Every musician, after learning to play the most popular three chords, comes to the so-called specialization. Someone from acoustics goes to the classical guitar, someone stays with it, and someone needs something harder. From those who have a soul for heavy music, the first thing they do is buy an electric guitar and begin to learn to play metal on it.
Guitar selection
Without an electric guitar, it's hard to get a more or less heavy sound at all. Therefore, her choice should be approached responsibly. Pay attention to the price first. Cheap guitars can sound bad, tune poorly and, instead of pleasantly spent hours, give the aspiring musician and his neighbors minutes of pain. Or even to nullify all the desire to learn to play the guitar metal.
For example, there are good and not so expensive guitars from the instrument makers Epiphone (from Gipson) and Squier (from Fender). If the budget is not limited, then you can take original guitars. This cannot be said for everyone, but these manufacturers have been keeping the brand for more than fifty years. You can also consider options from firms: B. C. Rich, Dean, ESP, Jackson and Ibanez.
Pay special attention to the guitar pickup - it depends on what sound you get at the output. There are active and passive pickups that have a dramatic effect on the sound. The former, for example, are traditionally used for metal, and the latter for rock. But if you already have a guitar and it has the “wrong” pickup, then it's okay. On any of the types, you can play heavy or not very music.
Amplifier selection
The second thing before learning to play metal guitar from the beginner's books is, of course, to buy an amp. Without a sound amplifier, you are unlikely to be able to extract anything remotely similar to music from your instrument. Electric and bass guitars work on the principle of a transmitter. The movement of the pick along the strings produces an electrical impulse that is transmitted to the amplifier and converted into sound. In other words, the amp is the mouth for your instrument. He sings to them.
Choose an amp a little less finicky than a guitar. Give preference to trusted companies, but see budget models from 10 to 30 watts. When you start to confidently understand and not get confused in terms, then change to one that suits your goals. And in order to learn, even the simplest is enough. For the entry level, products from manufacturers are suitable: Line 6, Fender, Epiphone. More professional models can be found at the same Fender, Marshall, Vox.
Consumables selection
The third thing you need to do to play metal guitar is to get picks. Better a lot. For electric guitars, thick strings are used, on which, firstly, it is difficult to play with not trained fingers, and, secondly, they will corny leave calluses on the hands. So the pick is a friend of the future metalhead. And a lot of them are required because you will constantly lose them. This has nothing to do with the level of playing, even the most famous guitarists in the world constantly leave their picks somewhere. So it's always good to have a spare. Buy them from different manufacturers first. When you find the perfect ones, stick with them.
It's the same with strings. At first, buy them from different manufacturers and look for the perfect ones. Remember that on bass, for example, there are only four strings and you shouldn't buy six for the sake of economy. It won't be there. There will be a bad sounding instrument. Don't skimp on strings, the quality of the sound depends on your guitar's sound. It does not necessarily go straight to expensive models, try relatively budget ones, among them there are also not bad sounding. In order to play metal on the guitar, only steel strings are suitable. Nylon just can't handle heavy music. It is intended for the classical guitar and will only open on it.
Pay attention to the winding. In particular, on its material and shape. They have an effect on sound. Ask the store to try playing the different strings that are stretched over the display models of the guitars. Or ask for advice on choosing consumables from musicians you know.
The secret of real rock
But the main secret for beginners in playing metal guitar is that it basically depends on the amount of gadgets on the pedalboard. Various sound effects allow you to achieve interesting solutions in music and get real hard rock. For example, the main savior for musicians who have chosen the Metallica path is overdrive pedals. They allow you to make the sound really heavy, give out real rock. And the combination of different pedals will make your music personal. Or it will make it sound just like famous music groups.
Either way, don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. Each of the great musicians did their own thing and achieved success. You might be the next Jimi Hendrix or Lemmy.
