With an extra string and an extended range, the 7 string guitar is an amazingly versatile instrument. As a classic instrument of heavier metal genres, 7 string guitars open up many possibilities for guitarists.
The transition from a 6 string guitar to a 7 string guitar can be challenging as you might not quickly get used to the extra string and thicker neck. So you might wonder what to do when making the jump. The best way to explore the instrument is to play some tunes to find different ways to use the instrument.
The extra string is added to the top of the neck, giving the extra pitch for lower notes. That is why 7 string guitars are mainly used in heavier metal genres, as the lower notes sound dark and aggressive with a good amount of distortion.
There are two common tunings in the seven-string guitar world: the standard tuning and the drop A tuning. So, choose some from countless 7 string guitar songs and start playing. As you learn new songs and explore some ideas, the new positions and the extra string will be learned by your muscle memory.
Top 20 Famous&Easy Seven String Guitar Songs In Standard Tuning
Standard tuning is the regular tuning for a 7-string guitar: B-E-A-D-G-B-E.
Freak On A Leash – Korn
Korn is one of the pioneer bands who made 7 string guitars famous back in the ’90s. Freak On A Leash is one of the band’s most famous songs with creepy high melodies and muddled low chords, which create a fantastic tension.
It is not a challenging song to play with simple riffs, power chords, and double-stop slides.
Falling Away From Me – Korn
Another great Korn song to play is Falling Away From Me from 1999 is Falling Away From Me. The tune is one of the most famous Korn songs and features crushingly heavy grooves ultimately entertaining to play for metal lovers.
The original recording has the guitars tuned one step down to get lower tones, but you can play it with standard tuning too.
Falling Away From Me Guitar Tabs
Linchpin – Fear Factory
Peaked at top rock charts in 2000, Linchpin by the American rock band Fear Factory offers some great partitions to play on a 7 string guitar.
It is an easy song to play with straightforward power chords and some minor arpeggios on the bridge part.
Got The Life – Korn
Korn is known as an alternative metal-rap band and Got The Life perfectly demonstrates why. Released in 1998, it is one of the well-known songs of the band with its synthesis of genres and heavy tones.
Like many of the Korn songs, this one is also played with power chords and double-stop slides along with crunchy low-pitch riffs and whole step-down tuning. But as always, it can be played with a standard tuning too.
Blind – Korn
The most successful Korn tune is undoubtedly Blind, which is remembered with the iconic, Are You Ready line in the intro. The song is one of the first successful nu-metal hits which pioneered a genre to be born.
The piece consists of low-pitch walks on higher strings and melodic licks on lower strings, creating a great tension.
Burn It To The Ground – Nickelback
Used in different promotional uses, in television, film, and mainly sport events, Burn It To The Ground is the famous hit of the Canadian rock band Nickelback.
Nearly the entire song is played on the extra B string with low-pitch riffs followed by power chords. As this is an arena song, it is highly entertaining and motivational to play, making you feel like a rock star.
Burn It To The Ground Guitar Tabs
Down From The Sky – Trivium
American heavy metal band Trivium’s famous hit Down From The Sky, released in 2009, offers many different verses with various techniques which will help you get used to the extra string quickly.
The piece features various parts with double-stops, power chords, single-picked riffs on lower strings, and barre chord partitions. It may be a complex song to play, but it is fun and educative to play.
Our Truth – Lacuna Coil
Our Truth is the first single of the Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil. The piece gained immediate success thanks to its Asian influence, heavy tones, and ethnic instruments like sitar and shamisen.
It is a straightforward song to play with basic riffs on the 6th and 7th strings followed by straightforward power chords.
Replica – Fear Factory
Released in 1995, American industrial metal band Fear Factory’s Replica is yet another tune with easy-to-play djent riffs. The song had an incredibly positive reception and was loved by metal fans.
The entire song is played on the 6th and 7th strings with palm-muted walks and easy power chords. With a high gain preset, it is an effortless and fun song to play.
Throes of Perdition – Trivium
Throes of Perdition is the first single of the American heavy metal band Trivium’s fourth album, Shogun, released in 2008.
The piece features a progressive structure with different partitions. There are many verses with power chords, single-string palm-muted walks, djent riffs, and high tempo pull-offs on different strings. It is a great song to master the instrument with different techniques.
