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Thrash Metal Guitar

80 songs · 6 artists

Thrash metal is speed, aggression and precision. Born in the early 80s, it combined the intensity of hardcore punk with the technical ambition of heavy metal. The "Big Four" set the standard, and on GuitarZone, Metallica and Megadeth lead the charge.

If you want to push your downpicking speed, learn complex riff structures and develop stamina in your picking hand, thrash is the ultimate training ground.

Songs to Start With

Metallica - Master of PuppetsMegadeth - Holy Wars... The Punishment DueMetallica - Enter SandmanSlayer - Raining Blood
A
Anthrax 1
  1. 1 Madhouse LESSON 1992
View all Anthrax songs →
M
Megadeth 15
  1. 1 Angry Again LESSON 1992
  2. 2 Hangar 18 TAB 1990
  3. 3 Holy Wars LESSON 1989
  4. 4 Holy Wars - Chords/Rhythms LESSON 1990
  5. 5 Holy Wars - Chords/Rhythms Part 2 LESSON 1990
  6. 6 Holy Wars... The Punishment Due TAB 1990
  7. 7 In My Darkest Hour LESSON 1988
  8. 8 Killing Is My Business TAB 1985
  9. 9 Mary Jane TAB 1988
  10. 10 Peace Sells TAB 1986
  11. 11 Skin o' My Teeth TAB 1992
  12. 12 Sweating Bullets TAB 1992
  13. 13 Symphony of Destruction TAB 1992
  14. 14 The Conjuring TAB 1986
  15. 15 Tornado of Souls TAB 1990
View all Megadeth songs →
Metallica 56
  1. 1 ...And Justice For TAB 1988
  2. 2 ...And Justice for All TAB 1988
  3. 3 AM I EVIL ? TAB 1983
  4. 4 Am I Evil? LESSON 1983
  5. 5 Battery LESSON 1986
  6. 6 Blackened TAB 1988
  7. 7 Blackened 2020 LESSON 2020
  8. 8 Creeping Death TAB 1984
  9. 9 Damage, Inc. LESSON 1986
  10. 10 Disposable Heroes LESSON 1986
  11. 11 Dyers Eve LESSON 1986
  12. 12 Enter Sandman - Solo LESSON 1991
  13. 13 Enter Sandman Pt.1 - Intro & Main Riff LESSON 1991
  14. 14 Enter Sandman Pt.2 - Verse, PreChorus & Chorus LESSON 1991
  15. 15 Enter Sandman Pt.3 - Solo LESSON 1991
  16. 16 Escape TAB 1984
  17. 17 Eye Of The Beholder TAB 1988
  18. 18 Fade To Black TAB 1984
  19. 19 Fight Fire With Fire LESSON 1984
  20. 20 For Whom The Bell Tolls TAB 1984
  21. 21 Hardwired LESSON 2016
  22. 22 Harvester Of Sorrow TAB 1988
  23. 23 High Plains Drifter TAB 1987
  24. 24 Hit The Lights LESSON 1983
  25. 25 Holier Than Thou TAB 1991
  26. 26 Jump In The Fire TAB 1983
  27. 27 JUSTICE MEDLEY Live Sh*t '93 TAB 1994
  28. 28 KIRK GUITAR SOLO Live Sh*t '93 TAB 1993
  29. 29 LAST CARESS TAB 1985
  30. 30 Leper Messiah LESSON 1986
  31. 31 Maiden And The Monster TAB 2023
  32. 32 Master Of Puppets TAB 1986
  33. 33 Metal Militia TAB 1983
  34. 34 Moth Into Flame TAB 2016
  35. 35 Motorbreath TAB 1983
  36. 36 No Remorse TAB 1983
  37. 37 One TAB 1988
  38. 38 Orion TAB 1986
  39. 39 Phantom Lord TAB 1983
  40. 40 Ride The Lightning TAB 1984
  41. 41 Seek And Destroy TAB 1983
  42. 42 Spit Out The Bone LESSON 2016
  43. 43 Spit Out The Bone Guitar Solo LESSON 2016
  44. 44 The Call Of Ktulu TAB 1984
  45. 45 The Day That Never Comes TAB 2008
  46. 46 The Four Horsemen TAB 1983
  47. 47 The Frayed Ends of Sanity TAB 1989
  48. 48 The Shortest Straw TAB 1988
  49. 49 THROUGH THE NEVER TAB 2013
  50. 50 Through the Never - Main Riffs LESSON 2013
  51. 51 TO LIVE IS TO DIE TAB 1986
  52. 52 Trapped Under Ice TAB 1984
  53. 53 Welcome Home TAB 2008
  54. 54 Welcome Home (Intro & Rhythm) LESSON 1991
  55. 55 Welcome Home (Sanitarium) TAB 1986
  56. 56 Whiplash TAB 1983
View all Metallica songs →
S
Sepultura 1
  1. 1 Dead Embryonic Cells TAB 1991
View all Sepultura songs →
Slayer 6
  1. 1 Delusions of Saviour LESSON 1990
  2. 2 Raining Blood LESSON 1986
  3. 3 Raining Blood Pt.2 - Chords/Rhythms LESSON
  4. 4 Seasons in the Abyss LESSON 1990
  5. 5 South of Heaven LESSON 1988
  6. 6 War Ensemble LESSON 1990
View all Slayer songs →
T
Testament 1
  1. 1 Disciples Of The Watch TAB 1997
View all Testament songs →

Thrash Metal Guitar Technique

Thrash guitar revolves around fast downpicking, tight palm muting and rapid-fire riff changes. James Hetfield's right hand is legendary: songs like Master of Puppets require relentless downstrokes at 200+ BPM for minutes at a time. Dave Mustaine brought a more technical, almost jazz-influenced approach to Megadeth's riffs.

Most thrash sits in E Standard or Eb Standard. The tone is tight and scooped: lots of midrange cut, heavy distortion, and precise muting. A noise gate is almost essential for clean stops between riffs.

Build your thrash chops gradually. Start with Enter Sandman for a manageable tempo. Move to Holy Wars for complex rhythm work. Master of Puppets is the endurance test that separates intermediate from advanced.

Explore the parent genre Heavy Metal or see what thrash sounded like in the 80s.