Heavy Metal Guitar
Heavy metal pushed distortion, speed and technique to the extreme. From the NWOBHM explosion to modern progressive metal, the genre demands precision, power and stamina. If you want to sharpen your picking, gallop rhythms and scale runs, metal is the place to do it.
GuitarZone covers the pillars: Iron Maiden, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath and more. Every tab comes with a video lesson so you can see the technique up close.
A
Artefact 1
Attack on Titan Theme 1
AVANTASIA 1
Avenged Sevenfold 4
B
Black Sabbath 9
British Lion 1
Bullet For My Valentine 1
C
Cacophony 1
D
Dance Of Death 1
Diamond Head 1
Dio 3
Dragon Ball Z Theme 1
F
Five Finger Death Punch 1
G
Game of Thrones Theme 1
H
Helloween 11
I
In A Gadda Da Vida 1
Iron Maiden 125
- 1 2 A.M. Janick Gers's TAB
- 2 2 Minutes to Midnight TAB 1984
- 3 22 Acacia Avenue COVER 1982
- 4 Aces High COVER 1984
- 5 Afraid To Shoot Strangers Dave Murray TAB 1992
- 6 Afraid To Shoot Strangers Janick Gers's TAB 1992
- 7 Alexander the Great COVER 1986
- 8 Back in the Village COVER 1984
- 9 Be Quick Or Be Dead Dave Murray's TAB 1992
- 10 Be Quick Or Be Dead Janick Gers's TAB 1992
- 11 Blood Brothers TAB 1990
- 12 Blood Brothers Dave Murray's TAB
- 13 Blood Brothers Janick Gers's TAB 1990
- 14 Brave New World Janick Gers's TAB 2000
- 15 Can I Play with Madness LESSON 1988
- 16 Caught Somewhere in Time TAB 1986
- 17 Chains Of Misery Dave Murray's TAB 1990
- 18 Charlotte the Harlot TAB 1980
- 19 Charlotte the Harlot '88 TAB 1988
- 20 Childhood's End _Full Collab_ TAB
- 21 Coming Home Dave Murray's TAB
- 22 Como Estais Amigos Janick Gers's TAB
- 23 Darkest Hour Adrian Smith's TAB
- 24 Darkest Hour Dave Murray's TAB
- 25 Days Of Future Past Adrian Smith's TAB
- 26 Death Of The Celts Adrian Smith's TAB
- 27 Death Of The Celts Janick Gers TAB
- 28 Deja-Vu COVER 1986
- 29 Die with Your Boots On TAB 1983
- 30 Drifter Adrian Smith TAB
- 31 El Dorado Dave Murray's TAB
- 32 Empire Of The Clouds TAB 2015
- 33 Empire Of The Clouds Dave Murray TAB 2015
- 34 Fates Warning Janick Gers's TAB
- 35 Fear of the Dark TAB 1992
- 36 Fear Of The Dark Dave Murray's TAB 1992
- 37 Fear Of The Dark Janick Gers's TAB 1992
- 38 Flight of Icarus COVER 1983
- 39 For the Greater Good of God TAB 2006
- 40 For The Greater Good Of God Dave Murray TAB 2006
- 41 For The Greater Good Of God Janick Gers's TAB 2006
- 42 Fortunes Of War Janick Gers's TAB 1990
- 43 From Here To Eternity Janick Gers's TAB 1992
- 44 Futureal Dave Murray TAB 1998
- 45 Genghis Khan TAB 1981
- 46 Hallowed Be Thy Name COVER 1982
- 47 Heaven Can Wait TAB 1986
- 48 Hell On Earth Dave Murray and Adrian Smith solos TAB
- 49 Holy Smoke Dave Murray's TAB 1990
- 50 Infinite Dreams TAB 1988
- 51 Innocent Exile COVER 1981
- 52 Killers COVER 1981
- 53 Lost In A Lost World Adrian Smith's TAB
- 54 Man on the Edge COVER 1995
- 55 Moonchild COVER 1988
- 56 Mother Russia TAB 1986
- 57 No More Lies _ International _ TAB 2006
- 58 Number of the Beast TAB 1982
- 59 Only the Good Die Young COVER 1988
- 60 Paschendale Dave Murray's TAB 2003
- 61 Phantom of the Opera TAB 1980
- 62 Powerslave TAB 1984
- 63 Prodigal Son COVER 1981
- 64 Prowler TAB 1980
- 65 Purgatory COVER 1981
- 66 Quest for Fire TAB 1983
