Invent your own metal guitar riffs part two

What’s new at Zystrix? Read on… February 2, 2026 How to Create Metal Riffs (part two of two) In the last episode we went over the beginner guitarist and part of the intermediate guitarist ways to invent or create metal riffs (click here for a refresher). This time we’re going to finish the intermediate guitarist methods to create metal riffs and go on to end the advanced guitarist ways. So sit back and relax. Welcome to Zystrix, the heartbeat of the universe. Where creativity and free-thinking have more value than conformity. Background Artwork The colorful artwork that surrounds the edges of this website is invisible to many cell phone users. It’s included here (with others) for your enjoyment. Multiple copies are tiled together for a cohesive and seamless background seen all around this page. Enjoy. How to Create Metal Riffs Introduction to Part Two Last time, as you may remember, we defined what a metal riff is. Then we went completely through the beginner section of creating metal riffs, and half way through the intermediate guitarist section. For a refresher click here to review the previous issue. Now we are starting from half-way through the intermediate section through the end of the advanced guitarist section. There’s a million ways to metal, and like the previous issue, the methods of creating metal riffs presented here apply to all styles of music. And as we’ll see, ideas and inspirations can be found everywhere. And as mentioned before, the ideas available in the public domain to borrow from or outright steal is staggering. So let’s start where we left off and go to the middle of the intermediate guitarist section… Creating Metal Riffs Intermediate Guitarist (continued) Scales, Modes, and Chord Outlines I prefer scales to modes but both methods can produce excellent results for writing metal riffs. Modes are simply starting on a different note in the scale. This can be used to great effect against chords in the same key. The Locrian mode is nice for an unpredictable demented feel. The Phrygian is another way of sounding minor. Another cool way to approach them is to omit a note or two for more unpredictability. Put them together and what have you got? Bibbidi bobbidy boo. Pure metal magic. Hopefully, anyway. The harmonic minor scale (Hungarian) and the diminished scale are both great ways of sounding classical and used by many guitarists (see Niccolo Paganini in the advanced guitarist section below). Another way is to invent or borrow a chord structure you like and play notes that outline or stay within the chords, This method is used a lot by jazz and country guitarists but could also be used in metal. Using this method you are implying the chords without actually playing them. Here’s another way to play outside of your comfort zone. Choose a scale that you like the sound of but you never play. There are many relatively common choices to be had like the harmonic minor scale, the blues scale, or the sus 4 pentatonic scale, but even these can seem ordinary over time. The locrian scale can be a diminished sounding challenge to sound consonant. The Japanese scale is also interesting. Try the mixolydian flat 9 flat 13. Or try the Prometheus Neopolitan. The whole tone scale also offers some challenges if you enjoy something that can sound augmented (think old Frankenstein movies). Is That the Chromatic or the Chaos Scale? What are you tryin’ to play, man? Some guitarists, either on purpose or not, sound like they were handed 12 notes and their goal is to use all of them all at once. Especially at high speed. In my opinion this can sound like a mess, but some guitarists pull it off with enviable grace. Try a chromatic line in an otherwise square passage, or try it between melodic passages. Or do slurs and slides ending on a chromatic run for an interesting metal riff. Or do your own rendition of The Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov during a solo. Or how about a chromatic gallop. Oh sure, sometimes it’s a little obscure sounding, but sometimes it works. Unless you know what you are doing, though, and also where you are going musically, I wouldn’t recommend this method. To me there are too many guitarists using it (even some professionals) going for high-note-density hoping they can pull the wool over the ears of the listener. Don’t clown around. It doesn’t always work because it’s an obvious spoof for someone who knows music, but when it does work and it’s well placed it’s a beautiful thing. Dramatic Pause, Dynamics, Articulation Dramatic pause allows for a holding of notes or resting for a prescribed beat period (or not, hence, the fermata). Listen to the guitar in the intro of War Pigs by Black Sabbath. Drama. Or listen to the section where the vocals start and the guitar rests. Tension. The guitar isn’t playing