Metal soloīs part 1.

Written by Morten Gjermundsen(trollstjerne@yahoo.no)

Hello rockers and thanks for stoping by here.Not having written any lessons for over two week i felt it was about time that i started up again.And why not start up with a metal lesson?In this lesson we will use the Phrygian mode and the phrygian dominant scale to create killer solos!!I have written some simple but powerful midi backing tracks for you to solo over so you donīt have to play them all alone.However when you are practicing leadguitar solos i recommend you get yourself some jam cdīs or maybe a drum machine with bass so you can get the most out of your practicing.I know my solos really improved when i bought myself a drum machine,so save up some money and buy one too.Im pretty sure it will be worth every penny,cent or whatever the money in your country is called.

The backing tracks in midi.Click here for the first backing track.Click here for the second one.The rhythm guitar part for the second backing track can be found at the bottom of this page.

Why the phrygian/phrygian dominant?Because i think they are killers!!Thereīs alot of great metal bands and many of these great rockers songīs are in the phrygian mode/phrygian dominant scale.Bands such as Metallica,Megadeth and Testament use it alot.My favourite guitar player Ritchie Blackmore use it in Rainbow classics like Stargazer,Gates of babylon and difficult to cure.If you donīt have these songs by Rainbow run down to the music store and buy them right away.Later i will write more metal lessons but for now letīs get going with the phrygian.

E phrygian.

The sound of the phrygian mode is dark and heavy.Itīs allso called the flamenco mode by some people because of itīs "spanish" flavor.Here is the E phrygian.Click on the link to the left to hear the E phrygian in midi version.

                          
                                                                            
|----------------------------------|--------------------------12--13--|--15--|
|----------------------------------|--------------12--13--15----------|------|
|----------------------------------|------12--14----------------------|------|
|--------------------------12--14--|--15------------------------------|------|
|--------------12--14--15----------|----------------------------------|------|
|--12--13--15----------------------|----------------------------------|------|
The E phrygian in 5 different positions.

For some reason the tablature did not turn up the way i wanted it to. So to be sure you know where each position start i will write it here.The first position start right away.The second one in A(fifth fret).The third one in B(seventh fret).
The fourth in D(10th fret).And the fifth position on the E(12th fret).

|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|-----------------3--5--6--|
|--------------------------|--------2--4--5-----------|
|-----------------------2--|--3--5--------------------|
|--------------2--3--5-----|--------------------------|
|--0--1--3--5--------------|--------------------------|


                                                     
--3--5-------------------|--------------------------|
-------------------------|--------------------5--6--|
-------------------------|-----------4--5--7--------|
-------------------------|-----5--7-----------------|
-------------------5--7--|--8-----------------------|
----------5--7--8--------|--------------------------|


                                                        
-----5--7--8--------------|----------------------------|
--8-----------------------|----------------------------|
--------------------------|----------------------7--9--|
--------------------------|------------7--9--10--------|
--------------------------|--7--8--10------------------|
----------------7--8--10--|----------------------------|


                                                               
-------------7--8--10--------|--------------------------------|
------8--10------------------|--------------------------------|
--10-------------------------|-----------------------------9--|
-----------------------------|------------------9--10--12-----|
-----------------------------|----------10--12----------------|
-------------------------10--|--12--13------------------------|


                                                                    
----------------------10--12--13--|--------------------------------|
----------10--12--13--------------|--------------------------------|
--10--12--------------------------|--------------------------------|
----------------------------------|----------------------------12--|
----------------------------------|----------------12--14--15------|
----------------------------------|----12--13--15------------------|


                                               
------------------------------12--|--13--15--|
------------------12--13--15------|----------|
----------12--14------------------|----------|
--14--15--------------------------|----------|
----------------------------------|----------|
----------------------------------|----------|
Memorize these 5 position and then try to learn them in other keys.When you have learnt the E phrygian in these five postitions create variations.Trow in some bends,hammer onīs,pull offīs and skip strings.Hereīs a few examples. 
              
                                                                      
|--12-13-12----12-13-15-13-12----------12-13-12--|
|-----------15----------------15-13-15-----------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
Listen 
                                          
|--------------3---------------|
|--5-6-5---5-6---6-5-3-1-3-5---|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
Listen 
                                                 
|--12----------12-13-12----12-13-12----12----|
|-----15-13-12----------15----------15-------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
Now lets move on to the E phrygian dominant.

This is my favourite.Listen to the dramatic and exotic sound.
                                                                                 
|----------------------------------|--------------------------12--13--|--16--|
|----------------------------------|--------------12--13--15----------|------|
|----------------------------------|------13--14----------------------|------|
|--------------------------12--14--|--15------------------------------|------|
|----------11--12--14--15----------|----------------------------------|------|
|--12--13--------------------------|----------------------------------|------|

The E phrygian dominant 5 positions. 
                                                      
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|-----------------3--5--6--|
|--------------------------|--------2--4--5-----------|
|-----------------------2--|--3--6--------------------|
|--------------2--3--5-----|--------------------------|
|--0--1--4--5--------------|--------------------------|


                                                     
--4--5-------------------|--------------------------|
-------------------------|--------------------5--6--|
-------------------------|-----------4--5--7--------|
-------------------------|-----6--7-----------------|
-------------------5--7--|--8-----------------------|
----------5--7--8--------|--------------------------|


                                                       
-----5--7--8--------------|---------------------------|
--9-----------------------|---------------------------|
--------------------------|---------------------7--9--|
--------------------------|--------6--7--9--10--------|
--------------------------|--7--8---------------------|
----------------7--8--10--|---------------------------|


                                                               
-------------7--8--10--------|--------------------------------|
------9--10------------------|--------------------------------|
--10-------------------------|-----------------------------9--|
-----------------------------|------------------9--10--12-----|
-----------------------------|----------11--12----------------|
-------------------------10--|--12--13------------------------|


                                                                   
---------------------10--12--13--|--------------------------------|
------9--10--12--13--------------|--------------------------------|
--10-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
---------------------------------|----------------------------12--|
---------------------------------|----------------12--14--15------|
---------------------------------|----12--13--16------------------|


                                               
------------------------------12--|--13--16--|
------------------12--13--15------|----------|
----------13--14------------------|----------|
--14--15--------------------------|----------|
----------------------------------|----------|
----------------------------------|----------|
Create variations of this scale too.

Listen. 
                                        
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|----------13--14--13------------|
|--14--15--------------15--14----|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
And then play them over the midi backing tracks.

Here is the guitarpart for the second backing track Phrygian metal 
                                                                   
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|------------------------6---7--|------------------------7---6--|
|------7-----8-----7------------|------7-----8-----7------------|
|--0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0--------|--0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0--------|


                                                                   
-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
------------------------6---7--|--9-7-6---------9-7-6---9---------|
------7-----8-----7------------|--------8-7-----------8---------7-|
--0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0--------|------------0-0-----------0-0-0---|


                               3x                     
-------------------------------||-------------------||
-------------------------------||-------------------||
------------------------------*||-------------------||
------------------------------*||--2----------------||
--8-----7-8-----8-7------------||--2----------------||
----0-0-----0-0-----0-0-0------||--0----------------||
Now i have showed you the E phrygian and the phrygian dominant with a few variations,so now itīs up to you to practice them and use them in your soloing.For those who didnīt know E phrygian use the same notes as the C major scale so if you want go to the modes and learn the modes of C major too.

Home.