Metal in D — fingerstyle
Unlike the catalogue's power-chord progressions in E or A (which borrow a minor iii and iv, a darker sound), this one in D uses D5, G5 and A5: in scale degrees, that's a I-IV-V, rock's most common harmonic movement, here simply played as power chords instead of full chords. Playing it fingerstyle instead of with a pick strips away all distortion and wall-of-sound effect, directly exposing any timing slips in the thumb.
Tips
If you already know an I-IV-V riff elsewhere (picked or in open chords), recognise the same movement here under a different technique.
Keep the thumb perfectly steady on the bass notes before worrying about the fingers: it's what holds the whole pattern's tempo.
Record yourself: with no distortion to mask the slips, clean or sloppy fingerstyle is immediately audible.
Chord progression — D
Chords
Related sheets
- Drop D strumming — single accent in A (Level 3)
- Metal in A — syncopated rhythm (Level 3)
- Alternate picking with palm mute (Level 3)