many notes but it’s certainly saying a lot. Dynamics also help make a riff more interesting by changing how the note intensity is played in volume or emphasis. It’s not what you say but how you say it… I thought you were going to Chicago. I thought you were going to Chicago. I thought you were going to Chicago. And so on. Articulation can be the attack and release of the chosen notes. As the note attack becomes more articulated they become more defined. As the note length becomes shorter the sound is more staccato (individual notes) and less legato (played smoothly and joined together). OK, let’s move on and talk about methods of creating metal riffs for the advanced guitarist… Advanced Guitarist – Creating Metal Riff Ideas Keith Richards This guitarist of Rolling Stones fame was talking about his music in an interview and what he said stuck with me. Someone asked him how he can write so many popular songs and he said something like, “I put on a few albums of my favorite music and play along with it. When the music is over I keep playing and whatever drips off the end is mine.” An easy and effective idea. You go, man. Roll the Dice There were many ways Wolfgang Mozart came up with music ideas, but one that I thought was cool was his use of dice. He would pick a music key and then assign the notes specific numbers on a die or pair of dice. He would then toss the dice for the melodic note order. I have had a little luck using this method, but not enough to use it much. The note choices sometimes seemed a little odd unless the timing was changed. However, I have used Mozart’s music as a jumping off point for writing. Somehow it has been difficult to get away from sounding like something written by Mozart. I have also noticed this same problem when using French composer Debussy as a starting point. At any rate, maybe you’ll like the dice idea. Also, do not allow young children to use this riff invention method because dice can be a choking hazard. Piano Tunes And speaking of Mozart (and lots of other pianists), there are many excellent piano tunes to be had as a jumping off point for metal guitar riffs. The world of piano is your oyster. I use a similar method as Keith Richards when it comes to piano but I don’t play guitar along with it. I let the ideas influence me to begin thinking that way and then I begin trying it on my own. I’ve had a lot of luck with this method not only on guitar but keys too. Fernando Sor Variations on someone’s music is one method Sor used to great effect. Listen to his variations on Mozart’s Magic Flute for some interesting technical inspiration. Ana Vidovic does a version as does Jesus Hultron, and they can be readily found on “Zootube”. Listening to that makes me want to go outside and step on my own hands. David Hamburger David is an excellent acoustic guitarist. One method I like of his is to design the bass line of the phrase first. Play this part over and over. Once that part is firmly implanted in your head and finger memory to where you don’t have to think about it invent and add some contrapuntal chords. You can also add a second line of melody, or double stops, or whatever you decide. Now invent another bass line that’s related or that fits with the first bass line and follow the same procedure. For me this idea became quite addictive for many years, and it just sounds damn cool. To make it a little easier I write out the parts for a visual concept. CAUTION: This method is not for those weak of spirit or low on patience, and it can take a long time to perfect. Banjo Ideas The banjo doesn’t seem like a likely candidate for guitar inspiration on inventing metal riffs, But the techniques they use all the time have escaped many rock guitarists. Check out banjo cross picking (hookin’), or string skipping, or triplets (rolls) that end on the last eighth note of the bar (think Flatt and Scruggs). It’s a whirlwind of notes that cause people to sit up and take notice. Try infusing these tricks and ideas into your metal riffs for something that most guitarists can’t play. For something inspiring for metal riffs listen to the banjo playing of Bela Fleck and The Flecktones on his greatest hits album. It’s an eclectic cross between jazz, bluegrass, and rock. Or listen to the tune Jerry’s Breakdown by guitarist Jerry Reed for some break-neck banjo type inspiration. Niccolo Paganini Do you want to sound like a classical musician from the 1830s? Think Hungarian minor scale. Violinist and virtuoso Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840) was technically brilliant and wrote a book called the Caprice 24, and there are many ideas for doing your own improvisation and riff inventions. The book is public domain and can be found free online. Paganini lived to be only 57 years old, and like many musicians, he died in poverty, but he left some awe inspiring