Study Guide for

Metal Riffology - Volume III

Example #96- E Phrygian

This diagram shows the three positions from Example 96.

Example #97

Notice that building a power chord on the 5th degree of the Phrygian mode creates an “accidental”, or altered
note- in this case, the F# in the bass (bottom). Even if you cannot yet read standard notation, you can look
at the music for this example and see the sharp signs in the seventh bar, indication the alteration.

Music theory is very useful in writing and analyzing music, but you are always free to bend or break the
“rules”!
Example #98- E Phrygian Dominant

Raising the third degree of Phrygian back to a natural 3 gives us Phrygian Dominant:

Example #99- A Harmonic Minor- E Phrygian Dominant

Here are the same notes with two different tonal reference points, or roots:
Example #100-

This example is in 12/8 time, but you don't need to count to twelve! It's really just a simple way of writing
the triplet feel. There is an underlying pulse of four beats per measure, with each beat subdivided into three.

Also, notice that in the ninth bar of this example the tonality shifts to A natural minor.

Example #101-

There is an accidental (altered note) in addition to the G# in this example. By playing a root/five dyad based
on the G#, we get a D#, which is outside of the mode. Once again we “break the rules” and it sounds fine!

Example #102- A Hungarian Minor

This is a variation on harmonic minor. The fourth degree is raised to a #4.

The fifth degree has a relatively strong need to resolve to the root. The notes that are one half step above
and below the 5 (the #4 and b6) want to resolve to the 5. As a result, there is a lot of tension in this scale!
Example #104- E Half/Whole Diminished

For simplicity, here are the notes shown on only one string. Note the symmetry of this scale; the same notes
are contained in the G, Bb and C# half/whole scales:

If we begin with the whole step and alternate with half steps, we get this scale:

E Whole/Half Diminished
Example #106- Diminished Seventh Arpeggio

This arpeggio has the symmetry of the diminished scale from which it is derived. Any of these notes could
function as the root. The scale degrees are shown in relation to the key of E (in red). The first diagram
emphasizes the symmetry by showing only two notes of the arpeggio on each string.

Here are the same notes, with the root as F. This gives us R-b3-b5-bb7:
This more complex diagram shows all of these notes from the nut to the twelfth fret. Once again our point of
reference is E:

Example #108-

This diagram shows the Eb 5 dyad in relation to the E5:

Example #111-

Some players will perform this riff by using the thumb over the top of the neck on the low E string. See what
works best for you! The rhythmic displacement is circled in red:

Example #113-

Playing a set of three notes with a rhythmic grouping of four creates an interesting “shifting” effect. The first
note in each group of three is shown circled in red. Notice that the pattern goes for three full bars before the
first (circled) note lands on the first downbeat once again!
We hope that you enjoy these lessons and find some ideas that help you to learn and write some great riffs!

Sarah Spisak
Metal Method Productions
Copyright 2014