A heavy metal guitar solo is a musical piece or passage, which is a part of the whole musical performance. Guitar solos as such, have been the mainstay of guitar performances for quite some years now. So, if you have been fascinated by the magnificent guitar solos of heavy metal music or any other genre, knowing few important facts about them might help you to understand them better.
Guitar solos can be performed with an acoustic or an electric guitar, but for heavy metal music, you would need to use an electric guitar. They can be performed without any accompaniments, like in case of classical or folk music, an acoustic guitar solo is usually performed without the support of any other musical instrument. They can be performed along a band, which is precisely the case in rock and metal music. They can be even performed along with a full drawn orchestra.
Although lead guitar riffs have been used across many genres, the rock and the metal music schools have used them more than anyone else. The 1960s and the 1970s can be termed as the golden period of guitar licks and solos. This time period also coincides with the rise of many classic heavy metal bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest and so on. In the early 1980's one of the most famous bands in metal guitar playing is Iron Maiden as they popularized metal music with their blend of galloping and harmonizing guitar music.
Guitar solos can be performed with an acoustic or an electric guitar, but for heavy metal music, you would need to use an electric guitar. They can be performed without any accompaniments, like in case of classical or folk music, an acoustic guitar solo is usually performed without the support of any other musical instrument. They can be performed along a band, which is precisely the case in rock and metal music. They can be even performed along with a full drawn orchestra.
Although lead guitar riffs have been used across many genres, the rock and the metal music schools have used them more than anyone else. The 1960s and the 1970s can be termed as the golden period of guitar licks and solos. This time period also coincides with the rise of many classic heavy metal bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest and so on. In the early 1980's one of the most famous bands in metal guitar playing is Iron Maiden as they popularized metal music with their blend of galloping and harmonizing guitar music.
The shredding of the guitar riff is one of the major attractions of heavy metal music and involves a lot of harmonics technique. This was greatly popular during the 1980s but gradually began to lose steam with the arrival of the nu metal in the mid 1990s. However, the role of the lead guitarist in heavy metal music can not be undermined and sometimes he enjoys more popularity than even the lead singer of the band.
Some of the lead guitarists of the heavy metal bands have even cut albums featuring just their guitar solos. So, it remains a very popular and admired form of instrumental recital till date. A metal guitar solo is additionally attractive because it has a raw power and virility and communicates an intense passion. The loudness and the power have combined to create a therapeutic effect for generations of listeners. So, if you have also been smitten by its power and beauty, you might give it a shot and learn playing it yourself.
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