Slayer - Raining Blood - Guitar Lesson

About Raining Blood

Few songs in Thrash Metal have demanded as much from a rhythm guitarist as "Raining Blood." The opening section alone, with its slow, dissonant tremolo-picked chords creeping in over artificial rain, sets a tone that requires real control of pick attack and muting before the tempo even kicks in. When the main riff hits, you are dealing with 217 BPM in Eb Standard tuning, which means your picking hand needs to stay absolutely locked in while your fretting hand navigates the angular, chromatic phrases that Slayer built around E minor. The chord shapes are not complex on paper, but at full speed they punish any sloppiness in synchronisation between both hands. The breakdown riff that arrives before the final storm is a particular challenge: a lurching, syncopated figure that sits awkwardly until it suddenly clicks. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop that section slowed down until the rhythm feels natural, then gradually push the tempo back up.

• The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, dropping all strings a half-step, which slightly loosens string tension and affects the overall feel of the picking attack.
• At 217 BPM, the main riff relies on alternate picking stamina, and clean string separation at full speed is the primary technical challenge for most players.
• The opening section uses slow, dissonant tremolo-picked chords, making pick-angle consistency and controlled muting just as important as raw speed in this song.