Thrash Metal Guitar
Thrash metal is speed, aggression and precision. Born in the early 80s, it combined the intensity of hardcore punk with the technical ambition of heavy metal. The "Big Four" set the standard, and on GuitarZone, Metallica and Megadeth lead the charge.
If you want to push your downpicking speed, learn complex riff structures and develop stamina in your picking hand, thrash is the ultimate training ground.
Megadeth 17
- 1 Angry Again LESSON 1992
- 2 Good Mourning / Black Friday TAB 1986
- 3 Hangar 18 TAB 1990
- 4 Holy Wars LESSON 1989
- 5 Holy Wars - Chords/Rhythms LESSON 1990
- 6 Holy Wars - Chords/Rhythms Part 2 LESSON 1990
- 7 Holy Wars... The Punishment Due TAB 1990
- 8 In My Darkest Hour LESSON 1988
- 9 Killing Is My Business TAB 1985
- 10 Lucretia TAB 1990
- 11 Mary Jane TAB 1988
- 12 Peace Sells TAB 1986
- 13 Skin o' My Teeth TAB 1992
- 14 Sweating Bullets TAB 1992
- 15 Symphony of Destruction TAB 1992
- 16 The Conjuring TAB 1986
- 17 Tornado of Souls TAB 1990
Metallica 58
- 1 ...And Justice For TAB 1988
- 2 ...And Justice for All TAB 1988
- 3 Am I Evil? LESSON 1983
- 4 Battery LESSON 1986
- 5 Blackened TAB 1988
- 6 Blackened 2020 LESSON 2020
- 7 Creeping Death TAB 1984
- 8 CYANIDE TAB 2008
- 9 Damage, Inc. LESSON 1986
- 10 Disposable Heroes LESSON 1986
- 11 Dual Lead Guitars Fight Fire With Fire TAB 1983
- 12 Dyers Eve LESSON 1986
- 13 Enter Sandman - Solo LESSON 1991
- 14 Enter Sandman Pt.1 - Intro & Main Riff LESSON 1991
- 15 Enter Sandman Pt.2 - Verse, PreChorus & Chorus LESSON 1991
- 16 Enter Sandman Pt.3 - Solo LESSON 1991
- 17 Escape TAB 1984
- 18 Eye Of The Beholder TAB 1988
- 19 Fade To Black TAB 1984
- 20 Fight Fire With Fire LESSON 1984
- 21 For Whom The Bell Tolls TAB 1984
- 22 Hardwired LESSON 2016
- 23 Harvester Of Sorrow TAB 1988
- 24 High Plains Drifter TAB 1987
- 25 Hit The Lights LESSON 1983
- 26 Holier Than Thou TAB 1991
- 27 Jump In The Fire TAB 1983
- 28 Justice Medley TAB 1994
- 29 Kirk Guitar Solo TAB 1993
- 30 Last Caress TAB 1985
- 31 Leper Messiah LESSON 1986
- 32 Maiden And The Monster TAB 2023
- 33 Master Of Puppets TAB 1986
- 34 Metal Militia TAB 1983
- 35 Moth Into Flame TAB 2016
- 36 Motorbreath TAB 1983
- 37 No Remorse TAB 1983
- 38 One TAB 1988
- 39 Orion TAB 1986
- 40 Phantom Lord TAB 1983
- 41 Ride The Lightning TAB 1984
- 42 Riffs The Four Horsemen TAB 1983
- 43 Seek And Destroy TAB 1983
- 44 Spit Out The Bone LESSON 2016
- 45 Spit Out The Bone Guitar Solo LESSON 2016
- 46 The Call Of Ktulu TAB 1984
- 47 The Day That Never Comes TAB 2008
- 48 The Four Horsemen TAB 1983
- 49 The Frayed Ends of Sanity TAB 1989
- 50 The Shortest Straw TAB 1988
- 51 Through The Never TAB 2013
- 52 Through the Never - Main Riffs LESSON 2013
- 53 To Live Is To Die TAB 1986
- 54 Trapped Under Ice TAB 1984
- 55 Welcome Home TAB 2008
- 56 Welcome Home (Intro & Rhythm) LESSON 1991
- 57 Welcome Home (Sanitarium) TAB 1986
- 58 Whiplash TAB 1983
Slayer 6
Thrash Metal Guitar Technique
Thrash guitar revolves around fast downpicking, tight palm muting and rapid-fire riff changes. James Hetfield's right hand is legendary: songs like Master of Puppets require relentless downstrokes at 200+ BPM for minutes at a time. Dave Mustaine brought a more technical, almost jazz-influenced approach to Megadeth's riffs.
Most thrash sits in E Standard or Eb Standard. The tone is tight and scooped: lots of midrange cut, heavy distortion, and precise muting. A noise gate is almost essential for clean stops between riffs.
Build your thrash chops gradually. Start with Enter Sandman for a manageable tempo. Move to Holy Wars for complex rhythm work. Master of Puppets is the endurance test that separates intermediate from advanced.
Explore the parent genre Heavy Metal or see what thrash sounded like in the 80s.