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Thread: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from guitar

  1. #1
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    Default Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from guitar

    Hello, all
    I listen to lots of heavy metal and progressive metal, Iron Maiden and Tool being the main ones. Recently, I took the intro to the song "Lataralus" by Tool and tried it out on mandolin. it sounds nice. In lots of metal songs, they use power-chords. I wasn't too sure what I was going to do with this. Then I looked into "Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden and am currently figuring out how to do that one as well. I wasn't too sure what to do for power-chords, but then I figured if I could get the melody sounding right, taht'd probably be enough to get the feeling of the song across, possably. I use jaz picks and have an A-style mandolin. Has anybody done something like this on the mandolin? It may not have that "metal" sound, but lots of metal songs I listen to are almost bardic and the lyrics are like a story. Just was goofing around and may have stumbled onto something cool. If anybody has opinions, suggestions or information, feel free to throw them in.
    Happy Picking!

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    fretboard roamer Paul Merlo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    My opinion is that sounds like a great idea! How fun. Go play a few open mics and see if anyone recognizes those songs.

    I played a gig w/ my friend's rock band a few weeks ago and had to come up w/ mandolin parts for Superstition (Stevie Wonder) and Use Me (Bill Withers). Those aren't exactly "mandolin" songs either, but hey? who cares, right?
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    man about town Markus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    I saw the band Head for the Hills play Run to the Hills. They tore it up though the mandolin player played electric on that tune.

    I don't put many limits on the mandolin family. Jim Richter's version of Jimi tunes are a good place to start I think.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    ...We Screw Around Jammin' w 'Metal' Tunes all the Time.. Sabbath, Metallica, Qotsa, AiC, etc...
    Here's a Vid of a Friend, Doin' 'Lateralus'...
    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gmU0esl4uA0

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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    Any recomendations on what to do for power-chords and stuff like that? I was thinking if I could find some notes that sound similar then do the main melody it'd be nice. Yeah, really enjoying it, so far, trying to figure out the gallupping part of "Run to the Hills" and maybe will try and use that video to get the rest of Lataralus

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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    I got to listen to that cover... amazing.
    Is there any way I could get a description of how to do that part after the main rift, in the song when they go into the metal-sounding guitar? I'm actually blind, So, what strings and frets would be good, or chords (with a description of the chord as well)
    Thanks

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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    I have played "the ocean" on mandocello - quite a different beast than a mandolin
    not really metal but- the fathers

    I was also playing around with A National Acrobat

    very cool stuff guys!

  9. #8

    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    I know it's hardly hard-core, but Old School Freight Train has an album of Coldplay covers in which I'm sure you would find some inspiration.

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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    Tuning the mandolin open to GDGD would make the power chords dead simple.

    Check out Alex Gregory:
    http://www.mandolincafe.net/mp3/gregory.mp3

    Zeppelin of course used mandolin ... there's also at least one Styx song with mandolin, and naturally there's "Stonehenge."

    In Europe there's an entire subgenre of "folk metal," and a lot of those bands have mandolin and/or violin players.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    ...I think, What Your Talking About is, Just.. Fifth & 3rd frets barred when played then open G/D strings.. Then there is a slide up to the 7th ( again barred) to Open strings again..
    You can do "power" type chords w any note and use a 5th up.. Make it a "double stop" but I think generally, what you are getting at is 'bigger' sounding chord.. If you played guitar in Drop D Tuning, ex. Grunge.. Then no diff on mando.. Just bar the first two strings (G,D).. On any fret.. I usually extend that chord...
    C "Power" Movable Chord
    E - 8
    A - 7
    D - 5
    G - 5
    ...Not Very Good at explaining it by writing it out or exactly whatcha ya meant.. But I hope it helps ya... Metal tunes sound great on mando.. Some, I swear better..!! Alot you do have to change keys to play and sound better... I think if you played guitar for years and switched to mando, its a great exercise for you to learn how to play the mando.. And natural.. etc.. One thing I hate lately, it is becoming somewhat of a Gimmick for people to do.. Go play a gig of pop or metal tunes on folk instruments...!! So for every Iron Maiden tune you "Mandolize" learn a Bill Monroe song too..!!! Lol
    Last edited by Ipecac; May-08-2013 at 9:38pm. Reason: Misspelled

  12. #11

    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    ...In the Tool Cover, His High E is Tuned Down to D, also.. If that helps... Its for that Drone effect.. With that tuning all you do, to make power chords easy is.. Bar what ever fret.. All way across.. Then make a "power" chord like ya would on guitar.. On the D/A Strings.. So 3's across the fretboard but on the A String be on the 5th Fret.. Same as a 'Grunge' Chord basically..

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    fretboard roamer Paul Merlo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    G D
    ---3--- ---x---
    ---2--- ---5---
    ---5--- ---4---
    ---0--- ---7---

    Those are two chords you can use. They're both the same shape, and can be moved around like power chords. Move the D shape down 2 frets and you've got the C. Plus, it's based on a bluegrass chop chord invented by Bill Monroe. So, that's extra cool.

    Or even move up the ring and middle fingers in the barre chord shape to the G and D string, leaving your index on the 2nd fret of the A string like this: 452x for a G chord - I've found it's hard to move around like that sometimes, but sounds good when it works.
    Last edited by Paul Merlo; May-08-2013 at 10:18pm.
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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    I really have lots of trouble doing bar chords. never have been able to on guitar. In that tool cover, is the heavier guitar part they're doing on mandolin done with chords or done with individual notes? not sure, exactly. If anybody has a tab or could look at one for me, that'd be cool.

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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    With the Iron Maiden song, anybody have a clue how the gallupping part would be done on mandolin? I have the beginning part down, not sure on that part, though.
    As far as Tool goes, I'm just looking for some of the parts after the intro or a full tab so that I could try and figure it out. I just wish they made tabs that'd be accessable to me, lol. describe which string and fret the notes or chords are on work great, diagrams and aski art are a little difficult to figure out for me.
    Thanks for all the imput and help, happy Rockin'!

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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    Ok, I've basically got the intro to Lataralus down, the parts before the metalish guitar when they're doing power-chords. still trying to figure out how I could do a chord that would sound good on mandolin. In the cover you did, it sounds like after an initial chord, you are doing individual notes, is that right, or, am I wrong?

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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    If you do have a full tab, would you mind trying to describe it for the various parts, or at least describing the various chords you use? I have a lesson on guitar that describes it fairly well, which is how I actually got into trying to do metal on mandolin.

    It was funny, past couple days my Dad has been trying to push me to play guitar. He asked me "What do you play on that thing, anyways?" pointing at my mandolin case in the back seat. I busted her out and started playing "Run to the Hills" By Iron Maiden, least, the intro bit, was funny. Wish I could of seen his face.

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    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    This guy seems to do all right...inspired me to learn my first metal song on Mando...

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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    Quote Originally Posted by Ipecac View Post
    ...We Screw Around Jammin' w 'Metal' Tunes all the Time.. Sabbath, Metallica, Qotsa, AiC, etc...
    Here's a Vid of a Friend, Doin' 'Lateralus'...
    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gmU0esl4uA0
    That was freaking awesome! Thanks for posting.
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    Default Re: Taking some heavy metal and progressive metal songs from gui

    I'm actually a fan of what this girl has done with Going to California by Led Zep


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