Dude, you definitely had that classic thrash sound dialed in. I feel like it's very garage, hollow, resonating off of beat up aluminum trash cans. Nice job.
This is a great idea for a series, Ben. Kind of like Rick Beato's "What Makes This Song Great" but more of a "What Makes This Band's Guitar Parts Great" vibe.
11:13 This part of Eye of the Beholder features two distinct guitar parts played differently. It’s a two-part harmony guitar arrangement.The main part is played using E, G, and F#, while the higher part follows a completely different pattern. You can clearly hear it in the live performance of the Justice Medley.
Man, that A-B in Creeping Death has always been one of my favorites! Such a great video, dude! They're a big reason I picked up guitar way back in 1989
Then, to top it off - on songs like Beholder, Sandman, Puppets - they repeat the A-B-C (mostly), but up a whole step to add intensity and tension, before finally resolving to the root once again. It’s brilliant simplicity. Thanks, stepdad!! Been watching you for a LONG time my friend. Love, your Metallidad.
Whenever I think of the ABAC (and all the different variations of that structure) I’ve always applied it to a song as a whole I.e. a way to arrange entire parts (chorus, verse, bridge, etc.). I always considered all the riffs you used in this video as 1 single riff/idea on the whole. Your way of breaking what I considered a single riff down into separate parts is a cool way to think about it that I’ll definitely give a lot more focus to in the future. Thanks for the perspective uncle Ben!!
Uncle Ben, this is one of the best lessons I've gotten from anyone in a long time. Thank you! Really helps me with my riff writing. "Putting it all together." Uncle B is the best! Now about fixing my step-dad speed....
Favorite Metallica riff…. Gotta say either Battery or blackened Saw them this summer two nights at Gillette here in Mass, and man it was amazing. I had put off seeing them, but now being 30, I needed to see them before it was too late. Lol
Awesome breakdown. I learned to play guitar on all of those riffs at age 13 and know them inside and out but this was still super fun and entertaining to watch because of YOU, Ben! I remember I saved up all my paper route money and went to our local music store and got these two epic books that were the COMPLETE works of Metallica (at the time) covering every single album from Kill "em All up to the Black album. I have always been a riff guy and so you can imagine I was in heaven! (while my parents were subsequently in hell while I practiced, haha)
Love this, really helpful to have a breakdown of these various structures with actual examples of the songs/ riffs they're used in. I have read about these structures before and worked on them in a couple lessons, but never tried to employ them in writing anything as yet. Will be sure to tag ya when I come up with something. Hope ya hit that 500k Sub count soon my friend! 🙂🤘🏻🔥
nice video - riff and song architecture is so damn interesting, going through bands like sabbath, metallica, slayer, and a thousand others and dissecting a riff or song structure is always fun as hell
Funny, was watching a riff writing masterclass last night going over various alphabet combos and now I get a perfect walk through of some of my favourite riffages from Metallica. Cheers uncle Ben, heading over to Patreon ASAP
Good examples. Also love when them Metallican boys bring back riffs with a new variation, like adding the chugs on the last appearance of the Fade to Black bridge or the second chorus in Outlaw Torn.
Getting in the comments to say the other Metallica staple is repeating the tail as a way to transition sections (intro to verse, chorus to solo, etc). Love this kind of writing analysis video, Uncle Ben! Keep up the shred!!
Writing riffs is not writing songs. It’s why they needed Fleming and Lars AND CLIFF to guide James AND Kirk. It’s really easy to write riffs, it’s very hard to turn them into music.
@ not much of it at all. Try to remember that Dave didn’t produce the most iconic material they wrote. Not at all. If Dave was that good, he would have done far better later in his career. He wasn’t, and he didn’t. Look at Newsted for an Excellent example of former members achieving very little.
Thing I love about your videos are they are all celebratory. It’s like this joyous haven I can come to away from the elitism this genre often dishes up, where you’re just positive and balanced and most of the people in the comments sections are too.
