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How to Make Metal Music

Step-by-step guide to metal production. Covers 8 subgenres, drop tunings, metal scales, riff writing, drum programming, guitar mixing, and more.

40-250

BPM range

Minor

Dark keys only

Drop D

Power chord tuning

6 scales

Minor to Phrygian

Step 0: Detect the Key Before You Riff

Metal production often starts with a reference track, a sample riff, or a key center. Detect the key first so your tuning, scales, and chord progressions all start from the same root.

1. Detect Key

Upload your reference or loop to BeatKey. Get the key and mode instantly.

2. Pick Your Tuning

Match your guitar tuning to the key. Drop D = D root. Drop C = C root. Use notes.beatkey.app for exact Hz.

3. Write in Key

Program your riffs, solos, and bass all from the same key for a locked, heavy result.

Detect Key Free at BeatKey

Step 01: BPM and Subgenre

Metal covers the widest BPM range of any genre, from 40 BPM doom to 250 BPM blast beats. Pick your subgenre first, then lock your BPM.

Subgenre	BPM	Tuning	Key	Artists	Tip
Heavy Metal / NWOBHM	100-160	E Standard / Eb	E min, A min	Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest	Power chords + single-note riffs. Blues-influenced pentatonic solos.
Thrash Metal	150-220	E Standard / Eb	E min, F# min	Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax	Fast alternate picked riffs. Chromatic passing tones. Syncopated rhythms.
Metalcore / Hardcore	140-180	Drop D / Drop C	D min, C min	Architects, Bring Me The Horizon, August Burns Red	Breakdowns in drop tuning. Clean melodic chorus over heavy verse.
Death Metal	150-250	Drop D / Drop B	C min, B min	Death, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse	Tremolo picking + blast beats. Diminished and chromatic riffs.
Black Metal	150-250	E Standard	E min, B min	Burzum, Mayhem, Emperor	Tremolo-picked chords, raw lo-fi tone, atmospheric minor progressions.
Doom / Stoner Metal	40-90	Eb / Drop C	E min, D min	Black Sabbath (Doom), Sleep, Electric Wizard	Slow crushing riffs. Pentatonic minor. Heavy reverb and fuzz.
Power Metal	120-200	E Standard	E min, A min	Blind Guardian, Helloween, DragonForce	Harmonic minor solos. Fast double bass. Symphonic orchestration.
Djent / Progressive	90-160	Drop B / 7-string	B min, G min	Meshuggah, Periphery, Tesseract	Polyrhythmic riffs. Syncopated palm mutes. Extended range guitars.

No Swing in Metal: Metal drums are perfectly quantized. Never apply swing quantization to metal drums. The rigid timing is what creates the mechanical, crushing feel that defines the genre.

Step 02: Drop Tunings and Hz Reference

Drop tunings lower one or more strings for heavier sound and easier power chord playing. Each tuning changes the root note and key center of your riffs.

Drop D Power Chord Advantage: In Drop D, power chords on the lowest string are played with one finger. Barre the low three strings at any fret for an instant power chord. This is why Drop D is the most popular metal tuning for fast riffing.

E Standard Keys: E/F#/A/B Classic metal, thrash, black metal

E2	A2	D3	G3	B3	E4
82.4 Hz	110 Hz	146.8 Hz	196 Hz	246.9 Hz	329.6 Hz

Full chord voicings, standard barre chords

Eb Standard Keys: Eb/F/Ab/Bb Classic metal, Hendrix tone, Guns N Roses

Eb2	Ab2	Db3	Gb3	Bb3	Eb4
77.8 Hz	103.8 Hz	138.6 Hz	185 Hz	233.1 Hz	311.1 Hz

Looser strings, darker tone, slightly heavier

Drop D Keys: D/E/G/A Heavy metal, grunge, metalcore

D2	A2	D3	G3	B3	E4
73.4 Hz	110 Hz	146.8 Hz	196 Hz	246.9 Hz	329.6 Hz

1-finger power chords on low string. Easy palm mutes.

Drop C Keys: C/D/F/G Metalcore, nu-metal, modern heavy

C2	G2	C3	F3	A3	D4
65.4 Hz	98 Hz	130.8 Hz	174.6 Hz	220 Hz	293.7 Hz

Even heavier low end. Djent palm mutes. One-finger power chords.

