Share your technical death metal techniques!

Beast · #1 07-22-2007, 10:32 PM

I noticed that there aren't many speed playing articles on here, and I know that isn't what most of you want to do, but it does come in handy sometimes.

Onto the topic. What do YOU use for Technical Death metal? Behemoth, Nile, Cannibal Corpse, Blood Red Throne

I personally use a 4 finger technique for all very fast parts, I-M-R-P where I strike towards me, then away from me to get double the speed.

I also found that a VERY strong pinky is quite useful for this kind of music. So the finger per fret rule really comes in handy here

For sweeping I'll use a one finger per string technique, including thumb. Usually works out better for me than just raking them all with thumb/index.

Share your ideas!

Beast

MaskedJackal · #2 07-22-2007, 11:30 PM

Man, I'm hesitant to work my right-hand pinky up to strength...my cousin, who was a professional-level bassist for a while, REALLY messed his right hand up after Billy Sheehan showed him how he played with all four fingers.

I'm trying to change gears in regards to what fingers I use for fast 16th-note stuff.. I use to do like Steve Digiorgio often does, which is 3212 3212 3212 3212 etc but I just can't keep it consistent because the middle finger is working twice as hard. Instead I'm trying out the Myung/Sheehan/Webster style, which is 3213 2132 1321 3213 etc.

I can't really sweep.

I rake a bunch though.

I can do some tapping, but nothing ridiculous....for example, I've mastered the tapping interlude to Atheist's "Mother Man." That's it. I like a lot of technical bassists, but some of my favorite players in the metal genre are Tony Choy, Roger Patterson, Steve Harris, Ron Royce, and Martin Mendez- players who can carve their own little niche and make themselves sound good without going overboard.

Also, I'm not in a band and not by any means only into playing tech-death metal, much less metal in general. Sayin'.

Sarbecue Boss · #3 07-23-2007, 01:08 AM

A lot of picking, a lot of chordal 2 handed tapping, and other than that, I just spend time keeping my plucking chops up

ba55i5t · #4 07-23-2007, 02:12 AM

I use standard walking technique ( Index + Middle ) and I also use floating thumb technique. I use a combination of those and hammer ons and pull offs for my sweeping patterns. I use diminished scale to death. :P And finally, I also use locrian scale. I constructed a new stretch today with minor thirds too.

G----------7 8
D------6-9----
A--5-8--------
E-------------

G---------m r
D-----m-p---
A--i-r--------
E------------

It works out the entire hand, and is from the diminished scale. Other than that, speed practicing with a metronome doing 16ths at w/e bpm.

ThunderSix66 · #5 07-23-2007, 02:32 AM

I use 3 finger technique always when playing technical metal. For 16ths, 3213 2132 1321.... took a looong time for me to develop the timing for this but it works great, can keep up with all guitarists I play with. Sometimes I'll throw a fitting slap lick in but usually only a measure or 2, these aren't meant to be funky, the emphasis of a good pop and pull off with a heavy slap can fit well with metal riffs.
I do a lot of 2 handed tapping too, remember its not just for solos!
Need to practice sweeping more, I've been trying one finger per fret with thumb too, seems easier than raking down with thumb.
metronome!

diechris · #6 07-23-2007, 04:41 AM

on lunch break.... just jumping on so i remember to post a reply later...

Sarbecue Boss · #7 07-23-2007, 09:41 AM

This is my kind of thread
Here is a new excersise I started recently, it focuses on right hand rythm and coordination. Basically I play arpeggios, and mix up the time sig.
I start by playing quarter notes
---------------4-------------
-------2---5-------5--2------
---3----------------------3--
-----------------------------
Then I play sixteenths
-----------------44----------------
--------22--55-------55--22-------
---33-------------------------33--
-----------------------------------
Then I play triplets
---------------444----------------
------222-555-----555-222--------
--333----------------------333----
-----------------------------------
I don't know how to say this, other than playing it in five
----------------------44444--------------------
---------22222-55555------55555-22222-------
--33333--------------------------------33333--
-----------------------------------------------
and then I mix 3 and five up
------------------44444----------------
--------22222-555------555-22222------
----333---------------------------333--
----------------------------------------

This is a really good mental excersise for me, Im constantly trying to make odd time sigs feel very natural

Captain Chaos · #8 07-23-2007, 10:09 AM

I'm not into death metal but I have had a hard time playing at really fast paced music.

