Death Metal Guitar
Death metal guitar pushes speed, precision and brutality to the limit. Rapid tremolo picking, complex time signatures, chromatic riffing and guttural low tunings define the sound. The technique required is among the most demanding in any guitar genre.
If you want to build raw speed, endurance and tight alternate picking at extreme tempos, death metal riffs are the training ground.
Songs to Start With
At The Gates 1
Day Of Suffering 1
Into The Dead Sky 1
Death Metal Guitar Technique
The picking hand works harder than in any other genre. Continuous alternate picking at 180+ BPM, sweep-picked arpeggios and blast beat synchronization are standard requirements. Tunings sit at Drop C, Drop B or lower. The tone is heavily distorted with scooped mids and tight low end.
Start with the At the Gates material for melodic death metal, which combines extreme technique with memorable riff writing. See also Thrash Metal and Black Metal.