Chapter 1: Fundamentals of Metal Guitar

Beginner metal guitar: what you need to get started

There are 4 essential techniques every metal guitarist needs to master first:

Power chords
Palm muting
Picking (downpicking + alternate)
Single-note riffs

This chapter is all about building your foundation with those techniques by playing real metal riffs, not just isolated exercises.

You’ll work through riffs that:

• Get progressively tougher
• Help you lock in your timing
• Build your confidence
• Move you toward that solid intermediate level

Once you’ve worked through the riffs, try this:

• Add or remove notes
• Change the order
• Move them up or down the fretboard

That experimentation is where your own style starts to show.

Take the next step inside the Academy

If you want to really lock in these fundamentals and keep progressing, my Metal Guitar Apprentice course inside the Jason Stallworth Guitar Academy picks up right where this chapter leaves off.

Inside the Academy, you’ll get:

• Metal Guitar Apprentice and all my other rhythm & lead courses
• Monthly riffs, solos, tabs, and backing tracks
• Clear practice paths so you always know what to work on next

💬 “I tried another course that was all campfire chords — not my thing. Jason’s lessons had me playing real metal riffs within weeks. 100% best decision I’ve made.”
— Dustan K.