Cristo · #9 07-23-2007, 12:42 PM

A useless post,

but I have to say that the thread title would probably be terrifying to non-bassists...

I guess that thought would please technical death metalers (metallurgists?)

Beast · #10 07-23-2007, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cristo

A useless post,

but I have to say that the thread title would probably be terrifying to non-bassists...

I guess that thought would please technical death metalers (metallurgists?)

I'm a tad slow today...

I don't get it haha

eedre · #11 07-23-2007, 02:51 PM

I'd love to learn how to sweep. From the time I started, my teacher taught me to build up speed with two fingers... as a result I can keep 16ths fairly easily.

Beast · #12 07-23-2007, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eedre

I'd love to learn how to sweep. From the time I started, my teacher taught me to build up speed with two fingers... as a result I can keep 16ths fairly easily.

Well, I've been thinking of making a youtube video with instructions on sweeping. So if anybody else wants a good walkthrough on sweeping, just give me a week to film it.

MaskedJackal · #13 07-23-2007, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beast

Well, I've been thinking of making a youtube video with instructions on sweeping. So if anybody else wants a good walkthrough on sweeping, just give me a week to film it.

Yes, please. With narration too! There's some great bass vids of Erlend Caspersen (TB member and bassist of Blood Red Throne), but he doesn't offer any instruction per se....just a spectacular demonstration.

Erlend · #14 07-24-2007, 02:13 PM

I don`t give away stuff note for note, just how it`s technically worked out. As regarding to sweeping I use all four fingers to get the right attack. Never really liked the Adamin Nitti way. Sounds to soft. several examples here: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bajskung&p=r

Ayliffe · #15 07-24-2007, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beast

Behemoth, Nile, Cannibal Corpse, Blood Red Throne

none ov the above are techy death.... give Capharnaum and Necrophagist a listen.

and to answer your question, i never use my 3rd or fourth finger to play any ov the above (including the bands you stated) just middle and pointer on my plucking hand, and to sweep i use my thumb.

and YES a VERY VERY strong pinky is essential to play techy death.. and a big fvckin hand.

crice31721 · #16 07-24-2007, 02:44 PM

Subscribed

eedre · #17 07-24-2007, 02:52 PM

I'm also unable to use my ring finger to pluck with any dexterity (jammed it irreparably) - I can play triplets with three fingers but can't keep a steady tempo with them. Never really had to use three to keep up though - then again, St. Louis isn't exactly the death metal capital of the world.

MaskedJackal · #18 07-24-2007, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ayliffe

none ov the above are techy death.... give Capharnaum and Necrophagist a listen.

and to answer your question, i never use my 3rd or fourth finger to play any ov the above (including the bands you stated) just middle and pointer on my plucking hand, and to sweep i use my thumb.

and YES a VERY VERY strong pinky is essential to play techy death.. and a big fvckin hand.

Nile's not technical?

eedre · #19 07-24-2007, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaskedJackal

Nile's not technical?

Oh here we go with the genre defining

distrot · #20 07-24-2007, 03:15 PM

I play tech grind but I consider Black and death metal players my bros, anyway...

My fast playing is split between a three finger right hand technique and a two finger back and forth technique. I use the three finger for triplets, starting R-M-I on a loop it gives me a really great galloping feel.

My two finger technique is for really fast stuff, I strike with M-I and then on my upstroke i hit the string with the top or my finger I-M

I don't sweep but i like shred type tapping so if anyone has advice on this that would be awsome