works. For an idea of how the Hungarian minor can be used listen to guitarists who borrow heavily from these ideas like Malmsteen. If you can’t read music check out the recording of Itzhak Perlman playing these classical exercises (Angel Records, 1972) for more ideas to morph into your own. And don’t overlook old bluegrass violinists and their contributions to music. There are a lot of ideas to borrow from them too. John Dowland This lute player (an early form of guitar) was an English composer who lived from 1563-1626 and wrote during the Renaissance period. There are many metal riff ideas to be had from his large collection of music, and all of them are free for the taking. Listen to the 5-part series of all of his known works as played by Paul O’Dette. It’s a lifetime of John Dowland’s music in under 6 hours. Other lute players (French, Dutch, Italian) of the time left their legacy of music, but John Dowland stands out as a master and a seemingly endless fountain of ideas. Here’s a short easy hard rock idea borrowing heavily from Dowland. Television, Movies, Books I don’t remember who told me this, but he said that he watches baseball on TV with the sound off and invents guitar parts to match the game. I’ve tried it and I like it. Hell, I suppose this could be done with all kinds of visual artwork, television programs, movies, and so on. Another one that’s interesting is to interpret a book you read (or wrote) in music. Interpret the whole book as an overall musical theme. Or interpret the individual chapters as a musically complex series of events or a line of consciousness. Hmm, I wonder which guitarist does that. Anyway, not many, and it’s an idea that can steal hours and hours. Birds, Animals, Nature I’ve heard many guitarists making all kinds of noises from video games to weird sci-fi to heavy machinery. Go outside with your guitar and see if you can imitate the sounds around you. Try a Chickadee using palm muted chugs. Try imitating the family down the street having a loud argument by using your volume control for swells. Try a sparrow being captured and eaten alive by a hawk by using evil diminished and augmented double stops. Try the garbage man’s truck using tremolo picking and power chords. Try the police siren speeding past by using a slide. Try interpreting the ICE agents capturing a group of people and shooting one of them in the face. Well, maybe not that extreme. Anyway, it goes on and on. Public Domain There is more public domain stuff to hear and see than there is time available -- it’s impossible to get to them all. And anything in the public domain is fair game for you to borrow ideas, or outright steal, or morph into something else, or add together for a new combination. You can even make your own silent movie from parts of movies in the public domain if you feel so moved. Everything from drawings to paintings to music and movies to photographs and so on. It’s overwhelming. There are so many decisions to be made from an ocean of inspirations, and so little time. Music in the public domain can be freely shared, modified, or redistributed without any royalties or fees. Go to archive dot org for a great place to start for movies or music, or check out pdinfo dot com for all kinds of music. Hack What lick are you tryin’ to do, man? Do you know some licks that use open strings? Try playing them in a different key by using the same hand shapes but in a different position on the neck and using the same open notes. Sometimes it comes off sounding horrible, but it can also lead to an interesting melody that’s strangely evocative. Conclusion How to Create Metal Riffs I’ve tried to present some workable ideas for inventing metal riffs for the beginner, the intermediate, and the advanced guitarist. Riff inspiration can come from anywhere, and even places you may not suspect. There are many methods for inspiration, but the ones presented have given me many hours of productive fun. It’s as easy as learning your ABCs. Maybe you have a method not mentioned here that you’d like to share. Some of the best riffs seem to come from a place of passion, or whatever it is that drives you. Try to make your riffs memorable instead of complex because the average listener doesn’t walk around humming complex riffs. Leave the complexity to the solos if that’s what you prefer. I hope these ideas have given you food for thought and consideration, maybe one of them has given you a new approach to try in your writing, and hopefully they will offer you as much success in your own musical creations as they did for me. Don’t touch that dial… Stay tuned next time… In the next issue we’re going to examine some tips and tricks for making your studio recorded metal guitar riffs sound bigger and beefier. Maybe I’ll see you then. Is my girlfriend dissatisfied with my body? A tiny part of me says yes.

