I often am asked by my students to show them a metal guitar scale. Well first I like to ask them to bring me a recording of one of their favorite metal bands. This helps me to decide which metal guitar scale they are accustomed to hearing in the music they love to listen to. With the many different genre's of metal available today it is impossible to pin-point a specific 'metal guitar scale'. This article aims to show the different scales used in metal music and how some work better with different kinds of metal.
Metal Guitar Scale #1
The first and grandfather of all rock and metal scales is the pentatonic. It is often times mixed with the blues scale also. If your preference is more rock based metal and older bands like Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and even newer bands like Black Label Society the pentatonic scale is your scale of choice. This does not mean that these bands play the pentatonic scale exclusively, but they do use it heavily in their riffs and solos.
Metal Guitar Scale #2
The second scale I hear a lot in metal is the natural minor scale. It can blended with the pentatonic, but when used exclusively has a much more symphonic sound and feel. It can be found in many forms of metal ranging from 80's hair bands to speed metal bands like Slayer and Metallica. It is also popular in death metal and is probably the one scale that transcends into all genre's of metal well. Also popular is the harmonic minor scale which is basically a natural minor scale with a raised seventh.
Metal Guitar Scale #3
Another great scale metal players love is the Phrygian scale. It has a very distinct almost spanish style flavor and is found in many of heavy metal's clean guitar passages.
Metal Guitar Scale #4
The last scale that is commonly found in metal music is the Locrian scale. This scale is a favorite because of it's flatted second and fifth intervals which give it a very dark evil sound. Metal bands who use this scale are usually not your basic rock based metal bands and are usually more dark and mysterious sounding. Try listening to more death metal and black metal bands to hear this scale.
These are the four main scales you will frequently find in heavy metal. I could not say with any certainty which is a metal guitar scale because they all work well in different situations and can be used in other forms of music like jazz. My advice to you is to learn all of these scales and decide for your self which ones you like to use.
