Study Guide for

Metal Riffology - Volume II

Example #39- E Natural Minor

This diagram shows both positions from Example 39, plus additional locations for the 4 and b7 on the open A
and D strings (shown in blue).

Example #44- A Natural and Harmonic Minor

The b7 of the natural minor is raised to a natural 7, creating a half step below the root. This increases the
gravitation force between the two notes and, as a result, the power of tension and resolution.
Example #46

The natural 7 of the harmonic minor scale creates a major V chord.

Instead of Am-Em, we have Am-E or Am-E7. These are diagrams of the chords used in the example:
Example #47- E Harmonic Minor

In the diagram above, we see that we can play the notes 5-b6-7-R on either a single string or on adjacent
strings. Both options offer advantages and challenges. There is less stretching on the adjacent strings, but
the single string is good for sliding and shifting position.

Example #51- E Hybrid Scale

Example #55-
Inverting a perfect fifth interval gives us a perfect fourth. The notes are the same, but the sound is different
because we have changed the bass note.

Example #58-
This is a great fingering for a big open G5 chord. We have the 5/R pair on the D and G strings.
Example #59-

This riff starts in A minor. After the repeat it modulates (changes key) to E minor and descends straight
down the E blues scale shown in the diagram below. Notice that this sounds more like a riff than a scale, in
much the same way that ascending the natural minor scale in example #40 sounded like a riff because of the
rhythm and attitude!

Example #60-

Here we have the 5/R dyad from the open D5 chord:

Example #65-

These are the major and minor thirds from the open E and A chords:
Example #75-

This shows the root and major third in the key of A. Putting the 3 in the bass and the root on top inverts the
major third into a minor sixth.

Example #79- These are the sus4 shapes:

Example #82-
Here is the tritone, created by lowering the 5 to b5.

We can use this interval to play a I7-IV7-V7 blues progression. Here are the shapes for these chords in A:

These will sound best with a bass guitar playing the roots. On their own they sound somewhat ambiguous.
Example #87-

In this example we start with the R-5-R combination, then lower the upper root to the b7.

Example #88-

This is the 5-R-3 pattern from the open A major chord:

Notice that in the video I did not re-tune for this example and it sounds a little sour!
Example #90-
This is the 3-5-R shape from the open C major chord:

In Volume III we'll look at these topics:

Phrygian
Phrygian Dominant
Hungarian Minor
Diminished
Chromatic
Syncopation
Harmonized Riffs
Writing Your Own Riffs

Thanks for joining us!

Sarah Spisak
Metal Method Productions
Copyright 2014