Toughest riff in the Metallica catalog?

[Guitardude86]

Man even if i try to say something like 'gimme a beer' while playing i make mistakes... I just can't talk/sing and play at the same time. I guess this can be trained?

It sure can. Some recommend playing your guitar while watching tv or something, that will help get your mind off the guitarplaying. I think the trick isn't overfocusing on the playing, you should learn to let it "flow", so it almost becomes second nature, more of a subconcious thing It's just a matter of practise tho, like everything else!

[Sergio]

In my opinion the blackened open riff and the main riff for justice are the most difficult riffs of Metallica stuff

[Spivonious]

In my opinion the blackened open riff and the main riff for justice are the most difficult riffs of Metallica stuff

I agree with Blackened, but the main riff for Justice? I never had any trouble playing the rhythm to that song. Which riff are you talking about?

And I've never even attempted playing the Damage riff in question. That way the song maintains its awe factor for me.

[Endrik]

I just went through the whole Metallica catalouge... still Disposable Heroes is by far the hardest... that verse riff on low E string wich pattern is like an insane drum rudiment... and playing that for so long is insane.

Don't belive me.... just play the WHOLE song with the RIGHT tempo.

[GodOfRhythm]

Once you get some stamina DH isn't that hard.

I'll have to agree the pre-solo riff from Frayed Ends Of Sanity is the most insane riff in the entire Metallica catalogue and I can virtually play all of the songs.

Pure note for note they are the hardest.

But if you want REAL difficult riffs, Load and Reload have much harder stuff on them. Trying to get those riffs exact in timing, feel and whatnot is about a bazillion times harder than any of their 80s or TBA stuff.

[CharvelRocker]

Once you get some stamina DH isn't that hard.

I'll have to agree the pre-solo riff from Frayed Ends Of Sanity is the most insane riff in the entire Metallica catalogue and I can virtually play all of the songs.

Pure note for note they are the hardest.

But if you want REAL difficult riffs, Load and Reload have much harder stuff on them. Trying to get those riffs exact in timing, feel and whatnot is about a bazillion times harder than any of their 80s or TBA stuff.

I agree. The chorus to Until it Sleeps is simple to play, but it has really odd timing thats hard to get right. Carpe Diem Baby has some riffs and parts that seem easy on paper, but take a little practice to nail.

[GodOfRhythm]

I always found MOP and whatnot to be pedestrian in speed, it's too slow. I much prefer 80's live versions, they're way faster and more agressive.

People tell me I'm a fast downpicker and if I am I've got Hetfield to thank for it. sooooooooo I'm almost ashamed to post this, but I found it, so I'll post it. This is from 3 years ago, when I just had my Jackson SL2. So I was probably playing for 8 months before that or something. It's a very short clip, I have no idea why I recorded that but it's funny to look back on it.

It's a little bit sloppy in some places (not to mention the horrible intonation), but it sounds a lot more sloppy than it was due to the crappy quality (shitty desktop mic), because, if I'm allowed to blow my own horn here, I'm a fairly accurate downpicker. But flame me all you want, like I give a fuck.

I'm more accurate and faster now than I was then, but I've definitly hit a plateau with downpicking that I'm not going to be breaking anytime soon, if ever. Practicing alternate and economy picking mostly now, to get into the shredzone.

Anyway's here's the ancient shitty clip:

It's got SHITLOADS of ambience interference, because I was playing through a shitty solid state ibanez practice amp and it was very quiet, but this way you can actually hear the downstrokes and pick attack so that's cool.

>>>LINK<<<

http://users.pandora.be/metallipriest/oldspider.mp3

[RR05xx]

I just went through the whole Metallica catalouge... still Disposable Heroes is by far the hardest... that verse riff on low E string wich pattern is like an insane drum rudiment... and playing that for so long is insane.

Don't belive me.... just play the WHOLE song with the RIGHT tempo.

Hmm, now that is interesting. I have never had any problem with that particular song for some reason, but it may just be my natural playing style and in thinking about it, that pattern is messed up and does get kinda easy to get lost in.

[AfterForever]

1|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
2|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
3|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
4|------------5----------------------------------------------------|
5|--------7---------------7----------------------------------------|
6|----0-----------6---5--------------------------------------------|

j/k

[syrinx1]

In my opinion the blackened open riff

My vote goes for this one, especially played properly with the right downpicking like James uses.

[Chad]

Regarding the Blackened opening riff....is that really *all* downpicking?

[Spivonious]

Regarding the Blackened opening riff....is that really *all* downpicking?

Yes.

[Chad]

Just to clarify, are we talking about this part? Man, those last few notes and especially the last three notes would be *tough* to downpick that fast.

E|----------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------8--------|
A|-----7-------7-------7---8---7-------7-------7-------7---|
E|--0-------0-------0---------------0-------0---------------|


E|-----------------------------------------------------------
B|-----------------------------------------------------------
G|-----------------------------------------------------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------
A|------7-------7-------7---8---7---8-----------2---3-3-----
E|--0-------0-------0---------------6---2---3-----------1----

[SlasZ]

You can't downpick triplets
So the last 3 notes are with up & down strokes.
Edit: but anyway, if you can make it sound exactly the same with alternate picking or downpicking, why would you stress your right hand and play it more difficult doing downstrokes?
Same with master of puppets (the first riff starting with --0--1--(2)--0--1--(3) with (2) & (3) being on the A string). I sometimes play it downstrokes or alternate picking, i even mix them while playing. If i feel my right arm is getting tired or strained, i switch. And it sounds the same if you practice it enough.

[Chad]

That's what I thought.....to downpick that would almost be humanly impossible. I will work on this song too....actually that last triplet is played quite similar to the triplets in the Damage Inc. riff that prompted the creation of this thread.