Heavy Metal Drumming Beginners Guide

Heavy metal remains prevalent in today’s society, with a lot of the instrumentation done more so through digital/electronic outlets. The powerful and loud sound makes way for big concerts and festivals. It’s a genre of music with a lot of influence and still holds weight for a significant subgenre. Here are some things to know about heavy metal drumming. Visit Steel Drums for more information.

What Is Heavy Metal Drumming?

Endurance and complexity are two factors that make heavy metal drumming shine from the pack. It’s a style that developed around the 1960s-1970s in the United States and the United Kingdom.

It’s a combination of blues-rock & acid rock style drumming, which has more of an aggressive playing motif. With the mix of emphatic beats and a certain loud appeal, this is what gives it the metal edge. Make it the best choice for beginners and experienced players alike with the Best Weighted MIDI Keyboard Controllers.

Speed, precision, and power are all elements needed to keep up with the intensity of the band. The drummer is the backbone of the music along with the use of the best drum set for metal. The drumming section also shows the more amusing parts of every metal song played.

For some of the more mainstream acts, it was less about rhythm and more about having that powerful sound. That type of style became known as “blast-beat.” It’s a sixteenth-note figure played very fast. Find the selection for Best Beginners Acoustic Guitars that is fitted for you.

Heavy Metal Drumming Subgenres

Thrash Metal

Here’s a style that’s known as the first form of extreme metal. It’s an energetic style that features quick tempos, complexity, and aggression. Drums also use double-kick and double-bass drumming. The bands at the forefront of this subgenre include Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax.

Death Metal

Here’s something that not only focuses on the sound but the lyrical content as well. Think of watching a horror slasher film or some science fiction flick. In the production, it features abrupt tempos, signature changes, and chromatic chord progressions. The lyrical content has more emphasis on the message, especially from a more suspenseful, conscious, and scientific perspective. Even the vocalist has some growl to bring more atmosphere to the music. 

Black Metal 

Derived from Europe in the early to mid-1980s, black metal is a much darker form of metal. The genre has sparked controversy from the anti-Christian and misanthropic themes of the music. It’s gone on to have quite an underground presence. The drumming has blast beats that can go up to 300 beats per minute. The key here is keeping the authenticity rather than just being technically sound. 

Doom Metal

Here’s a form of metal that focuses on a slower tempo and a more massive sound than most subgenres. The lyrical content and music have a gloomier and dreadful presence. The rhythm is more repetitive and doesn’t focus much on harmony. However, they do prefer clean vocals instead of distortion. It’s a good mesh between the more simple drum patterns and clear vocals to hear the message of the lead singer. Ultimately, it gives a laid back approach to more extreme metal subgenres. 

In the 90s and 2000s, there’s been a mashup of different elements of heavy metal mixed in with a mainstream appeal. It’s called nu-Metal, which combines rock, metal, and even some hip-hop beats to fuse into a unique style. 

Heavy Metal Drumming Bands to Copy

Several bands have a tremendous impact on the heavy metal scene.

However, the big five have not only paved the way but inspired the newcomers when it comes to mainstream impact. They include Black Sabbath, Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, and AC/DC. Throughout the past three to four decades, these bands have not only set a precedent for other groups. They’ve also each impacted the globe by selling 50-100 million records worldwide.

In the past 20 years, there’s been a resurgence of metal for the alternative audience. Some of the critical bands include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Linkin Park, and Limp Bizkit. With the advent of the internet becoming a dominant force in music downloads and streams, these bands have stood the test of time. From the 90s to the new millennium, there have been countless tours and hundreds of millions of records sold between the groups. You can see that metal and its subgenres have staying power for over 40 years. 

Heavy Metal Drumming Playing

When you’re playing the drums, you always need to have an idea of different measures and sections in the music. We’ll go through some of those parts. 

You have the groove section where it sets the essential time feel and gives you an idea of the rhythmic tone. Another part of the groove is the drum fill and ornaments. It provides your drum kick more depth to that backbeat. 

A fill indicates where the song changes in rhythm. It’s essentially filling in space between a verse and a chorus. Also, you can use the cymbal sound like a good transition into the chorus. 

You can’t forget the drum solo. Here’s the most active part. It’s also known as the “break” of a song. In this part, it’s the drummer’s chance to shine. All of the band members stop playing while the drummer does a complex rhythm for a few bars. A lot of people tend to enjoy this vibrant part of the music.

Heavy Metal Drumming Components

Without the right tools, you won’t get the same drum effects to make the music. Metal drummers use a drum kit, which consists of percussion instruments, cymbals, drum sticks, and bass drums. Depending on how technical the drummer plays, they could add other elements for a deeper sound. Check Gretsch Catalina Maple Review if you’re trying to learn the basics as a drummer.

Some of the common extensions include double bass drums, cymbal stacks, timbales, and toms. 

Also, metal bands amplify their drums by using dynamic microphones. As a result, it’ll be easier to handle high sound pressure levels. The condenser microphones are perfect for recording because they use overheads. When you have the microphone place that closes, it’s easier to mount them to get the best sound clarity. For more information, please visit Metal Drum Machine.

Whether you’re making a band perform for gigs or doing your solo thing, these are things to know to help you with your heavy metal drumming. Pick Noiseless Strat that produces clarity and harmonic attributes.