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Free Jam Tracks - Brought to you by Nick Cresswell

Metal Guitar Jam Tracks

02 D5 Metal Vamp mp3
Time/size: 4 mins 07 secs/5.68mb
Metal jam track: Hard vamp on D5 chord (84 beats per minute/bpm)
Backing track instruments: electric guitar, bass and drums
Suggestion(s): Play minor and major scales over the D5.

Randy Rhoads - Guitar solo live with Quit Riot

03 E Furious mp3
Time/size: 4 mins 26 secs/6.1mb
Metal jam track: Metal progression in E (160 beats per minute/bpm)
Backing track instruments: electric guitar, bass and drums
Progression: 4 bar progression: E7 riff x 2 bars, G5 x 1 bar, A5 x 1 bar

Music Theory - Chords

The E7 doesn't use a 3rd so the E7 chord could be seen as either Major or minor. Similarly with the G5 & A5 chords. The 3rd of a chord determines weather the chord is Major or minor. Without a 3rd in the chord it leaves it open to what you can play over the chord. That's why power chords (ie chords with no 3rd, eg G5 & A5) work well, they leave things open.

Suggestion(s): Play an E Dorian scale over the progression.

Music Theory - The Dorian Scale

The Dorian scale is a minor scale that uses the Root, Major 2nd, minor 3rd, Major 4th, Major 5th, Major 6th & b7th notes when comparing it to the Major scale.
If we name the 7 notes of any Major scale by numbering them 1 through to 7
Major: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 compared to the Major scale the Dorian scale has a lowered, or flat 3rd and flat 7th. Dorian: 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7

So if we take the E Major scale we get: E Major: E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#
taking the flat 3rd and flat 7th of the E Major scale gives us the E Dorian scale:
E Dorian: E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D

Anytime you want to play a Dorian scale you can work it back from the Major scale
simply be flattening the 3rd and 7th of the Major scale (using the same Root note).

Note: I have said that this track is in the key of E, but I could just as easily convince myself it's in D. I overly concerned about naming conventions as you can get carried away with that stuff all too easily. This ain't Juilliard you know! Let your ears do the listening and your heart do the playing. This is where I always wanted to go: Berklee College of Music

Pantera Live at Ozzfest - Cowboys from Hell

04 E Pedal To The Metal mp3
Time/size: 6 mins 25 secs/8.81mb
Metal jam track: Metal progression in E (90 beats per minute/bpm)
Backing track instruments: electric guitar, bass and drums
Progression is made up of: (E5-C5), (E5-Db5-D5) & (E5...D5-Db5)
Suggestion(s): Play an E Aeolian scale over the progression.

Music Theory - The Aeolian (or Natural minor) Scale

The Aeolian scale, also called the Natural minor scale, is a scale that uses the Root, Major 2nd, minor 3rd, Major 4th, Major 5th, minor 6th & b7th notes when comparing it to the Major scale.

If we name the 7 notes of any Major scale by numbering them 1 through to 7
Major: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 compared to the Major scale the Aeolian scale has a lowered, or flat 3rd, 6th and 7th. Aeolian: 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7

If we take the E Major scale we get: E Major: E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D# taking the flat 3rd, flat 6th and flat 7th of the E Major scale gives us the E Aeolian scale:
E Aeolian: E, F#, G, A, B, C, D

Anytime you want to play an Aeolian scale you can work it back from the Major scale
simply be flattening the 3rd, 6th and 7th of the Major scale (using the same Root note).

Jam on!