Drop B Keys: B/C#/E/F# Djent, progressive metal, extreme metal

B1	F#2	B2	E3	G#3	C#4
61.7 Hz	92.5 Hz	123.5 Hz	164.8 Hz	207.7 Hz	277.2 Hz

Sub-bass heaviness. Used for 6-string djent riffs.

Drop A Keys: A/B/D/E Extreme metal, deathcore

A1	E2	A2	D3	F#3	B3
55 Hz	82.4 Hz	110 Hz	146.8 Hz	185 Hz	246.9 Hz

Deepest 6-string drop. More common on 7-string guitar.

Use the Guitar Tuning Guide for exact Hz values and chromatic tuner for every tuning:

Guitar Tuning Guide Free Chromatic Tuner

Step 03: Metal Scales

Metal draws from six main scales. Each scale has a distinct emotional character and subgenre home. All six have full 5-position guitar guides on scales.beatkey.app.

Natural Minor (Aeolian)

1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7

Dark, melancholic, versatile

Most common metal scale. 90% of all riffs and solos.

E minor: E F# G A B C D

All metal subgenres

5-Position Guitar Guide

Phrygian Mode

1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7

Cold, aggressive, Spanish metal

Thrash metal aggression. The b2 creates the signature "Spanish metal" sound.

E Phrygian: E F G A B C D

Thrash, death, black metal

5-Position Guitar Guide

Harmonic Minor

1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7

Neoclassical, dramatic, dark nobility

Power metal guitar solos. Bach-influenced classical metal runs.

E harmonic minor: E F# G A B C D#

Power metal, neoclassical metal

5-Position Guitar Guide

Phrygian Dominant

1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7

Exotic, flamenco, Middle Eastern aggression

Adds augmented 2nd interval (b2 to 3). Used in exotic and progressive metal.

E Phrygian Dominant: E F G# A B C D

Progressive, exotic metal, djent

5-Position Guitar Guide

Diminished Scale

1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 7

Dissonant, death metal chaos, tritone tension

Death metal riffs built on tritones. Thrash metal chromatic passing runs.

C diminished: C D Eb F Gb Ab A B

Death metal, thrash, avant-garde metal

5-Position Guitar Guide

Minor Pentatonic

1 b3 4 5 b7

Blues-metal, rock, classic riffing

The foundation of classic metal solos. Black Sabbath, early Metallica.

E minor pentatonic: E G A B D

Heavy metal, doom, classic rock-metal

5-Position Guitar Guide

The #1 Metal Scale Insight: Natural minor (Aeolian) works for almost every metal riff. Add Phrygian (flat 2nd) for extra aggression. Add Harmonic Minor (raised 7th) for classical neoclassical drama. Learn these three and you can write in any metal subgenre.

Step 04: Metal Riff Progressions

Metal "chord progressions" are mostly power chord riff patterns. These 6 patterns cover the full spectrum from classic heavy metal to death metal.

Classic Power Chord Riff

i - bVII - bVI - bVII

E5 - D5 - C5 - D5 (E minor)

Driving, aggressive, the most common metal progression

Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden

Phrygian Flat Two

i - bII - i - bII

Em - F - Em - F (E Phrygian)

Cold, Spanish-aggressive, thrash signature sound

Slayer, Sepultura, Pantera

Harmonic Minor Resolution

i - bVI - VII - i

Em - C - D# - Em (E harmonic minor)

Neoclassical, resolving tension, power metal drama

Judas Priest, Yngwie Malmsteen, Helloween

Doom Slow Crush

i - bVII - bVI - V

E5 - D5 - C5 - B5 (E minor, very slow)

Crushingly heavy, slow, apocalyptic

Black Sabbath (Doom), Sleep, Electric Wizard

Thrash Riff Descend

i - bVII - bVI - bV

E5 - D5 - C5 - Bb5 (tritone target)

Descending tension, tritone landing, thrash aggression

Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth

Single Chord Palm Mute

i (repeated, palm muted)

E5 palm mute groove with rhythmic variation

Maximum heaviness, groove-based, breakdown foundation

Pantera, Lamb of God, all metalcore breakdowns

Find all chord shapes and inversions for any metal key:

Metal Chord Finder

Step 05: Metal Drum Programming

Metal drumming is the most technically demanding in popular music. When programming drums, focus on kick pattern complexity, tight snare snap, and the distinction between normal 8th-note patterns and blast beats.