- 67 Remember Tomorrow TAB 1980
- 68 Revelations TAB 1983
- 69 Rime of the Ancient Mariner TAB 1984
- 70 Run Silent Run Deep Dave Murray's TAB 1990
- 71 Run to the Hills TAB 1982
- 72 Sanctuary Dennis Stratton's TAB 1980
- 73 Sea of Madness COVER 1986
- 74 Senjutsu Adrian Smith's & Dave Murray's TAB 2021
- 75 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son COVER 1988
- 76 Sign Of The Cross TAB 1992
- 77 Speed Of Light Dave Murray's TAB
- 78 Still Life COVER 1983
- 79 Strange World TAB 1980
- 80 Stranger in a Strange Land COVER 1986
- 81 Stratego LESSON 2021
- 82 Tailgunner TAB 1990
- 83 Tears Of A Clown Dave Murray's TAB
- 84 The Book of Souls TAB 2015
- 85 The Book Of Souls Dave Murray's TAB 2015
- 86 The Book Of Souls Janick Gers TAB 2015
- 87 The Clairvoyant TAB 1988
- 88 The Clansman Dave Murray TAB 1998
- 89 The Clansman Janick Gers's TAB 1998
- 90 The Duellists COVER 1984
- 91 The Edge Of Darkness TAB
- 92 The Educated Fool Dave Murray's TAB
- 93 The Evil That Men Do TAB 1988
- 94 The Final Frontier Adrian Smith TAB 2010
- 95 The Ides of March TAB 1981
- 96 The Legacy Janick Gers TAB
- 97 The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner TAB 1986
- 98 The Longest Day Dave Murray TAB 2003
- 99 The Man Of Sorrows Dave Murray TAB
- 100 The Man Of Sorrows Dave Murray's TAB
- 101 The Mercenary TAB 2006
- 102 The Nomad Dave Murray's TAB
- 103 The Number of the Beast TAB 1982
- 104 The Parchment Dave Murray's TAB
- 105 The Prisoner COVER 1982
- 106 The Prophecy TAB 1988
- 107 The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg TAB 2006
- 108 The Thin Line Between Love And Hate TAB 2000
- 109 The Time Machine Dave Murray & Janick Gers solos TAB
- 110 The Trooper TAB 1983
- 111 The Wicker Man TAB 2000
- 112 The Writing On The Wall LESSON 2021
- 113 The Writing On The Wall Adrian Smith TAB 2015
- 114 The Writing On The Wall Dave Murray TAB 2023
- 115 To Tame a Land COVER 1983
- 116 Total Eclipse COVER 1982
- 117 Transylvania COVER 1980
- 118 Twilight Zone TAB 1981
- 119 Wasted Years TAB 1986
- 120 Wasting Love LESSON 1992
- 121 Wasting Love Janick Gers's TAB 1990
- 122 When The Wild Wind Blows TAB 2010
- 123 When The Wild Wind Blows Dave Murray's TAB 2015
- 124 When The Wild Wind Blows Janick Gers's TAB 2019
- 125 Where Eagles Dare TAB 1983
IRON MAIDEN 1
J
Judas Priest 7
M
Marty Friedman 1
Mercyful Fate 1
Metallica 62
- 1 10 Great Riffs TAB
- 2 2x4 TAB 1996
- 3 72 Seasons TAB 2023
- 4 All Within My Hands LESSON 2019
- 5 Am I Evil? LESSON 1998
- 6 Atlas, Rise! LESSON 2017
- 7 Blackened 2020 TAB 2020
- 8 Bleeding Me TAB 1996
- 9 Breadfan TAB 1988
- 10 Devil's Dance TAB 1997
- 11 Don't Tread On Me TAB 1991
- 12 Dream No More LESSON 2016
- 13 Dyers Eve LESSON 1988
- 14 Enter Sandman TAB 1991
- 15 Fade To Black 1 TAB 1991
- 16 Fixxxer TAB 1997
- 17 Fuel TAB 1997
- 18 Halo On Fire LESSON 2016
- 19 Hero Of The Day LESSON 1996
- 20 Holier Than Thou TAB 1991
- 21 I Disappear TAB 2000
- 22 If Darkness Had a Son LESSON 2023
- 23 Inamorata TAB 2023
- 24 Justice Medley TAB 1993
- 25 King Nothing TAB 1996
- 26 Kirk Guitar Solo TAB 1993
- 27 Last Caress TAB 1998
- 28 Lux Æterna TAB 2022
- 29 Minus Human TAB 1999
- 30 My Friend of Misery TAB 1991
- 31 No Leaf Clover TAB 1999
- 32 Nothing Else Matters TAB 1991
