10 Legendary Metal Tracks to Boost Your Playing, from Beginner to Advanced [Guitar Pro Files Included]

Whether you’re a beginner or already an experienced metal guitarist, this selection is made for you.
Improve and elevate your playing with some of the greatest metal bands, from Metallica to Megadeth, including System of a Down and Korn.

I’ve selected 10 essential metal song extracts for you, ranging from the most accessible to the most technical, all available on mySongBook, the official Guitar Pro sheet music library.

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Breaking The Law – Judas Priest

Breaking the Law is one of the classic tracks that helped shape 1970s heavy metal. This world-famous riff is fairly simple and accessible for beginner guitarists. It sticks to quarter and eighth note rhythms, played at a relatively moderate tempo.

Play Breaking The Law in full, along with the backing track on mySongBook. 

Enter Sandman – Metallica

There’s no need to introduce it, just about every guitarist has tackled this track in their early days of playing. Enter Sandman is not only one of Metallica’s most popular songs, but also one of the most accessible for beginner guitarists.

There’s no particular difficulty here: just make sure to let the low E ring out until the first beat of the next bar. For the fingering, I recommend placing your pinky on the 7th fret. This will give you the proper articulation to play the piece as effectively as possible.

Play Enter Sandman in full, along with the backing track on mySongBook. 

What I’ve Done – Linkin Park

The second guitar on What I’ve Done, one of Linkin Park’s many hits, complements the lead guitar with barre power chords. The Drop D tuning makes it possible, among other things, to play these chords using just one finger.

The fifth is doubled an octave higher over the first three measures of the progression to give the chord more weight. To play in Drop D, simply lower the low E string by a whole step, giving you a D–A–D–G–B–E tuning.

Play What I’ve Done in full, along with the backing track on mySongBook. 

Square Hammer – Ghost

Here’s a slightly more challenging riff that you’ll need to practice slowly to fully grasp its mechanics. This Ghost track is in Drop D, designed to make fingering easier. The part is rhythmically consistent throughout, so you can loop it in Guitar Pro to master all its nuances.

Play Square Hammer in full, along with the backing track on mySongBook.

Aerials – System of a Down

The advantage when playing Aerials is that the riff’s mechanics stay the same throughout the entire song. It’s tuned C–G–C–F–A–D, with the bass notes changing while the G and C strings are played open. Let all the notes ring out to create that droning effect, which gives this iconic System of a Down track its distinctive atmosphere.

Play Aerials in full, along with the backing track on mySongBook.

The Trooper – Iron Maiden

As in nearly all Iron Maiden songs, one guitar harmonizes the lead guitar in thirds. What’s useful for you is the ability to switch parts within the song: for example, you can play the first four measures on the lead guitar, then take over the harmonized part for the next four measures.

That’s why I’ve included an excerpt showing both parts played simultaneously. Pay attention to the sextuplets played with hammer-ons and pull-offs, they’re more approachable than they seem, but you should still practice them slowly at first.

Play The Trooper in full, along with the backing track on mySongBook.

Here to Stay – Korn

Finally, a 7-string track!

With the low B string tuned down to Drop A, this riff is packed with fairly fast chromatic runs, and is slightly altered and then transposed at the end of the extract I’m offering.
My advice, somewhat old-school, but proven effective, is to practice this riff with a clean tone.

Adding distortion or effects right away would only mask any flaws in your playing. That’s why I recommend, at least at first, practicing with a clean tone, even if it’s less “glamorous.” You’ll thank me later.

Play Here to Stay in full, along with the backing track on mySongBook.

5 Minutes Alone – Pantera

Now things start to get a bit more challenging. This time, all the strings are tuned down a whole step from standard tuning, giving us D–G–C–F–A–D.
Don’t be fooled by the “simplistic” feel of the main riff, it still requires a fair amount of precision and cleanliness, especially with the slides and ghost notes that lock in with the kick drum.

I’m deliberately leaving you with the last bar, it will require a bit of patience, especially if you’re not familiar with Pantera’s style.

Play 5 Minutes Alone in full, along with the backing track on mySongBook.

Tornado Of Souls – Megadeth

You can clearly recognize Dave Mustaine’s style here, the former Metallica guitarist, replaced by Kirk Hammett, who later went on to form his own band, Megadeth. The riff is built around a B minor scale, incorporating the blue note (a diminished fifth).

As with 5 Minutes Alone by Pantera, the last bar proves a bit tricky to master. It features plenty of hammer-ons and pull-offs, along with slides and palm-muted notes.

Play Tornado Of Souls in full, along with the backing track on mySongBook.

Laid to Rest – Lamb of God

The first triplet-based piece, and the final track in this selection, it also happens to be one of Lamb of God’s most well-known songs. It’s played in Drop D, and I can assure you, it will definitely make you break a sweat.

In the first section, you’ll need impeccable articulation to play it at that speed. In the second, the challenge lies more in the rhythm, combined with those pinch harmonics, an effect produced with the thumb of the picking hand.

Play Laid to Rest in full, along with the backing track on mySongBook.

Grab your guitars!

Ready to take on the challenge, whatever your level? Then pick up your guitar and let us know in the comments which track gave you the most trouble.

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