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Quiet Riot - Metal Health - Guitar Lesson

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

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Tools

BPM
Key E minor
Quiet Riot - Metal Health guitar lesson video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Metal Health album cover
Metal Health
1983 5:17
Listen on Spotify
Quiet Riot Heavy Metal 1983 E minor
Capo Advisor 0 E minor · Original key

About Metal Health

Few riffs from the early 1980s hit as hard as the central guitar figure in "Metal Health." Built in E minor at a steady 120 BPM, the song sits in E Standard tuning, which means no retuning is needed, but the low open E string is a key part of the aggressive, driving feel. The main riff leans on power chords and palm muting, and getting the muting tight is really what separates a flat run-through from a convincing performance. The transitions between the chugging verses and the more open chorus sections are easy to rush, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop those moments slowed down until the timing feels locked in. Quiet Riot made this track the opening statement of their breakout album, and the guitar tone is biting and midrange-heavy, so a slightly overdriven amp setting will get you much closer to the source than a clean one. Heavy Metal rhythm playing at this tempo is a great stamina builder, and this song gives you a full workout in it.

  • The riff is built around E minor power chords with tight palm muting, making right-hand muting control the central technical challenge.
  • At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the song is approachable for intermediate players while still demanding consistent picking-hand precision throughout.
  • A mid-forward, overdriven guitar tone is essential to matching the feel of the recording, so dial back the bass and boost the mids on your amp.

How to Play Metal Health

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Cavazo deployed the Les Paul's thick mahogany body for fatter, more compressed rhythm tones, especially in later Quiet Riot years. The guitar's natural warmth complemented his Marshall's high-gain saturation while keeping palm-muted chugs aggressive and defined.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom provided Cavazo with an alternative to his Jackson superstrats, delivering the same compressed midrange and sustain needed for Quiet Riot's metal crunch. Its heavier construction added body to power chords while maintaining clarity through the Marshall's scooped-mid voicing.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The JCM800 was the sonic foundation of Quiet Riot, with Cavazo pushing it hard for natural tube saturation that defined '80s metal rhythm and lead tones. His gain-heavy settings achieved singing sustain on solos while preserving definition in palm-muted power chords.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Cavazo's signature Cry Baby wah added a vocal, sweeping character to his pentatonic soloing, becoming a defining element of Quiet Riot's flashy lead sound. The pedal's responsiveness enhanced his blues-based phrasing within the band's heavy metal framework.

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