Metal guitar is a widely varied style, and it would be wrong to insinuate that there is any one way of playing metal guitar or what you have to stick to any certain techniques. In fact, quite the opposite, the players who use the most varied technique and style within their metal framework are often the most interesting. That being said, there are a few key points that all metal players tend to stick to in general.
1) Write in a minor key
The vast majority of metal songs are written in a minor key and there is a very good reason for this. Quite simply, major keys often just sound too happy. Now again, that's not to say you can't write metal in a major key, it's been done and it can work, but overall, sticking to minor keys will give your songs that dark feel that most metal songs have.
2) Use pedal points
Pedal points are a favourite technique of metal players because they help push the rhythm sections along and allow for big accentuation on the chords. Listen to songs from just about any successful metal band and you'll find that they use pedal points or "chugging" or "galloping" extensively in their playing.
3) Up tempo songs tend to rule
This is far from a rule, and almost every good metal band has some down tempo songs or some ballads, but overall, faster tempos tend to lend themselves really well to the techniques a lot of metal players use, so you'll need to be able to keep your playing tight when the drummer starts to pick up the pace. Learning to synch your pick and fretting hand are crucial to succeed.
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