Throes of Perdition Guitar Tabs
My Will Be Done – Unearth
American metalcore band Unearth’s My Will Be Done features some great djent riffs and groovy rhythm guitar patterns that are ultimately entertaining to play, especially for metal lovers.
The tune is played with some easy riffs along with power chords which are great to play. The groovy pattern of the tune makes it very entertaining to experiment with power chords, staccatos, stops, and palm mutes.
Kirisute Gomen – Trivium
Another hit song from the American heavy metal band Trivium’s Shogun album, which is great to play with a 7 string guitar, is Kirisute Gomen.
Along with conventional power chords and djent riffs, this tune features double-picked notes on G and A strings where you will have to use the hybrid picking technique. This means you will have to use one of your fingers along with the pick for picking the notes.
Whole – Flaw
Flaw by the American nu metal band Flaw is a lesser-known yet great song to explore for 7 string guitar ideas.
You can play the entire piece with power chords except for one bridge part, which is played with a lovely lick. It is a great song to get used to the power chord patterns on a 7 string guitar fretboard as the tune uses many different variations of it.
Resurrection – Fear Factory
Probably the most tuneful song the American metal band Fear Factory ever created was Resurrection, released in 1998. Even though it has a melodic structure, the band did not compromise from their heavy tone creating an excellent balance.
This is one of the most straightforward songs to play on the list, which is entirely played with power chords and little palm-muted single-string transitions.
Payback – Flaw
Released in 2001, Payback is one of the most famous hits of the American nu-metal band Flaw. It is a short and easy song to play, especially the rhythm guitar partitions, which consist of only power chords.
There is no challenge in playing this song, thanks to its easy structure. There are some power chords, easy riffs, and transitions, and fun to play high-tempo triplets.
Lie – Dream Theater
American progressive metal giant Dream Theater’s 1994 tune Lie is one of the lesser songs that John Petrucci used a 7 string guitar to record. It is the lead single of the album Awake and features amazing groovy dark riffs.
Like many Dream Theater songs, Lie also features a complex structure. The parts are not relatively challenging to play but have many nuances like legatos and odd time signatures which you should be aware of.
Shogun – Trivium
Shogun is the last song of the same-named album of American heavy metal band Trivium. The tune offers various lovely parts to play, from djent riffs to arpeggios.
The song features many different riffs with power chords, walks on lower strings, tremolo-picked notes, and barre chords. It is educative and fun to play songs, definitely recommended.
Almost Again – Strapping Young Lad
The Canadian heavy metal band Strapping Young Lad’s hit song from their last album, The New Black. The song is remembered with the great 7 string guitar partition played by the virtuoso Devin Townsend.
The song is played mainly with power chords. More experienced guitarists familiar with the sweep picking technique can play the excellent riffs behind the chorus. It is a straightforward yet great song to play with a high amount of distortion.
Children Of The Korn – Korn
Released in 1999, Children of the Korn is the metal hit written and recorded by Korn and rapper Ice Cube for Korn’s third studio album, Follow the Leader. Although it is one of the band’s lesser-known songs, it is an excellent choice for beginner 7 string guitar players to learn with its basic structure and entertaining riffs.
Korn tunes their guitars a whole step down to play their songs, but you can play it in the standard tuning. The tune is ideal for getting used to the instrument with easy lead guitar riffs and rhythmic power chord progressions.
Children Of The Korn Guitar Tabs
The Ballad Of John Henry – Joe Bonamassa
Although 7 string guitars are used frequently in the metal scene, we rarely see them played by blues musicians. Joe Bonamassa successfully takes advantage of the low pitch creating unique riffs and progressions.
Lovely walks on the 6th and 7th strings along with blues licks followed by power chord progressions; the song fabulously experiments on the limits of the 7 string guitar. The guitar has a heavy tone, and lower notes with the bluesy riffs build an atmosphere to enjoy.
The Ballad Of John Henry Guitar Tabs
Top 20 Famous&Easy Seven String Guitar Songs In Drop A Tuning
Drop A tuning is an alternate tuning for a 7-string guitar. The lowest string is tuned down from the standard B by one whole step to A as follows A-E-A-D-G-B-E.
