# What are some songs that will make my downpicking rhythm awesome?



## Xiphos68 (Dec 3, 2009)

Please no songs by lamb of god. There blasphemous and I don't like it. Don't try to convince me there's nothing wrong with the matter. I love the music; the lyrics just no. I just need some songs that are not vulgar, cursing, or blasphemous and that will help my rhythm get better? 

Can be death metal too animals as leaders. I don't care. Just please help me?
Rep for answers!!!

Video lessons are cool too!


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## Bloody_Inferno (Dec 3, 2009)

Master of Puppets is the usual chestnut for rhythm downpicking.


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## Brendan G (Dec 3, 2009)

Some faster Metallica songs such as Master of Puppets would be good for that sort of thing, as far as I know it isn't vulgar so it seems to fit the bill.

Edit: Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu . . .

Edit 2: More generally, almost all thrash songs would be good for downpicking.


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## Xiphos68 (Dec 3, 2009)

Yeah a friend of mine told me that everything on master of puppets is good.

But I really want to get into really complicated stuff like Messhuggah but there too hard for the moment. So would it still be Masters or anything else?


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## dpm (Dec 3, 2009)

For down picking Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning are the go to albums. Then start looking at the mid->late 90's Swedish stuff as Hauch says.


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## techcoreriffman (Dec 3, 2009)

I would suggest "An Ocean Between Us" by As I Lay Dying ( <- Christian band), or just about any other metalcore song. If you can play it all downpicking, which is pretty hard, you kow that you're getting pretty good at it.


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## Xiphos68 (Dec 3, 2009)

techcoreriffman said:


> I would suggest "An Ocean Between Us" by As I Lay Dying ( <- Christian band), or just about any other metalcore song. If you can play it all downpicking, which is pretty hard, you kow that you're getting pretty good at it.


I have that album I'll go back to it and give it a listen.
Forgot all about them.


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## techcoreriffman (Dec 3, 2009)

Yeah. It's not all that difficult of a song to play, but all downpicking... It's challenging to say the least.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Dec 3, 2009)

If you're going down the metalcore path, you can't go wrong with Killswitch Engage either. Positive lyrics and very rhythm intensive. Rose of Sharyn, some tricky stretches, but pretty straight forward too.


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## techcoreriffman (Dec 3, 2009)

Also, I don't know if this song does this the whole time as I haven't listened to it all that much, but the beginning of "The Psalm of Lydia" by Nevermore is pretty thrashy.

*EDIT* As I see we're going down the whole math metal route, The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza is groovy as hell and would be pretty challenging to play all downpicking.


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## Xiphos68 (Dec 3, 2009)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> If you're going down the metalcore path, you can't go wrong with Killswitch Engage either. Positive lyrics and very rhythm intensive. Rose of Sharyn, some tricky stretches, but pretty straight forward too.


Cool. Thanks. That road and like Math Metal I guess you could say.



techcoreriffman said:


> Also, I don't know if this song does this the whole time as I haven't listened to it all that much, but the beginning of "The Psalm of Lydia" by Nevermore is pretty thrashy.


Love that riff!


Does anybody have any tips for down picking?


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## All_¥our_Bass (Dec 3, 2009)

Anything Metallica.


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## TomParenteau (Dec 3, 2009)

Almost any Ramones!


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## thesimo (Dec 4, 2009)

- if you down pick it


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## windu (Dec 4, 2009)

just learn some early metallica songs thats how i got my down picking good. try downpicking all of master of puppets. throwdown is also a good one, hatebreed, if you want to get a solid rythem down pick. maybe even a few born of osiris songs


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## darbdavys (Dec 4, 2009)

techcoreriffman said:


> Also, I don't know if this song does this the whole time as I haven't listened to it all that much, but the beginning of "The Psalm of Lydia" by Nevermore is pretty thrashy.
> 
> *EDIT* As I see we're going down the whole math metal route, The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza is groovy as hell and would be pretty challenging to play all downpicking.


it is ultra challenging to play normally (alt picking), downpicking would be too insane 

gg playing  all downpicking


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## distressed_romeo (Dec 4, 2009)

Another vote or Metallica here (the song 'Master of Puppets' would be an excellent starting point. You could also check out any early songs by Anthrax or Testament. In terms of more recent bands, Iced Earth or Fear Factory songs would be good.
For technique, you might want to experiment with angling the pick into the strings a bit more than you would when alternate or economy picking. Other than that it's just the same process as any technique; make sure your hands are relaxed, go for tone, consistency and accuracy before speed, and make sure you practice it a little bit every day. Oh, and make sure you experiment with palm-muting, specifically the exact point where your right-hand palm touches the strings, as this is a huge part of this sort of rhythm sound.


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## Maniacal (Dec 4, 2009)

Psycroptic


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## Xiphos68 (Dec 4, 2009)

Maniacal said:


> Psycroptic


Who is this?


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## TheAceOfSpades1 (Dec 4, 2009)

Xiphos68 said:


> Who is this?



PSYCROPTIC - DVD preview up now!! check it out! on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads


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## kung_fu (Dec 4, 2009)

Xiphos68 said:


> Does anybody have any tips for down picking?



If you're picking "up", you're doing it wrong . I know you don't want blasphemous, but a lot of Slayer tunes are great for downpicking.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Dec 4, 2009)

For more Metallica specific songs:

Creeping Death. Like Master of Puppets, it's a full on 90% downpick workout. 
For Whom the Bell Tolls. Beginner's downpick choice 101. Very easy and should get you used to refining your technique. 
Ride the Lightning. You can pretty much say the whole album, but the title track is a good moderate song. 
Blackened. Some great odd timing excercises for the right hand. 

And definitely check out some Ramones. Easy 3 chord stuff allowing you to focus on building some right hand muscle. 

And also, everything distressed_romeo said.  Speed is the byproduct of accuracy so definitely take your time and enjoy it.


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## hutchman (Dec 5, 2009)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> Master of Puppets is the usual chestnut for rhythm downpicking.



Yep. It's the one that got my down picking chops down. Pure down picking for about..... i don't know 4 mins???? I'll have to look it up. It's goes for a while. If you can nail that, down stroking, your on your way!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Necrophagist777 (Dec 5, 2009)

Great 7 string track.


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## New Age Moron (Dec 11, 2009)

Yeah, the first four Metallica albums are great for downpicking rhythms. (I have to point out that philosophically speaking it's largely grounded in anti-religious nihilism though, and Jump In The Fire actively encourages the listener to worship Satan )

Oh yeah, also Demanufacture by Fear Factory is a great album for serious downpicking, right from the first riff


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## Isan (Dec 11, 2009)

WIN


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## helly (Dec 11, 2009)

Impending Doom, Christian deathcore. This song is pretty good to downpick.


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## DeathMetalDean (Dec 11, 2009)

killrbuckeye on youtube does alot of downpicking songs, all metalcore I thinkz 
cud have a look at them, some of them have been mentioned here


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## darbdavys (Dec 27, 2009)

The Count of Tuscany by Dream Theater as well


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## InCasinoOut (Jan 2, 2010)

The entire Municipal Waste discography is largely downpicked, and reaaaaally fast too.

Plus their lyrics are only about partying. lol.


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## failshredder (Jan 3, 2010)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Megadeth. Sure, it's not all downpicking, but good old Mustaine loves Jesus like no other rock star (at least, no other rock star that makes halfway-decent music).


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