subject: The Most Played Metal Guitar Riffs [print this page] It's pretty clear after you waltz into a Guitar Center on a Saturday afternoon that easy metal riffs are what most guitar students are playing. If you are looking for a metal guitar lesson then it's likey as a guitarist you are a fan of heavy metal. These riffs are the ones that I consider more commonly played by practicing guitarists who like this genre. You should note that this is not in order and is not a ranking, just a listing.
1. "Enter Sandman" as played by Metallica
A very popular song and riff for guitar students who like metal, just like many others by the same band.
2. "One" which is another Metallica song
Kirk Hammett does it again with this song.
Despite the fact you could easily name exclusively Metallica riffs in this article, lets go to another group.
3. "Symphony of Destruction" riff from Megadeth.
Considered a great player in thrash, Dave Mustaine is a master rhythm guitarist. There are not very many metal heads out there that don't know who he is or what this song is.
4. The riff for Pantera's "Walk".
Among metal listeners Pantera has always been a respectable band. The "Walk" riff is likely the one most learned by guitarists.
5. AC/DC's "Back in Black"
Still thought of as a classic song, the title track from their 1980 album Back in Black. This song is a staple among players, and not just the ones into metal.
6. The intro to "Sweet Child O' Mine"
Instead of learning the entire song most guitarists just try to get the introduction. There's a joke among the guitarist community that this intro is going to be the new "Stairway to Heaven."
7. Black Sabbath's riff to "Iron Man".
There is no doubt that it's a classic tune. I cannot think of any guitarist I've known that did not know the progression. On top of all that it is considered one of the first metal songs ever.
8. Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" intro riff.
Knowing the introduction parts of "Crazy Train" is much more common than knowing to play the whole thing, similar to the GnR song mentioned earlier.
9. Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze".
Jimi innovated a lot of that early rock sound so there are a lot of guitarists that try to learn his work. This piece especially.
10. "Rainbow in the Dark" from Dio.
As one of the most legendary metal bands, this ranks as one of their best songs. It is a good thing to learn as a guitarist taking this into consideration. This is not all of them, but these are some of the most commonly practiced by guitarists out there.
