Symphonic Metal Guitar
Symphonic metal layers orchestral arrangements over heavy guitar riffs and operatic vocals. The guitar often doubles string lines or provides the rhythmic foundation beneath walls of keyboards and choir. Nightwish, Ghost and Trans-Siberian Orchestra are the key acts in this style.
For guitarists, the genre teaches you to play precisely within a dense mix and to follow composed arrangements rather than improvising.
Songs to Start With
Symphonic Metal Guitar
The tone sits in the mid-high gain range but needs clarity, since the guitar shares sonic space with keyboards and orchestral samples. Tight palm muting on the low strings and clean arpeggios on the high strings are both common within the same song. Tuning is usually E Standard or Drop D.
Square Hammer by Ghost is a perfect introduction: catchy riff, straightforward structure, and a tone that cuts through without overwhelming the arrangement. See also Heavy Metal and Progressive Metal.