Pantera - A New Level - Guitar Lesson

Vulgar Display of Power

1992 3:57

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About A New Level

Few riffs in early-90s heavy metal hit as hard as the opening of "A New Level." Pantera built the track around a syncopated, palm-muted low-string riff that demands tight right-hand control and precise muting technique. The groove is deceptively tricky: the accents fall in unexpected places, so your pick attack needs to be consistent or the whole thing loses its punch. Working in E minor gives the low strings a lot of natural weight, and keeping that palm mute tight against the bridge is what separates a sloppy attempt from one that actually sounds menacing. The main riff is the thing to nail first, and if the syncopation keeps throwing you off, use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until the rhythmic pattern sits in your muscle memory. Once the riff is locked in, the song's transitions between the groove sections and the more open, aggressive chord hits are where your dynamics really get tested.

• The core riff relies on heavy palm muting on the low strings, so right-hand placement at the bridge is critical for getting the correct tight, chunky tone.
• Syncopated accents throughout the main riff make it harder than it first appears, and slow repetition is the most reliable way to internalize the rhythm.
• The song is in E minor, which suits a standard-tuned guitar well, though Pantera frequently used slightly detuned variations for added heaviness.