The Devil In I – Slipknot
The Devil In I is one of the top hits of the American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released in 2014, the fans loved the hit and became the band’s most listened-to songs on Youtube.
The tune is played with fast-paced rhythm guitar partitions and an aggressive guitar tone. To play the song, you will have to use the Drop A tuning. Often Slipknot tunes their guitar to a special tuning with an F# instead of G on the third-string, but in this song, third-string is never used to skip that. Just dropping the lowest string to A from B will be enough.
You Only Live Once – Suicide Silence
The 2011 metal song You Only Live Once by Suicide Silence is another excellent song for beginner seven-string guitar players—the song featured in many metal and rock lists and widely received positive feedback.
The song is played with high-tempo riffs and power chords. There are many sections of the song with little nuances, so be aware of them. You only have to drop the lowest string to A to play the tune.
You Only Live Once Guitar Tabs
Slipknot’s other big hit was Psychosocial, released in 2008. The tune catches the ear with its experimental rhythm changes and drops but maintaining the groove.
Almost the entire song is played with double-note power chords on the highest strings. Keep an ear on the rhythm changes to play it properly. You don’t need to tune your 3rd string half-step down as it is not used throughout the song.
Disengage – Suicide Silence
Disengage is yet another deathcore song by the American metal band Suicide Silence. Released in 2010, the fans loved the hit, and became one of the band’s most successful hits.
As with other Suicide Silence tunes, this one is also played with a repeated fast-paced riff, power chords, plenty of distortion, and a drop A tuning.
Unanswered – Suicide Silence
Unanswered is the first hit song from the debut studio album by American deathcore band Suicide Silence. The album was very well received and became the best-selling debut album of the record company.
You can play the song with power chords and palm-muted high tempo single notes in transitions. It is a pretty straightforward song to play.
Alone In A Room – Asking Alexandria
Alone In A Room is the biggest hit of the British rock band, Asking Alexandria. It is a fantastic metal piece with prominent keyboards, crushing guitars, and powerful vocals. With millions of views on Youtube and streams in Spotify, the tune is a colossal success.
It is a fun song to play with high tempo aggressive distorted guitar parts and softer clean guitar arpeggios. You must tune your lowest string to A and drop your 3rd string half step down to F# to play the song.
Reign Of Darkness – Thy Art Is Murder
The next metal song, Reign Of Darkness, comes from the Australian deathcore band Thy Art Is Murder. The song was loved by the fans, especially for its harsh, misanthropic tone and criticisms of several perceived aspects of modern life, from politics and religion to broader social issues and the environment.
You can play the tune with palm-muted power chords and single transitions in between. It is an easy and fun song to play with extremely low notes, heavy distortion, and aggressive rhythms.
Guardians Of Asgaard – Amon Amarth
Guardians Of Asgaard is the metal hit by the Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth. Released in 2008, the song became one of the most famous hits of the band.
Mainly Amon Amarth uses their guitars with a special drop A tuning where they tune the 3rd string to F# just like Slipknot does. But in this song 3rd string is never used so that you can go on with the classic drop A tuning.
Guardians Of Asgaard Guitar Tabs
Heretic Anthem – Slipknot
Released as a promotional single from their second album Iowa Heretic Anthem by Slipknot is a great song to play that is considered a flirtation with death metal.
You can play the song with a standard drop A tuning, ignoring the dropped down 3rd string. It is an easy song to play with the main riff of the palm-muted open 7th string rolls and power chords.
Possession – Whitechapel
The American deathcore band’s Possession is another song to play for beginner 7 string guitar players thanks to its straightforward structure and fun to play partitions.
The song features different sections with power chords, arpeggios, riffs, and extremely fast-picked single notes. It has everything for you to explore the limits of the instrument.
Wormholes – Volumes
Wormholes by the American progressive metalcore band Volumes shines with its djent riffs, groovy breakdowns, and dual lead vocals.
The entire song is played with groovy riffs, mostly going back and forth on two strings. It is an easy and fun-to-play song with a high amount of gain and tempo.
Layers Of Time – Lacuna Coil
Layers Of Time is a prominent alt-metal song by the Italian band Lacuna Coil who also won the Eurovision contest in 2021. The song features a roaring mix of slamming drums, fast-paced chugging riffs making it a great song to play.