Zystrix = a source, shaman, or library disseminating secret or lost knowledge, art, or music.

ZYSTRIX POPULAR FREE DOWNLOADS The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024 It’s another epic issue, and there’s lots of FREE downloads here. And the Honorable Mention Synthesizer List might surprise you. This list is long, so prepare yourself. And if it seems like too much to take in, I warned you. Click here for the official list of The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024. The Best Free Mastering Plugins Your DAW (digital audio workstation) will be so happy. And so will you. Here are the best of the best for EQ, compression, limiting, tube and tape emulation, reverb, delay, and honorable mentions. This list is a must have with lots of downloads. Check out The Best FREE Plugins for Mastering 2024. Here’s a free download of almost one and a half hours of original neo-classical solo piano by Dangerous Neighbors. This full length album called Piano Top to Bottom consists of 18 original piano pieces with the final piece in two movements. There is a bonus track making 20 files total. This download comes in three format options: the first option is a single file MP3 containing all the tunes in one chunk similar to tape recordings. The second download option is a folder with all of the separate MP3 piano pieces named and arranged in album order similar to a CD or MP3 player. The third download option is similar to videos found on “ZooTube” with the names and times on the screen. There is also a fourth surprise version made only for “ZooTube” and it is edited down to less than 15 minutes long because of their telephone number required rule. Basically it just guides the listener here. To download any or all of these options simply click here. Enjoy. Free Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses Introducing the next generation in guitar cabinet impulse responses. Try the new Djammincabs Maxxx 4x12. All of these cab IR files are based on old, new, and boutique 4x12 cab curves. All are recorded in beautiful 24-bit 48K mono and will work on most free and paid digital convolvers. Hear the guitar IR breathe fire with pure attitude. Don’t be suckered in with high-dollar sales pitches, there ain’t no guitar IR downloads better than these. Choose from many cab sound recording styles: cone, edge, angled, arm away, inside cab, back of cab, or back of room. Djammincabs is the world leader in guitar cab IR invention -- no other guitar IR company can imitate these. Djammincabs Maxxx 4x12 makes it easier for you to design your own personalized sound -- even your own Metal IR pack. If you can’t find a cabinet or combination you like here, then you don’t like 4x12 cabinets. This guitar IR download also includes a Tactical Munitions Manual with suggested uses and detailed cab combinations. This is the best free guitar impulse download available anywhere. Djammincabs Maxxx 4x12 “Murder Your Competition.” I feel brave. I want to try them now. Here’s my email... Djammincabs for Guitar Free Guitar Impulse Responses This is the original Djammincabs guitar cabinet impulse response collection that started it all. Click here to download over 200 Free Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses. Djammincabs for Bass Guitar Download Free Bass Impulse Responses Click here to download over 200 Free Bass Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses. Best Free Guitar Impulses. The Top 11 Best Free Guitar and Bass Cabinet Impulse Responses for 2022 (in alphabetical order…) Find, download, and test the best free guitar cabinet impulse responses for 2022. FREE BASS LOOPS SAMPLES DOWNLOAD ROYALTY FREE BASS LOOP SAMPLES FREE BASS LOOPS Over 200 samples are included in the collection Download the complete collection of 24-bit bass loops here. NOTE: This download size is approximately 369 Megs. Free Pendulate Synthesizer Presets Original Newfangled Audio Pendulate synth patches/presets Click here to download over 240 Free Pendulate Synth Presets (patches) Synapse Audio Dune Synthesizer Download Over 200 Free Synapse Audio Dune 2 and Dune 3 Synthesizer Patches and Presets Click here to download over 200 FREE Synapse Audio Dune 2 or Dune 3 synthesizer patches or presets. NOTE: This synth patch download is slightly over 1 Meg in size. Free Reverb Impulse Responses This is our most popular download page. Choose from hundreds available in 48K 24 bit WAV format including many new original reverbs. CabSpace