Shreddie Riffs
This article covers some really simple, but great sounding shred riffs. They work by alternating a melody line against a repeating bassnote. This gives a punchy tight metal sound when combined with some palm muting.
This example is taken from the intro to Trivium’s "Like Light to the Flies". The tuning is Dropped D (low to high DADGBE). Be sure to use palm muting on the repeat note (open 6th / E string) to give a tight feel. The first bar is played by both guitars. The 2nd and 3rd bars are a harmony part.
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Gtrs 1 + 2
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |-10-----8-----7-----5-----7---8--10-----8-----7----12----10---8----|
D |----0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0---0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0---0--|
Gtr 1
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------------------------------8~~~~~~~~~~~~~~10~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
A |-10-----8-----7-----5-----7---8---8~~~~~~~~~~~~~~10~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
D |----0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0---0-8~~~~~~~~~~~~~~10~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
Gtr 2
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |---------------------------------10~~~~-9~~~~-7~~14~~~~12~~~~10~~--|
D |----------------------------------x-----x-----x---x-----x-----x----|
A |-10-----8-----7-----5-----7---8---8~~~~-7~~~~-5~~12~~~~10~~~~-8~~--|
D |----0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0---0----------------------------------|
There are some variations that you can apply to the basic pattern. Take "Leather Rebel" by Judas Priest. This example uses tremolo picking (very fast alternate picking) instead of a single note. The same pedal tone is used - in this case the intro uses a trem picked A note (7th fret on the D string) and a trem picked E note (7th fret on the A string) for the main riff.
This is quite a fast riff even played as single notes so work up to the speed. Start by playing it as single notes and getting a feel for what fingers to use when you play out the accompanying notes. When that feels comfortable, then add the trem picking in. Again - as it’s a fast riff, the picking is only perhaps 4 or 5 times for the pedal tone note (7th fret) and maybe just 2 or 3 times for the accompanying notes. Have a careful listen to the clip and give it a go - but don’t worry about getting it exact - just concentrate on playing it cleanly and accurately.
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E |----------------------------------------------------------|
B |----------------------------------------------------------|
G |-----------------7=--------------------------7=-----------|
D |-\7===9=7==10=7==--7==9=7=10=7====9=7==10=7==--7==10=9=7/-|
A |----------------------------------------------------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |----9=---7=-----------------9=---7=-----------------9=---7=--------------|
A |-7==--7==--7==10=7==9-7~-7==--7==--7==10=7==9-5~-7==--7==--7==10=7==9-7~-|
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
This example is my own take on the style. Again using a pedal tone, but this shape is played in 3 positions on the neck. It’s quite simple and has no turnaround to return from the end of the riff back up to the start to repeat. That’s something for you to work on. The riff is played slowly through first time, then up to speed.
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E |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |-------7-----9-----10-----9-----7-------5-----7-----8-----7-----5--|
A |-\-7-7---7-7---7-7----7-7---7-7-7---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5-5--|
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |-------3-----5-----6-----5------3----------------------------------|
A |---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3----3-3-3----------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
The last point to make - if you want to really make the riff come alive, give a slight pinch harmonic on the accompanied notes and that will make them scream out a bit.
To go a bit further - listen to "Technical Difficulties" by Racer X. Paul Gilbert tears apart the fretboard with a similar type of riff, again in different positions but with just 2 alternate notes played over the top. This is very fast indeed and requires some strict alternate picking. Forget the little fills between the riffs to start with.
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E |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
B |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
G |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
D |--5-----4-----5-----4-----4-5------|--5-----4-----5-----4~---------------|
A |----3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3-----3-3--|----3-3---3-3---3-3-----------7-9-10-|
E |-----------------------------------|-----------------------7-8-10--------|
E |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
B |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
G |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
D |-10-----9-----10-----9-----7-9-----|-10-----9-----10-----9~--------------|
A |----7-7---7-7----7-7---7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7----7-7----------3-5-7--|
E |-----------------------------------|------------------------3-5-7--------|
E |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
B |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
G |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
D |--5-----4-----5-----4-----4-5------|--5-----4-----5-----4~---------------|
A |----3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3-----3-3--|----3-3---3-3---3-3-----------7-9-10-|
E |-----------------------------------|-----------------------7-8-10--------|
E |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
B |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
G |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
D |-10-----9-----10-----9-----7-9-----|-10-----9-----10-----9~----------10-12-14--|
A |----7-7---7-7----7-7---7-7-----7-7-|----7-7---7-7----7-7----10-12-14-----------|
E |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
Second guitar breaks off and plays a harmonised riff. Guitar 1 continues as below
E |----------------------------------------------------|
B |----------------------------------------------------|
G |-12-------11----------12-------11-------11-12-------|
D |----10-10-------10-10----10-10----10-10-------10-10-|
A |----------------------------------------------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------|
E |--------------------------------------------------|
B |--------------------------------------------------|
G |-12-------11-------12-------11~-------------------|
D |----10-10----10-10----10-10--------------14-15-17-|
A |--------------------------------14-15-17----------|
E |--------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------------------------|
G |-17-------16-------17-------16-------16-17-------|
D |----14-14----14-14----14-14----14-14-------14-14-|
A |-------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------14^12^10-----------|
B |--------------------------------------------|
G |-17-----16-----17-----16~---------14^12^11--|
D |---14-14--14-14--14-14----------------------|
A |--------------------------------------------|
E |--------------------------------------------|
E |--------------------------17^14^11---------------|
B |-------------------------------------------------|
G |-12-----11-----12-----11~----------17^14^11------|
D |----9-9----9-9----9-9----------------------------|
A |-------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------|
E |----------------------------------15-17-19--|
B |-------------------------15-17-19-----------|
G |-17-----16-----17-----16~-------------------|
D |---13-13--13-13--13-13----------------------|
A |--------------------------------------------|
E |--------------------------------------------|
E |-20-19-17----------------------------------------------------------------|
B |----------20-19-17-20-19-17----------------------------------------------|
G |----------------------------19-17-16-19-17-16----------------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------19-17-16-19-17-16----------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------19-17-15-|
E |-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----------------------------------------------------|
B |-----------------------------------------------------|
G |-----------------------------------------A.H.--------|
D |-----------------------------------------14~~-\------|
A |-19-17-15----------------------14-15-17--------------|
E |----------19-17-15----14-15-17-------------------x\--|
Have fun, and drop by the forums or leave a comment if you want any help or if you want to share your versions of the riffs.
Written by Alex on Monday 17th July 2006 at 12:50pm and posted in Lessons, Techniques
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