The song is played with single note partitions followed by power chords. While one guitar creates the rhythm part with higher strings, the lead guitar plays the melody on lower strings.
Icarus Lives – Periphery
Icarus Lives is the first single of the American progressive metal band Periphery’s debut album. The tune offers relatively simple riffs making it a great song to get used to the 7 string guitar.
Almost the entire song is played with single notes, going between rhythmic triplets and short riffs. As it uses many different strings, the tune will help you get used to the fretboard.
Citizen Erased – Muse
Low tunings like drop A are mainly used in heavier metal tunes, but Citizen Erased by the English rock band Muse is an excellent example of how it can rock with softer tones too. The song is an opera-rock and offers great variations to experiment with 7 string guitar.
The 7-minute song is played with single-string riffs, power chords, and arpeggios. It has everything for you to explore the instrument.
Sacrifice Unto Sebek – Nile
Sacrifice Unto Sebek is the hit-death metal song by the American band Nile. It is a marvelous song, especially in the technical sense, which starts slowly and explodes later.
The song has killer riffs like the Egyptian one on the 2nd-minute mark. There are many fast riffs to learn and master in the song, which will train your picking hand intensely.
Sacrifice Unto Sebek Guitar Tabs
E- Emmure
2014 hit metal song E by the American band Emmure is one of the most accessible songs to play on this list.
Almost the entire song is played on the A string, where it shifts to power chords occasionally. There is also an interlude part with arpeggios, but it is more than manageable, just like the other parts.
Breeding Violence – Whitechapel
Another song by the American deathcore giants Whitechapel which is great to play is Breeding Violence. This tune may be challenging if your fretting hand is not fast enough.
The song features fast-paced riffs mainly consisting of legatos and power chords. Although it is an ultimately educative and fun song to play, it may take some time for beginners to play it properly.
Stacked Actors – Foo Fighters
One of the most aggressive songs of Foo Fighter is Stacked Actors. With a 7 string guitar and Dave Grohl’s grunge past, the tune has a heavy tone fuelled by power chords and punk-like riffs, and jazzy verses.
It is a great song to play with slides between power chords, high tempo, and a simple solo.
Smile – Tesseract
The most famous song of the English progressive metal band Tesseract, Smile, is another easy song to play on a 7 string guitar.
The tune consists of easy-to-play djent riffs and single-note rhythmic walks. Perfectly ideal for beginner guitarists.
Bleed Like You – Ill Niño
Bleed Like You is the metal hit by Ill Nino from their album Dead New World. It is an easy song to play with a basic riff and straightforward power chords.
You will have to tune your 7th string whole step, and the 3rd string half step down. All of the chords are played as three-note power chords. It is an easy yet entertaining song to master.
Conclusion
Seven string guitar is an extremely versatile and entertaining instrument to play. With the access to lower notes, you can create much more aggressive and heavier sounding riffs perfect for metal genres. But as shown on the list, you can take advantage of the lower notes to create unique riffs and licks for any genre.
It may be hard to get used to the new fretboard at the beginning, but playing these famous and entertaining songs will get you on the road and make you progress quickly. In no time you will realize that you feel as comfortable as on a standard 6-string guitar.
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Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!
Funny how a bunch of these songs ARE NOT using 7 string guitars in the recordings. Slipknot songs are a prime example. They always used drop B or drop A on 6 string guitars.
Amon Amarth… another example of a band that does not use 7 string guitars.
Adam, if they don’t use it, it doesn’t mean we can.
I didn’t say that those band use 7 string guitars,
but rather that we can play those song on a 7 string guitar.
a lot of these songs use some kind of alternate tuning.
In some cases it will be easier to play them on a 7 string instead of playing with saggy strings on a regular 6 strings.
I agree that “in some cases it will be easier to play them on a 7 string instead of playing with saggy strings on a regular 6 strings” which is why I came to this site but to my disappointment, the TAB linked for Slipknot Psychosocial is for the 6 string in drop A. My search continues for 7 string tab.
You don’t need to continue your search. Just pay attention to the bottom 4 strings in this tab. The entire tab plays only on them.
If you translate the 6 string tab to a 7 string guitar you will need to play just on strings 7-6-5-4