- 33 Now That We're Dead TAB 2016
- 34 Of Wolf And Man TAB 1991
- 35 Orion TAB 1986
- 36 Sad But True TAB 1991
- 37 Screaming Suicide TAB 2023
- 38 Sleepwalk My Life Away TAB 2023
- 39 Star Spangled Banner TAB 1992
- 40 The Frayed Ends of Sanity TAB 1988
- 41 The God That Failed TAB 1991
- 42 The Memory Remains TAB 1997
- 43 The Outlaw Torn TAB 1996
- 44 The Struggle Within TAB 1991
- 45 The Thing That Should Not Be TAB 1986
- 46 The Unforgiven TAB 1991
- 47 The Unforgiven Guitar Solo Lesson - Famous Solos LESSON 1991
- 48 The Unforgiven II TAB 1997
- 49 The Unforgiven III TAB 2008
- 50 Through The Never TAB 1991
- 51 To Live Is To Die TAB 1988
- 52 Too Far Gone? TAB 2023
- 53 Turn The Page TAB 1998
- 54 Until It Sleeps TAB 1996
- 55 Wasting My Hate TAB 1996
- 56 Welcome Home - First Solo LESSON 1991
- 57 Welcome Home - Main Solo LESSON 1991
- 58 Welcome Home - Outro w/Solo LESSON 1991
- 59 Welcome Home - Second Solo LESSON 1991
- 60 Wherever I May Roam TAB 1991
- 61 Whiskey In The Jar TAB 1999
- 62 You Must Burn! TAB 2023
METALLICA 4
Metallica Version 1
Motörhead 1
O
Ozzy Osbourne 29
- 1 Bark at the Moon TAB 1983
- 2 Believer LESSON 1981
- 3 Crazy Train TAB 1980
- 4 Dee TAB 1980
- 5 Diary of a Madman LESSON 1981
- 6 Diary Of A Madman Acoustic TAB 1981
- 7 Flying High Again LESSON 1981
- 8 Goodbye to Romance TAB 1980
- 9 Hellraiser TAB 1991
- 10 I Don't Know TAB 1980
- 11 I Don't Know - Famous Riffs LESSON
- 12 I Don't Know - Randy Rhoads LESSON 1980
- 13 Killer of Giants TAB 1986
- 14 Mama I'm Coming Home TAB 1991
- 15 Miracle Man TAB 1988
- 16 Mr. Crowley TAB 1980
- 17 No Bone Movies LESSON 1980
- 18 No More Tears TAB 1991
- 19 No More Tears Guitar Solo Lesson - Famous Solos LESSON 1991
- 20 Ordinary Man (w/ Slash's Solos!) TAB 2020
- 21 Ordinary Man w/ Slash's Solos! LESSON 2020
- 22 Over the Mountain TAB 1981
- 23 Revelation - Randy Rhoads LESSON 1982
- 24 Revelation (Mother Earth) TAB 1980
- 25 S.A.T.O. LESSON 1981
- 26 Shot in the Dark TAB 1986
- 27 Steal Away - Randy Rhoads LESSON 1980
- 28 Steal Away (The Night) TAB 1980
- 29 Suicide Solution LESSON 1980
P
Phantom Of The Opera 1
R
Randy Rhoads 4
Rising Force 1
S
Saxon 4
Sentenced 1
She's Gone 1
T
The Clansman 1
Tokyo Blade 1
Type O Negative 1
V
W
Welcome Home 1
Playing Heavy Metal Guitar
Metal guitar is defined by high-gain distortion, tight palm muting, fast alternate picking and complex song structures. Most classic metal sits in E Standard, but modern metal frequently uses Drop D or lower tunings. The rhythm hand matters as much as the fretting hand: the ability to palm-mute cleanly at high speeds separates good metal players from everyone else.
Black Sabbath invented the template in the early 70s. Iron Maiden added galloping rhythms and harmonized leads. Metallica brought thrash intensity. Ozzy Osbourne (with Randy Rhoads) merged classical technique with metal power. Each generation raised the bar on what was possible.
Start with the riff to Paranoid for raw power chord fundamentals. Move to The Trooper for gallop picking. When you can handle Master of Puppets at full speed, you've graduated to advanced metal territory.
Browse metal songs in Drop D, explore the Thrash Metal subgenre, or check what the 80s had to offer.