Element	16-Step Pattern (1 bar)	Sound	Production Tip
Kick	X . . . \| X . X . \| . . X . \| X . . .	Double bass kick pedal or programmed double kick	Double kick on beats 3-and for thrash feel. Blast beats: kick every 8th note at 200+ BPM.
Snare	. . X . \| . . X . \| . . X . \| . . X .	Tight, punchy, gated snare with snap	Rim shots for maximum snap. Gate snare to 30ms to cut reverb tail in fast passages.
Hi-Hat / Ride	X X X X \| X X X X \| X X X X \| X X X X	8th or 16th note straight pattern, no swing	Metal uses NO swing. Perfectly quantized 8th notes or 16th notes. Ride cymbal for open sections.
Crash	X . . . \| . . . . \| X . . . \| . . . .	Crash on every section start and riff change	Layer 2 crash cymbals panned slightly left and right for width. China cymbal for extra aggression.

Blast Beat (Death/Black Metal)

Blast beats put the snare on every 8th note alongside the kick. At 200+ BPM, this creates a wall of noise. Program: kick every 8th note, snare every 8th note offset by one 16th note. Use MIDI velocity variation (100-127) so it does not sound robotic.

Double Bass (Thrash/Power Metal)

Double bass pedal runs put the kick on every 16th note for 1-4 bars. Program kick at every 16th-note position at 120-160 BPM. Velocity pattern: alternating 100/85 for the two feet. Layer a room mic sample under each kick hit for live weight.

The Breakdown (Metalcore)

A metal breakdown is a slow, half-time section where kick and snare simplify and palm-muted guitar power chords take center stage. Cut BPM in half (or half-time feel) and program kick on beat 1 only with huge snare on beat 3. Maximum impact.

Drum Samples

Steven Slate Drums, GetGood Drums, and Superior Drummer are the industry standard for realistic programmed metal drums. Free option: Addictive Drums trial or MIDI packs for EZDrummer. Avoid thin default DAW kits for metal production.

Step 06: Metal Song Arrangement

Metal songs follow a riff-based structure. The riff is the hook - not the chorus. Build your arrangement around riff variation and energy contrast.

Section	Bars	What Happens	Energy
Intro Riff	4-16	Main riff without vocals. Establish the tone.	Building
Verse	16-32	Rhythm guitar + vocals. Slightly lighter than chorus.	Medium
Pre-Chorus	8	Build to chorus. May add a pick scrape or fill.	Rising
Chorus	16-32	Biggest riff, highest energy, vocal hook.	Peak
Verse 2	16-32	Repeat structure with new lyrics. May vary slightly.	Medium
Bridge / Breakdown	8-16	New riff or breakdown. Palm mutes. Rhythmic shift.	Contrast
Guitar Solo	8-16	Lead guitar over simplified rhythm. Optional.	High
Final Chorus	16-32	Biggest version of chorus. May add a key or tempo change.	Maximum
Outro	4-16	Fade with main riff or abrupt stop on final hit.	Fade/Cut

Step 07: Mix Metal

Metal mixing is all about controlled aggression. Tight drums, wide guitars, and a bass that works with the kick rather than against it.

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Double Track Guitars

Record the same riff twice, pan one 100% left, one 100% right. This is the standard metal guitar width technique used on every major metal record. Even subtle differences between takes create organic width.

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High-Pass at 80-120 Hz

Metal rhythm guitars are mid-heavy, not bass-heavy. High-pass both guitar tracks at 80-120 Hz to let the bass guitar and kick drum own the low end. Avoid mud around 200-400 Hz - cut these frequencies on rhythm guitars.

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Presence Boost 2-5 kHz

Boost 2-5 kHz on lead guitars to cut through the mix. For rhythm guitars, boost presence at 3-4 kHz. This range carries the attack of the pick and the aggressive mid-range character of metal tone.

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Noise Gate Before Amp

Place a noise gate before your amp simulation plugin. Set threshold to -50 to -60 dB to cut string noise between riffs. This is essential for tight metal tone - without gating, high-gain amps hiss constantly during silent beats.

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Scoop Mids on Rhythm

Classic metal tone has a mid scoop: cut 500-800 Hz on rhythm guitars. This creates the classic American metal sound (Mesa Boogie Rectifier, 5150). Do NOT scoop mids on lead guitars - they need the 1-2 kHz range to cut through.

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Drum Bus Parallel Compression

Send drums to a parallel compression bus at 8:1 or higher, blend at 20-30%. This adds punch and slam to programmed drums without destroying transients. Essential for making drum machines sound as aggressive as live drummers.