C sections are gnarly! left my mom with a big scar. Also the trooper is an AAAB variation! same sequence moved through the scale 3 times then ending. Just pointing it for those who may not know of the diatonic sequence idea!
Ya know. I've always written riffs in either AAAB or ABAC format. I never realized I got that from Metallica. They were the first records I sat down to learn on bass with the tab books all those years ago. Yes I still have the Justice "bass tab" book that is now derided all these years later.
What I noticed over the years is that James seems to like a certain riff a lot: he plays 0, 2, 2 (so basically an E power cord) and then plays the 3rd fret on the A and D string. He does that (at least) on Creeping Death, One, Atlas Rise and Through the never. Very effective. And can we please appreciate how our beloved uncle just played metallicas most awesome riffs like it was nothing?
James likes the minor 2nd interval. You can apply it to the root, or the fifth, of any chord but E5 is as low as you can go. So he’s going to do F or C. James only has a couple chords he likes. Gmaj7 is another. Find your own chords, and squeeze them. ❤
This concept is really similar to lyric writing - using the rhyme scheme to match up lines. But one key thing that a lot of beginner lyric writers neglect is that you need to change up your rhyme scheme between sections - verses ABAB and choruses AAAB for example. You could also apply this to riffs, keep the AAAA riffs in the intro but make the verses an ABAC riff.
Lars is known to arrange riffs, the main riff of enter sandman being a prime example, kirk had orginally had it being ABAB but lars suggested it to what we know now as AAAB.
Very cool video. I wish riffs post St Anger would get the appreciation they deserve. Those first 5 albums are classic for a reason but Death Magnetic, Hardwired and 72 have some great riffs as well. Just was thinking about That was Just Your Life and Moth into Flame, both verse riffs are AAAB.
It's crazy how young they were back then when they wrote so many masterpieces like it was nothing lol in their 20s and they wrote albums like Master of Puppets , Kill em All, Ride the Lightning , ...And Justice for All etc, insane . They pretty much made me start guitar bout year and a half ago and my god I can't believe how simple some of their riffs were, lol , yet, SO DAMN EFFECTIVE . AND..satisfying ASF . Metallica are masters of Metal for a reason. Can't imagine what metal music would be without them 🤘🔥awesome vid as usual Uncle Ben, so close to 500k as well. Congrats 🤘🙏❤️
It's a bit like essay writing: A. Tell them what you're going to tell them. B. Tell them. C. Tell them what you've told them. or A. Introduction. B. Body. C. Conclusion.
Uncle Ben! Justice might just be my favorite album of all time, its prog, theres no bass, i dont care for the memes im a guitarist (tho i do love bass guitar) it so tight it almost doesnt even sound like a guitar, almost synth like. Whlie im not a fan of anything beyond load (and that album is pushing it for me personally) their early stuff is incredible, listen to killem today it sounds so raw, lightning is awesome, justice is the man, black album got some very heavy tunes on it love it all! by the way youve been a big influence on my playing so thanks for the tips over the years bro i really appreciate it
No other band made an impact on me like Metallica did. Maybe Suffocation when I was digging into Death Metal but Metallica kicked the doors down for me to become a life long Metalhead.
Love metallica of course, BUT for me Iron Maiden just hits home more. Those guys are better at doing guitar harmonies. I can tell immediately when Adrian Smith and Dave Murry are playing. They are so locked into each other, its just ridiculous lol. Great video, as usual sir. You are the ultimate Shredi Master.
Metallica is like getting clubbed in the face. Maiden is more... elegant? I think it comes down to the Steve Harris gallop vs the James Heftield jackhammer. Look at powerslave or flight of Icarus against any Metallica song. Both bone crushing and heavy as hell, just different. Also, I agree 100%.
If you grew up listening to this stuff religiously in the 80's, it comes naturally to your playing and writing later on. Shit only gets weird if you were also listening to Mercyful Fate and Fates Warning and Rush just as much.
2:34 sounds ok but not the sound I like. I usually go for a sound that has less treble side. I would bring out the lows and mids more and turn the highs a bit more for the deeper chunkier sound. That is my taste. Interesting sound though.
