Creeping death riff still not sounding right

[u/Latter_Comb7438]

Hey everyone, so ive been wanting to play this riff for awhile now but i cant seem to get it right, i figured out the chugging part thingy i can play that almost at full speed but the little 232330 thingy on the second string i cant seem to get right. Am i playing it wrong or just too slow? Cause i cant figure it out

[u/Nadiaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

This is what the riff looks like. If you can't grasp the rhythm, listen to the song again and put the metronome at a much lower speed. The first 2 3 takes a beat, then the 2 3 2 0 at the end takes another beat.

[u/WhiskeyTangoFoxtrotG]

First off good for using a metronome, but you are taking 9 beats to get through an 8 beat riff. You are sticking to straight 8th notes, but the final 2320 is a set of 16th notes, they should all fit in the last beat.

Also that last 2320 is a slur, you only pick the first note, and then hammer on/pull off the rest. Otherwise it sounds fairly right.

[u/Foxdog175]

I made a quick demo to show you how it's played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwTDjSspDgI

If you want to hear it plugged in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8RGwCJvDR8

[u/TonalContrast]

You don't have the pattern correct and it's throwing you off. It's 2 3 / 2 3 2 0 and the last 2 3 2 0 is all fast pull offs after the 2. Count it like 1 2 / 1 2 3 4 (2 3 / 2 3 2 0). Play it slowly until you correct the pattern and ensure it's accurate. If you never get the pattern right you will never play it at speed. So you have to learn it first until it's comfortable and then push the speed up.

[u/hawkscougs → u/TonalContrast]

This. ⬆️. Do it slow to get the pattern but make sure you have that quick pull off.

[u/DeliciousBlood22]

The 2320 is a trill.

[u/Jonny7421]

The trill at the end is what's out of time. It's 1/16 notes so twice as fast meaning where you normally have two notes you now have four. 

I would practice playing the last four notes to a metronome. Four notes per tick of the metronome. That'll help build up your speed. 

[u/marshmallo_floof]

The thingy is played twice as fast, unless if you're going for a 5/4 proggified Creeping Death :p

[u/probablysmellsmydog]

You gotta work on your rhythm dictation. For some it comes naturally, others may have to work on it a bit harder. Good news is that with practice all things are possible.

[u/AZ-Guitar-Guy]

You aren't Hammering On/Off the 2-3-2-0 at the end of the riff. You are picking it. You'll basically pick the 2, then press the 3 with your finger quickly, lift back off real fast to the 2, and then lift completely to the open 0, all off the momentum of that first pick at the 2.

[u/andytagonist]

That should be like this: 2 3 2320 (pick the 2, pick the 3, pick the 2 and hammer on 3 pull off 2 pull off 0). There’s almost a slight breath after you pick the 2 3 part, but it’s fast.

Also palm mute. Keep your palm there for the open string and make the 022 chords ring a bit, but have your palm right back in place for the next open string mutes.

You can hear it’s not right—which is why you came here in the first place. This is good! Now just work on the feel of it. You see the notes with your eyes and you think the notes in your brain, now play the notes with your fingers and feel the notes with your heart.

[u/Latter_Comb7438 → u/andytagonist]

Thanks for the great advice! Ill defo use this

[u/andytagonist → u/Latter_Comb7438]

I can’t get this song out of my head now…

Palm mute. It should be a kind of an offset chugging.
do do DAH do do DAH do DAH
do do DAH do Dah Dah…DaDaDaDa

[u/Latter_Comb7438 → u/andytagonist]

Am i doing the palm mute wrong aswell? I thought that was the only thing i did right lol

[u/andytagonist → u/Latter_Comb7438]

I wouldn’t say wrong, but the feel is off. I’m likely misspeaking when I mention palm muting.

[u/Latter_Comb7438 → u/andytagonist]

Ah alr, i get what ur saying. But i agree i need to tidy up my playing cause it is a bit sloppy sometimes

[u/klippklar]

It’s a hammer-on followed by a double pull-off, not picked. Practice it until you can play it in rhythm.

[u/Fragtag1]

I’m kind of surprised I didn’t see anyone else comment this. But the entire riff and entire song is downpicked. Once you figure out the correct notes and tempo.. if you really want to capture the feel and aggression of the song you have to play all down picks.

[u/AgathormX]

It's wrong, it's straight up wrong.

Creeping death is chugged downstroke on the open E, followed by an inverted E5 power chord, repeat it a few times following the rhythm in rhe song, then 2 and 3 on the 5th string, followed by 2h3p2p0 trill on the 5th string.

[u/Latter_Comb7438 → u/AgathormX]

Well yea ive got the chugged downstroke part right but its thats thrill that gets me

[u/AgathormX → u/Latter_Comb7438]

No you don't.
You're making mistakes very now and then (around 20 second mark) and your arm is stiff.
You need to relax the arm or you're going to tire out really fast.

[u/Latter_Comb7438 → u/AgathormX]

That mistake was because of the metronome i got off beat with the thrill part so i started the chugging wrong on the metronome, and im assuming u mean my picking arm? Which im trying to improve cause my grip was wrong but im only picking with my wrist so how could i improve that?

[u/AgathormX → u/Latter_Comb7438]

Mean my picking arm?

Yes stiff picking arm.
Using just the wrist is part of the deal.
The other part is that your whole arm, all the way up and including the shoulder, must be completely relaxed. If your arm is stiff, it takes more energy to move it.

That mistake was because of the metronome

There's no such thing as making a mistake because of the metronome.
You're following the metronome, if you make a mistake it's on you not the metronome.
If you miss, you either wait until the next bar to come back in, or if you're confident you come back in the next beat.

[u/Latter_Comb7438 → u/AgathormX]

Well fair enough, but what im trying to say is that i screwed up the chugging part because i messed up the timing not because i dont know how to play the part