your playing that tight, aggressive, controlled tone that makes riffs feel heavy. But it’s not just about slamming the strings—it’s about control.

Here’s how to palm mute the right way:

Jason’s Palm Muting Technique:

• Rest the edge of your picking hand (palm side) gently over the strings—right on top of the bridge
• Don’t press too hard—you’ll kill the note and your tuning will suffer
• Don’t mute too far up the strings—if your palm is too far off the bridge, it’ll sound too muffled and possibly out of tune

This might feel a little weird at first. You’re playing heavy riffs—but this technique actually takes a lighter touch. It’s all about balance: controlled aggression.

Ready for the next technique? Let’s dig into picking!

3 – Tips for Downstrokes

The kings of downstrokes start with the Big 4:

• Metallica
• Megadeth
• Slayer
• Anthrax

…as if I need to name all that out for you!

Of course, it doesn’t stop there. Bands like Testament, Exodus, Kreator, Overkill, and a long list of others were right there with them (I always thought Testament should have been included in the Big 4 – not gonna say who I’d knock out).

The concept of downstrokes is simple. It’s just picking downward. Where it gets complex is when you start playing faster.

My simple method for getting faster at playing downstrokes is this:

• ‘Pick’ (uh-um…choose!) a simple riff to downstroke
• Set your click track or drum machine to a moderate BPM (maybe start with 90)
• Gradually increase the BPM speed
• Each day, start with a little higher BPM speed

You can also add in more notes and challenge yourself more once you get to a comfortable point. Or just learn Megadeth’s intro to Tornado of Souls! That’s a tough downstroke song to play!

Want to Level Up Faster?

My Metal Guitar Apprentice course is the fastest way to go from beginner to confidently playing real metal riffs and solos. It’s part of my exclusive membership at the Jason Stallworth Guitar Academy.

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4 – Metal Riffing Techniques

Okay, riffing isn’t technically a beginner technique. But I’m including it here for a reason…

If you’re learning to play metal guitar, you’ve gotta get used to playing riffs early on. Riffing is a core part of metal music. And the more you play them, the faster you’ll improve.

So, what is riffing?

Think of riffing as playing single notes (not chords) in the rhythm section of the fretboard. It’s kind of like lead guitar meets rhythm guitar. You’re not just chugging power chords—you’re moving your fingers around, creating motion and melody.

Here’s a simple, easy riff example to get you started:

Once you get that down, try this:

1. Play the same pattern on your A string
2. Then connect them: play the riff on the E string, followed by the A string
3. Add more notes, experiment with patterns, and expand to other strings

Now you’re riffing!

Metal Guitarists Known for Killer Riffs:

• Chris Broderick (Act of Defiance, ex-Megadeth)
• Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore)
• Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
• Jadran “Conan” Gonzales & David Rivera (Exmortus)
• Adam Dutkiewicz & Joel Stroetzel (Killswitch Engage)

And of course, there are many more!

5 – Alternate Picking for Metal

If you master just the first four metal guitar techniques above, you’ll already be crushing it (hey… maybe we should call those the Big 4 ).

But to really build your speed and precision, alternate picking is the next technique to lock in.

What Is Alternate Picking?

It’s pretty simple:

Instead of playing every note with a downstroke, you alternate:

• 1st note = down
• 2nd note = up
• 3rd note = down
• 4th note = up
  …and so on.

This back-and-forth motion allows you to play faster, more fluidly, and with way less tension in your picking hand.

Alternate picking is your gateway to playing fast metal rhythms—the kind that sound like a freight train hitting the turbo boost.

Try This Exercise:

Take the riff I showed you earlier:

Play it 4x using only downstrokes
Play it 4x using alternate picking
Continue switching back and forth until you’re comfortable with both picking methods
Expand by adding more notes and strings

This contrast will train your hands, build control, and help you develop that clean metal tone even at faster speeds.

Metal Songs with Fast Alternate Picking

6 – Galloping on Guitar (The Fast Track to Next Level Metal Playing)

Now we’re starting to push beyond basic metal guitar techniques and into that intermediate zone. But since you’ve just tackled alternate picking, this next move is a natural step forward.

You may be asking…

“What the hell is galloping on guitar?”

Listen to the intro of “She-Wolf” from Megadeth’s Cryptic Writings album—that’s the perfect example of galloping. It’s got that driving, horse-stomping feel that makes metal feel fast and intense.

How Galloping Works

Think of galloping as playing three quick notes in a burst—like a triplet—but picked in a specific way:

• Down
• Up
• Down

That’s it! You’re essentially alternate picking in groups of three, and it sounds brutal when done right.

Many metalheads call these triplets, but I prefer “galloping” because… well, it just sounds cooler.

You’ll learn this exact technique in the video towards the beginning of this post (it starts around 14:51).

Practice Tip:

Start slow—like real slow.

• Focus on open E string gallops first
• Get the feel for that down-up-down pattern
• Then gradually speed up once it starts to lock in

It may feel weird at first, but I promise you—if you practice every day, you’ll nail this.

And when you do, you’re officially on your way to playing like legends from Iron Maiden, Megadeth, and Testament.

From Beginner to Advanced Metal Guitar

If you’re serious about getting better at metal guitar, there’s one simple but powerful truth: you’ve got to put in the reps.

Practice metal guitar, not just guitar.
If your heart is set on shredding heavy riffs and brutal palm-muted rhythms, then focus on metal from the start. You don’t need to “go learn blues first.” Metal is your foundation—and by playing it consistently, you’ll naturally pick up skills that cross over into other genres.

Consistency Beats Random Jamming

Each time you pick up your guitar, have a purpose.
Don’t just noodle around or play the same songs on autopilot. Instead, focus on 2–3 metal guitar techniques in each practice session.

For example:

• One day, dial in your palm muting and power chords
• Next, focus on alternate picking and riffing
• Another day, challenge yourself with galloping

Even 15–30 minutes of intentional practice a day will level you up fast.

Rewatch the video at the top of this post anytime—pause it, rewind it, and practice those patterns I show you.

I truly hope this post helped you get a solid start with metal guitar. And hey—if you’re ready to go deeper, check out my course Metal Guitar Apprentice over at the Jason Stallworth Guitar Academy.

Feel free to share this post with a fellow metalhead!

Ready to Go Deeper with Your Metal Guitar Playing?

If this post lit a fire under your fingers, then you’re gonna love what I’ve got for you next.

Inside the Jason Stallworth Guitar Academy (JSGA), you’ll get full access to structured video lessons, tabs, backing tracks, and new monthly content to keep your skills growing.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’re ready to level up and start ripping solos, JSGA is where you’ll develop your own unique metal style, not someone else’s.

Join the Academy Here (and get instant access to all courses)

Or start with my free guide:
Grab your copy of Metal Riffs and Licks and get video lessons + tabs:
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Keep it Metal,
Jason

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