I realized how trapped I am in this 4-repeats formula when I started to analyze Soilwork song structures, which is based on three repeats, always starting with the melodic chorus riff and then getting groovy in the 3 verse riffs.
I’m ABSOLUTELY going to call my amp Rectumfire from now on. Edit: dammit Uncle Ben, you’re once again the only one playing a riff correctly, in this instance Eye of the Beholder. Can we have a lesson on the whole song?
Thanks for learning what makes Metallica’s riffs GREAT! Watch the extended ad-free cut plus get the TABs here: www.patreon.com/posts/116571589?
Aren't these A, B, C riffs just "call and response" riffs that you see a lot in Blues guitar?
Dude, you definitely had that classic thrash sound dialed in. I feel like it's very garage, hollow, resonating off of beat up aluminum trash cans. Nice job.
This is a great idea for a series, Ben. Kind of like Rick Beato's "What Makes This Song Great" but more of a "What Makes This Band's Guitar Parts Great" vibe.
Glad you dig it!
Should be called : "What makes your aunt sick" or something
My stepmom can’t stop talkin about your down stroke speed and power!
😂
@@lyricbread uncle ben s'bout to get lucky
Speed and power is the name of the game
The sheer possibilities of punchlines for this statement are beyond my comprehension
She appreciates an active pickup
Random Fact: The song “Dancing Queen” uses the ABBA formula.
😂
Lol
The Ikari Warriors code.
Congratulations on your soon to be 500k subs! You deserve it.
Thank you very much!
He deserves more. Not only musically fascinating and helpful, but also charismatic and funny.
What, no "With THIS C-section, a RIFF was born" joke?
Lolllll
I see what you did there.
11:13 This part of Eye of the Beholder features two distinct guitar parts played differently. It’s a two-part harmony guitar arrangement.The main part is played using E, G, and F#, while the higher part follows a completely different pattern. You can clearly hear it in the live performance of the Justice Medley.
Man, that A-B in Creeping Death has always been one of my favorites! Such a great video, dude! They're a big reason I picked up guitar way back in 1989
Ben has probably taught me more about guitar than anybody. Ty, man!
Then, to top it off - on songs like Beholder, Sandman, Puppets - they repeat the A-B-C (mostly), but up a whole step to add intensity and tension, before finally resolving to the root once again. It’s brilliant simplicity. Thanks, stepdad!! Been watching you for a LONG time my friend. Love, your Metallidad.
Whenever I think of the ABAC (and all the different variations of that structure) I’ve always applied it to a song as a whole I.e. a way to arrange entire parts (chorus, verse, bridge, etc.). I always considered all the riffs you used in this video as 1 single riff/idea on the whole. Your way of breaking what I considered a single riff down into separate parts is a cool way to think about it that I’ll definitely give a lot more focus to in the future. Thanks for the perspective uncle Ben!!
That Struggle Within riff is the is the best riff on the black album
That’s definitely a good one!
The song has always felt off to me. I can’t explain it, maybe it’s the vocals trying to keep up with the riff?
This was awesome!!! I've never thought about this
You are playing my favorite guitar of all time. I have the blue one you are playing and the Burgundy one also.
Got the blue one too, such a nice guitar to play on
remember Uncle Ben, you and your brain are appreciated. I'm thankful for your creations and the knowledge you share. You rock:)
I appreciate that!
Uncle Ben, this is one of the best lessons I've gotten from anyone in a long time. Thank you! Really helps me with my riff writing. "Putting it all together." Uncle B is the best! Now about fixing my step-dad speed....
Brilliant! Never thought of the structure of Metallica songs this way....
Again; I love how you make sense of everything! 👍🤘
Favorite Metallica riff…. Gotta say either Battery or blackened
Saw them this summer two nights at Gillette here in Mass, and man it was amazing. I had put off seeing them, but now being 30, I needed to see them before it was too late. Lol
That's my exact mentality in buying floor tickets for their show in Atlanta this July!
