Dude, I'm having almost the same problem you are. I can do great Blues solos as well as Hard Rock solos, but the Heavy Metal thing isn't clicking yet. Though I can help you with the rock part. You obviously know pentatonic scales, right? Well have you ever tried doing a pentatonic in the highest octave? If you were to mix a minor scale in with the pentatonic for sort of a Queensryche feel, it would be totally rockin. Speaking of minor scales, one a high string (preferably e), you could hammer off and descend(or ascend) in the minor pattern, as in the following

(e) : 15, 14, 12; 14, 12, 10; 12, 10, 9; 10, 9, 7; 5,7


Also, minor scales and tapping your pick at a higher fret with two other frets held, one to be hammered off after the pick.

Thanks Michael De Cecco in the key of E are you using E Minor or THE VI C# minor or any other scale degree like F#?

... dude, you must be a much better guitarist than me, because I can't comprehend what you're asking XD

I could tab out the basis for it if you have guitar pro :0

if you don't mind i would love you to tab it out for me.

i'm probably not better then you i'm just a theory person plus i'm not good at explaining things.

Alright, so you do have guitar pro then? Send me your email if you do, and I'll send it to you.

casnake3@yahoo.com

Alright, I'll have it within the week, if I can. I hope gp.4 will work with your version....

Two words: Floyd Rose

Well, as for who to listen to, Paul Gilbert (as mentioned), Yngwie Malmsteen (pronounced "ing-vey"), John Petrucci (he may be more your style, as he's a Progressive Rock guy). There's a lot of metal guys out there that I could name, but these are a few (and I do mean few) of the major ones.

I agree. Listen to alot of metal players. It appears you have the skills and ability, you just need to leverage what you know to play metal. Like blues is more than pentatonics, metal is more than minor modes. It's a feel. Once you start feeling metal, you'll begin playing metal. However, there are certain techniques/cliches you can pick up that'll help with your metal playing:

pinch harmonics - learn to make your guitar squeal
an agressive vibrato
palm muting - usually for rhythmn playing
tremolo picking - a must for extreme metal
the (yawn) gratuitous tapping - i try to stay away from too much tapping
fast ascending runs

Oh yea, you gotta have your tone together. Definately use high gain for your rhythms, and back off a bit for solos. But the gain has to be enough where you can do pinch harmonics with ease.

id say, do all of the things that dcunning mentioned above but also try to throw in your jazzy and blues influence here and there and make that part of your own unique and original sound, id say dont try to sound not too jazzy or bluesy because that could possibly add a whole new other demension to your metal soloing

as jg76aries mentioned above john petrucci is a good guitarist to check out because hes got some jazz influence

A lot of it has to do with the scales you are using. Try harmonic minor, natural minor (ala Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert etc...)

Also the chord progression that you are soloing over determines much of the mood of the solo. The heavier you make the progression, the easier it will be to highlight that in your solo.

Hope this helps.

Take care,
Mike Philippov
www.mikephilippov.com
www.thenextstepguitar.com

Eddie Van halen, Randy Rhoads, George Lynch, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani...

hey thanks guys my metal solo is coming out.

Tried harmonic and melodic minor patterns? That does the trick for me.