Diving way below the surface of a technique can help you become a better storyteller with how your riffs are presented
It's easy to rush off and learn complex techniques like sweep picking and mind-boggling polymeters; it's exciting. But they shouldn’t come at the expense of other crucial elements of your guitar playing. There's lots to be explored with every technique; don't just skim the surface.
Knuckling down on the basic techniques, like the relationship between your picking and fretting hands, can open up a whole city’s worth of new avenues to explore creatively. By pushing even the most basic techniques to their extremes before you start occupying your mind and fingers with new tricks and ideas, you can seriously level up your playing.
As the old saying goes, you shouldn't run before you can walk, and as part of MMA's new Technique Week feature, we're showcasing the feast of tricks you may have unknowingly skipped over by rushing onto the next new and very shiny thing.
Fret hand dynamics
Week one focused on dynamics. They are the heartbeat of expressive guitar playing, but beyond having solid control of palm muting and learning how to deaden strings during djenty riffs, many players don't dive deeper.
Taking that little bit longer to explore the different nuances of dynamic playing can add fiery and unique tricks to your arsenal. They too can help you break out of creative ruts – the more ammunition you have, the more chances you have of riffing your way out of a tough spot.
As MMA Chief John Browne says, investing in your fretting hand dynamics via “subtle variations in pressure for softer passages or delivering aggressive accents with purpose,” can make your playing “feel more intentional and musical.”
So, what are some things we can practice here?
Hand placement
Firstly, it's important to explore how the sound of dead notes can change depending on where your hand rests on the fretboard. Start by placing your hand around the first fret and hit some dead notes. Keep playing as you move your hand slowly up the fretboard and notice how the sound changes; at different points, harmonics may creep in to weave a little melodicism into the dead note; at others it will sound deeper and fuller, or thinner and bitier.
Think about how System Of A Down's Daron Malakian uses movement in his fretting hand to make a whole riff out of dead notes/harmonics on Suit Pee. Check it out below.
Which strings you hit can also make a big difference. This can be particularly useful when trying to add octave contrasts between sections, which is one big reason why Browne loves DADGAD. Exploring your fretboard like this alone can open up a whole new percussive vocabulary in your playing.
The same method can also be applied to your picking hand. The further towards the bridge your hand ventures, the fuller-sounding the dead notes will become. Moving up towards the neck creates a tighter, more metallic thwack.
Once you have a solid understanding of the full range of what Browne calls "micro-melodic techniques," at your disposal, you can tactfully pick the right sound for the riff you want to bring it into. Having this degree of nuance can help accentuate the intent and impact of your idea.
More fingers, more fun
To prove a point, let's skip ahead to the hardest exercise of the course, which incorporates using multiple fingers of our fretting hand in a heavily syncopated manner.
The nifty trick is lifted from Monument's The Uncollective, taken from 2012 album, Gnosis. It comes in right off the traps, sparring with a big, meaty open-note djent riff. However, it's the unique tonality of the little clicks, each one a little different, that makes the riff pop.
Now, we won’t reveal the trick’s deepest secrets here – that’s for MMA members only – but it artfully brings together several fretting hand movements. This includes deadening the strings with multiple fingers at once, like when you become your own personal noise gate when djenting, and a cascading type motion with individual fingers, one after the other.
An idea like this can only be conjured from a detailed level of technique exploration. One of the greatest things about guitar playing is just how nuanced it is. There are hundreds, if not thousands of ways to play dead notes, and each one sounds slightly different. Immersing yourself in those differences can help you come up with unique ways of noise-making.
Intent
During MMA lessons and on these blog pages, the word “intent” echoes permanently. When songwriting, Browne always questions what the intent of a song or a riff is. By improving the dynamic dominion you have over your instrument, you can develop the ability to make every note speak with purpose and mirror the intent of a riff.
Playing a dead note on the third fret of the sixth string versus the eighth fret of the second string, even though it might be super subtle, can make all the difference to how the wider riff feels to the listener. Knowing the differences can help you better convey the emotional intent of a song or section.
To the same degree, you’ll see a lot of thall players riffing way up the neck on the thickest strings, rather than dropping to a lower fret on a thinner string, because of the thicker and warmer tonality it provides. Sure, you could play the riff elsewhere, but even though it’s the same note, there is a big difference in the overall presentation of the riff. That is why dynamics – and intent – can elevate your guitar playing to new heights.
For more tips, tricks, and gear nerding, jump on over to the MMA blog page.
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