I thought the same thing, but it's been too late since death magnetic came out when I was 17. Am I lost now entirely?
Love that guitar tone man. Very Capt Crunchy 😁🔥👍
Awesome breakdown. I learned to play guitar on all of those riffs at age 13 and know them inside and out but this was still super fun and entertaining to watch because of YOU, Ben! I remember I saved up all my paper route money and went to our local music store and got these two epic books that were the COMPLETE works of Metallica (at the time) covering every single album from Kill "em All up to the Black album. I have always been a riff guy and so you can imagine I was in heaven! (while my parents were subsequently in hell while I practiced, haha)
Love this, really helpful to have a breakdown of these various structures with actual examples of the songs/ riffs they're used in.
I have read about these structures before and worked on them in a couple lessons, but never tried to employ them in writing anything as yet. Will be sure to tag ya when I come up with something.
Hope ya hit that 500k Sub count soon my friend! 🙂🤘🏻🔥
Uncle Ben is my favorite metal uncle 🤘
Thank you so much for this amazing lesson , on structure, and arrangements for song writing! Please more like this !
Thank you! Will do!
Very helpful lesson. Prefer these type of concepts over learning licks or riffs. So helpful and inspiring.
Yay! It's my dang good old buddy Uncle Ben! Golly gee, that's swell!
Dude! Your down picking is ON POINT!
Thank you!
Cheers Ben, love the Fishmans 👍
This blue Ibanez Prestige is 🤌 *chefs kiss* just gorgeous
nice video - riff and song architecture is so damn interesting, going through bands like sabbath, metallica, slayer, and a thousand others and dissecting a riff or song structure is always fun as hell
This is a good one. Songwriting strategies are underrepresented in guitar instruction. That's good lookin' out, Stepson!
Great lesson and beautiful guitar.
Thank you kindly!
Funny, was watching a riff writing masterclass last night going over various alphabet combos and now I get a perfect walk through of some of my favourite riffages from Metallica. Cheers uncle Ben, heading over to Patreon ASAP
That's awesome! See you there!
Yes I love this! This is what I’m constantly explaining to my chat when I’m writing during live streams!
Thanks Uncle Ben !
Thanks Uncle Ben! 😊 love metallica riffs!
Another great video that provides insight into song structures, writing ideas etc. Thanks Uncle Ben!
Glad you enjoyed it!
The What I Learned format is goated
The tone on this vid is sick
Good examples. Also love when them Metallican boys bring back riffs with a new variation, like adding the chugs on the last appearance of the Fade to Black bridge or the second chorus in Outlaw Torn.
so well explained. legend
I have the RG5120M, pretty much that guitar with the floating bridge. It’s so good. And those pickups are the best.
Getting in the comments to say the other Metallica staple is repeating the tail as a way to transition sections (intro to verse, chorus to solo, etc).
Love this kind of writing analysis video, Uncle Ben! Keep up the shred!!
Still following uncle ben! Miss dead and lovley but keep the metal going!! 😎🤘
You’re my favorite uncle
Only one i have left ,its weird when your uncle is younger than you though 🤷🏼♂️😜✌️👍🏼🤟🏼
Perfect tone and playing👌
The crazy thing is that James was in his early 20's when he wrote his best riffs. I had barely learned to wipe my ass at 20
Writing riffs is not writing songs. It’s why they needed Fleming and Lars AND CLIFF to guide James AND Kirk.
It’s really easy to write riffs, it’s very hard to turn them into music.
@Xplora213 And much of its was also Dave Mustaines music which was stolen.
@@redbloodedamerican2346 I think Metallica's best riffs came after Mustaine. MoP is peak Metallica for me.
@@IndieGameDeveloper I'll agree.
@ not much of it at all. Try to remember that Dave didn’t produce the most iconic material they wrote. Not at all.
If Dave was that good, he would have done far better later in his career. He wasn’t, and he didn’t. Look at Newsted for an
Excellent example of former members achieving very little.
