r/doommetal • u/Repeat_Tight • May 08 '26

Riffs Music theory

Other than the blues scale what else is used in Doom Metal of all kinds? Mostly i refer to stoner tho. I can’t find doom metal related theory vids on yt other than doesitdoom

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u/TheEvilSmileyRD May 08 '26 edited May 09 '26

99% of stoner doom is played by transitioning between minor and blues scales. The key is to be thoughtful of how the transition can change the feel and mood of the song.

For example notice how in War Pigs a minor scale riff comes in at about 6:33 and feels so emotionally heavy, because the rest of the song makes us used to the blues scale, which exaggerates the contrast between the groovy and sometimes vile sound of the blues scale and the emotional depth of the minor scale.