Many metal riffs involve playing sixteenth notes. These notes are twice as fast as the more common eighth notes. No new techniques are required but it would very hard to play sixteenth notes without using an efficient alternating finger technique or picking technique.

Example H1

This familiar metal rhythm is obtained by playing an eighth note before two sixteenth notes producing groupings of three.

Example H2

This piece uses F# Aeolian with a triplet feel. It's a good example of how triplets can sound very different from swing. Triplets are quite common in a metal context. Although the notes belong to F# Aeolian, there is also a C note which is a chromatic passing note not belonging to the mode.

Example H3

This piece starts with an eight note pump and then moves into a sixteenth note pump. The bass drum also follows this pattern exactly.

Example H4

This riff is in C#min. Accents are used to break up the semiquaver rhythm.

Example H5

I recorded this example with Melbourne band "The Need" in 2004. The main riff is introduced without being doubled by the bass. The space this creates makes this section sound bigger. The pre-chorus has the bass and guitar playing hammmer-on lines further up the neck. In the final section the bass doubles the original guitar part for a thicker effect.