You explain this well.
very informative yet entertaining at the same time! subscribed. hope to see more videos like this some time soon.
I have that guitar Uncle Ben! She’s my number 1.
Thing I love about your videos are they are all celebratory. It’s like this joyous haven I can come to away from the elitism this genre often dishes up, where you’re just positive and balanced and most of the people in the comments sections are too.
Lovely to hear that, thank you!
If had to pick ONE Metallica song as all time favorite, got to go with Blackend 🤘
Blackend? Is that like a black backend?
Sounds so good!
C sections are gnarly! left my mom with a big scar. Also the trooper is an AAAB variation! same sequence moved through the scale 3 times then ending. Just pointing it for those who may not know of the diatonic sequence idea!
Ya know. I've always written riffs in either AAAB or ABAC format. I never realized I got that from Metallica. They were the first records I sat down to learn on bass with the tab books all those years ago.
Yes I still have the Justice "bass tab" book that is now derided all these years later.
Those tab books are so inaccurate especially the Cliff era ones cherry lanes owes me so much money
Uncle Ben your step dad thrash skills freakin Shine, plz you sound great
What I noticed over the years is that James seems to like a certain riff a lot: he plays 0, 2, 2 (so basically an E power cord) and then plays the 3rd fret on the A and D string. He does that (at least) on Creeping Death, One, Atlas Rise and Through the never. Very effective.
And can we please appreciate how our beloved uncle just played metallicas most awesome riffs like it was nothing?
James likes the minor 2nd interval. You can apply it to the root, or the fifth, of any chord but E5 is as low as you can go. So he’s going to do F or C.
James only has a couple chords he likes. Gmaj7 is another. Find your own chords, and squeeze them. ❤
This concept is really similar to lyric writing - using the rhyme scheme to match up lines. But one key thing that a lot of beginner lyric writers neglect is that you need to change up your rhyme scheme between sections - verses ABAB and choruses AAAB for example. You could also apply this to riffs, keep the AAAA riffs in the intro but make the verses an ABAC riff.
I like this guy Ben.
Shortest Straw makes a cameo at the end!! 🤘🤘
I love the breakdown 🎉
I loved hearing that Shortest Straw riff. Metallica is the band that got me into music. Funny enough I don't play metal lol. Thanks for for video
Recently got a schecter evil twin with fishmans, LOVE THEM!!!!!🤘🔥🤘🔥🤘🔥
I still love playing Harvester and Frayed Ends. Learned those... 25 years ago? Idk. Those riffs still hold up all these years later.
i thank god for ibanez everyday! such great guitars!
great tone🤘
I always played that part of Eye of the Beholder as F# and B the entire C section, that's what it sounds like to my ears at least.
What not to suck. Love your channel.
There's also AACA pattern in Jump in the Fire.
Eye of the beholder is tabbed like that, i believe, and i've always played it that way. it sounds right
Lars is known to arrange riffs, the main riff of enter sandman being a prime example, kirk had orginally had it being ABAB but lars suggested it to what we know now as AAAB.
Wow Uncle Benny Bob. Awesome lesson, Cool and enlightening, The alphabet has never ben so fun. Thanks Boss. You're the Bomb.
I got the same pickups and they are amazing mine is gun metal black thow
2:36 The Pulsepoint notification sound scared tf out of me 😂
Very cool video. I wish riffs post St Anger would get the appreciation they deserve. Those first 5 albums are classic for a reason but Death Magnetic, Hardwired and 72 have some great riffs as well.
Just was thinking about That was Just Your Life and Moth into Flame, both verse riffs are AAAB.
It's crazy how young they were back then when they wrote so many masterpieces like it was nothing lol in their 20s and they wrote albums like Master of Puppets , Kill em All, Ride the Lightning , ...And Justice for All etc, insane . They pretty much made me start guitar bout year and a half ago and my god I can't believe how simple some of their riffs were, lol , yet, SO DAMN EFFECTIVE . AND..satisfying ASF . Metallica are masters of Metal for a reason.
