A good song to practice for straight forward downstrokes is the C in Eye of the Tiger. It is slightly faster than MOP and is relentless downstrokes for 4+ minutes. I have had a few students switch from MOP to Eye of the Tiger as a fun and straight forward workout.
If you feel that your vibrato doesn't sound "metal" enough, get lessons from someone with great rock/metal vibrato. Just like any other technique, vibrato should be isolated, practiced and mastered. Martin Goulding is a good teacher for this technique. Not sure if he still teaches.
Unless your hands get seriously fatigued from work, I imagine the problem has more to do with inconsistent technique. Get a good teacher to take a look at your technique.
You're very welcome. Feel free to post some clips of your picking too and I may be able to pick up on some potential issues or refinements you can make.
Start with this as a warmup and work your way to the advanced on. Then work on 3 note per string patterns. If you are new to the 3NPS shapes, start on single string patterns in a single position. From there work on 2 string patterns - this is where you can spend the majority of your practice...
Hey guys, I used to be a regular on this forum but stopped returning for various reasons. Anyway, I am getting back into guitar so want some new, challenging stuff to learn. Any suggestions?
I purchased my 8 string Black Machine a few years before the hype. By far the best 8 string I have played. Nothing else comes close. And the B6 I have is also a great instrument. I have been fortunate enough to try several of Dougs own guitars over the years... incredible.
I've owned 2 Excaliburs. Amazing guitars. For alternate picking they are super comfortable. I always wanted the white Shawn Lane but can't find it anywhere.
I'm crap these days, but unfortunately that is mainly due to having other jobs in order to make ends meet. Gone are the days of 8 hour practice sessions and learning the hardest pieces I could find. I blame an inordinately saturated market for music teachers and affiliated products.