Over 400 Guitar Isolation Booth Reverbs Download over 400 Free Zystrix Original Reverb Impulse Responses, and over 200 Free Zystrix Original BONUS Reverb Impulse Responses. Download all the Alesis MIDIVerb 4 reverb impulse responses. Download all the Lexicon MPX-1 reverb impulse responses. Download all the Alesis Wedge reverb impulse responses. Download over 50 Reverb Relics from the past including oil cans. Click here to download free reverb impulse responses. Free Drum Samples Only Available from Zystrix Free Gong Samples and Sounds Free Snare Drum Samples and Sounds Free Bass Drum Samples and Sounds Free Oriental Cymbal Samples and Sounds Free Oriental Bells Samples and Sounds The Ultimate Original Drum Sounds List Download over 2000 original slammin’ rock bass drums. Download original Gongs, Cymbals, Broken Cymbals, and Bells. Download Over 200 Free Original Bass Drum Sounds and Samples. Download over 200 Original Free snare drum sounds. Click here to download Drum Kit Sounds. Dangerous Neighbors The SW Michigan Rock Band Power Trio. Free Rockin’ Music Downloads Download tunes from the 80s to today. Use the special codes on the Embalmed for Life page (see the DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO BOOKS link below) and get free downloads for the complete album and the free horror audio book The Fluid - Embalmed for Life. Click here to download various music from the rock band Dangerous Neighbors. Download Free Synth Samples for Intros, Interludes, and Endings Listen to example #01 by clicking here (MP3 Sample) Download FREE professional quality stereo sample packs that slowly evolve over time. All samples are in 48K 24 bit WAV format and are about 20 seconds long or more. If you like suspense, psycho, outer space, or terror then this collection is for you. These range from paranoia to sci-fi, cinematic gore to strange industrial horror, and creepy creatures to insane laboratories. Click here to download all the synth Intros, Interludes, and Endings. DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO BOOKS The Fluid, Embalmed for Life There are Free Audio Book codes for Audible downloads (must sign up). There are also free sample downloads of the book reading. There are free downloads of music samples. There is a free “Look Inside” download of the paperback. There is a free glossary of the largest list of mortuary slang in the world. The Free Dangerous Neighbors Album The Fluid, Embalmed for Life comes included as part of the audio book and parts are available here as a free download. The paperback book is available for sale at Amazon dot com. I have no control over these sales; because of the Amazon agreement I cannot offer complete paperback or complete audio books here. And for some reason most book sales go to Japan. Who would have thunk it? Click here for free audio books, book reading samples, music samples, etc. Take me back to the top of the page. Zystrix Privacy Policy THE FINE PRINT: Zystrix is a world leader in personal privacy and we take your privacy very seriously. We do not store, sell, give away, or barter with any of your personal or private information including your email, IP address, links clicked, location, habits, tastes, online activities and behaviors, or anything else considered personal or private information. We never have. Zystrix is not and has never been a participant in any advertising program including but not limited to the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Sweetwater, Reverb, or any other affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees from readers by click-through advertising and linking to the aforementioned or any other companies. Zystrix does not allow companies like Doubleclick, Clickbank, Zedo, Linkbucks, Hubspot or any other related clandestine personal privacy internet problems to occupy space or have any presence on or in the Zystrix website. Zystrix does not and has never used Google Analytics, therefore this site is not required to have those annoying cookie agreement popups. Zystrix has no links associated with the sale or offer of any products, and we do not allow this. Unlike so many other websites similar to this one, this Zystrix privacy policy keeps our reviews dead honest, cuts out any unnecessary middle man, and keeps this website free from cookies and the influences of Google and the many other unethical purveyors of your digital exhaust and personal information. Open source, private, and honest. It’s our mantra.