Can't imagine what metal music would be without them 🤘🔥awesome vid as usual Uncle Ben, so close to 500k as well. Congrats 🤘🙏❤️
It's a bit like essay writing:
A. Tell them what you're going to tell them.
B. Tell them.
C. Tell them what you've told them.
or
A. Introduction.
B. Body.
C. Conclusion.
My favorite band
Great vid!
4:13 you should use a string noise dampener Ben, the behind-the-nut ringing is killing the toan!!1!
Yeeeah it’s got a little ring-a-ding, don’t it???
jokes aside, great video. Metallica’s got some cool shit. 👍
Good lord, music doesn’t have to always be perfect
Amateur hour 🙄
It's the pick hand that gives me trouble. Metallica's so easy on the tabs. Guess I'll try those ab stimulators on my arm.⚡
Could you please do Matt Pike / High on Fire? 🙏🤘🐐
Great video, Ben. Absolutely fantastic.
Glad you enjoyed it!
First 5 or 6 riffs I ever learned were Metallica. And that also explains why my own stuff is a-a-b structured.
Cant forget the ample use of "yeah".
Nice guitar! Have the same one and it's my absolute favourite! No need to buy another one
More hard tail RG’s!!!
That Ibanez is on my dream list for sure!
I have the same guitar. You wont regret it man, its by far one of the best guitars that I´ve ever played.
@ hell yeah dude
They call the end of the riff the tail
No Lars calls it that because he’s dumb lol
Awesome
Uncle Ben!
Justice might just be my favorite album of all time, its prog, theres no bass, i dont care for the memes im a guitarist (tho i do love bass guitar) it so tight it almost doesnt even sound like a guitar, almost synth like. Whlie im not a fan of anything beyond load (and that album is pushing it for me personally) their early stuff is incredible, listen to killem today it sounds so raw, lightning is awesome, justice is the man, black album got some very heavy tunes on it love it all!
by the way youve been a big influence on my playing so thanks for the tips over the years bro i really appreciate it
No other band made an impact on me like Metallica did. Maybe Suffocation when I was digging into Death Metal but Metallica kicked the doors down for me to become a life long Metalhead.
Try the album “Kingdom of Downfall” by Parricide. The most creative deathgrind out there. Rifflords.
@KrwiomoczBogurodzicy will do. 🤘
Love metallica of course, BUT for me Iron Maiden just hits home more. Those guys are better at doing guitar harmonies. I can tell immediately when Adrian Smith and Dave Murry are playing. They are so locked into each other, its just ridiculous lol. Great video, as usual sir. You are the ultimate Shredi Master.
I should do one on them too!
Metallica is like getting clubbed in the face. Maiden is more... elegant? I think it comes down to the Steve Harris gallop vs the James Heftield jackhammer. Look at powerslave or flight of Icarus against any Metallica song. Both bone crushing and heavy as hell, just different.
Also, I agree 100%.
@@BenEller yes pretty please with 666 cherries on top 🍒🤘😈
Good lord that palm muted low e is filthy
In the making of the Black Album Lars refers the B riff as the tail of the riff.
If you tune to B you will basically have Demanufacture guitar tone. Sounss great af.
If you grew up listening to this stuff religiously in the 80's, it comes naturally to your playing and writing later on. Shit only gets weird if you were also listening to Mercyful Fate and Fates Warning and Rush just as much.
2:34 sounds ok but not the sound I like. I usually go for a sound that has less treble side. I would bring out the lows and mids more and turn the highs a bit more for the deeper chunkier sound. That is my taste. Interesting sound though.
I realized how trapped I am in this 4-repeats formula when I started to analyze Soilwork song structures, which is based on three repeats, always starting with the melodic chorus riff and then getting groovy in the 3 verse riffs.
I believe that's how Eye is played, yes.
I’m ABSOLUTELY going to call my amp Rectumfire from now on.
Edit: dammit Uncle Ben, you’re once again the only one playing a riff correctly, in this instance Eye of the Beholder. Can we have a lesson on the whole song?