Element	HPF	Cut	Boost	Target Level
Rhythm Guitar L/R	100 Hz	300-500 Hz (mud)	3-4 kHz (presence)	-14 dBFS peak
Lead Guitar	120 Hz	250-400 Hz	1-2 kHz + 6-8 kHz	-12 dBFS peak
Bass Guitar	40 Hz	500-800 Hz (clank)	80-100 Hz + 1-3 kHz	-10 dBFS peak
Kick Drum	50 Hz	200-300 Hz (boom)	60-80 Hz + 4-5 kHz	-10 dBFS peak
Snare	150 Hz	400-600 Hz (boxiness)	2-4 kHz (snap)	-12 dBFS peak
Vocals	120 Hz	200-400 Hz (mud)	2-5 kHz (presence)	-10 dBFS peak

Mastering Targets

-9 to -7 LUFS

Streaming (Spotify/Apple)

-1.0 dBTP

True Peak ceiling

-6 to -5 LUFS

Club/Loud master

Check mono

Before finalizing

Free Metal Production Tools

BeatKey

Detect key of any sample or reference track instantly.

beatkey.app

Guitar Tuning Guide

Hz reference for every standard and drop tuning.

notes.beatkey.app/guitar-tuning-guide

Chromatic Tuner

Free browser-based tuner. Works for every drop tuning.

notes.beatkey.app/tuner

Scale Finder

Visualize Aeolian, Phrygian, Harmonic Minor, and more.

scales.beatkey.app

Chord Finder

Find every power chord, barre chord shape for metal keys.

chords.beatkey.app

Delay Calculator

Sync reverb pre-delay and delay effects to your metal BPM.

delay.beatkey.app

6 Common Metal Production Mistakes

✗ Out-of-tune instruments

✓ Tune every guitar to Hz using notes.beatkey.app tuner. Even 5 cents off ruins the guitar wall sound.

✗ Swing quantization on drums

✓ Remove all swing. Metal drums are perfectly quantized. Swing makes metal sound like lo-fi hip-hop.

✗ No guitar double-tracking

✓ Record or program two separate guitar tracks, pan 100% L and 100% R. One track sounds thin.

✗ Too much low-end on guitars

✓ High-pass rhythm guitars at 80-120 Hz. Guitars fight the bass and kick if you keep the low end.

✗ Wrong drum samples

✓ Use metal-specific drum samples (Steven Slate, GetGood). Default DAW kits sound wrong for metal.

✗ Solo not in scale

✓ Detect the key with BeatKey, then use Phrygian or Harmonic Minor for the solo. Check notes with the Scale Finder.

Metal Production FAQ

What BPM is metal?

Metal BPM varies widely by subgenre. Doom metal runs 40-90 BPM. Classic heavy metal and thrash sit at 100-220 BPM. Death metal and black metal push 150-250 BPM with blast beat drumming. Metalcore runs 140-180 BPM. Pick your subgenre first, then lock your BPM.

What tuning is best for metal?

Drop D (DADGBE) is the most popular starting tuning because one-finger power chords are easy on the low string. Drop C is popular for metalcore and heavier styles. Standard E works for classic metal and thrash. Use the guitar tuning guide at notes.beatkey.app for exact Hz values for every tuning.

What scales do metal guitarists use?

Natural minor (Aeolian) is the foundation of almost all metal. Phrygian mode (flat 2nd) creates the coldest, most aggressive metal sound. Harmonic minor adds neoclassical drama for power metal solos. Minor pentatonic is the base of classic metal solos. All four have full 5-position guitar guides on scales.beatkey.app.

How do I mix metal guitars to sound professional?

The key steps are: high-pass at 80-120 Hz, cut mud at 200-400 Hz, boost presence at 3-4 kHz, use a noise gate before the amp simulation, double-track and pan 100% L/R, and check in mono. Using a high-quality amp simulation (Neural DSP, Positive Grid Bias) makes a larger difference than any EQ move.

Related Production Guides

Natural Minor Scale Guitar

5 positions, rock/metal

Phrygian Scale Guitar

Flat 2nd, cold aggression

Harmonic Minor Guitar

Neoclassical power metal

Guitar Tuning Guide

Drop D, Drop C, all tunings

Genre Production Guide

All 10 genre guides

How to Make a Hip-Hop Beat

Boom bap production