How to Djent - 56juqingba: How-to instructions you can trust

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1 Listening to Djent Music
2 Getting the Djent Sound
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Last Updated: January 7, 2023

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“Djent” is an onomatopoetic word popularized by the distinct riffing of Meshuggah, and other bands. It’s commonly used to refer to a variety of progressive metal bands that have a similar sound or style. If you’re curious about how to play djent riffs and get the djent sound, you can learn the basics of the tone and the riffs.

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Part
1 Part 1 of 3:

Listening to Djent Music

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- In the metal community, there’s some debate about whether or not “djent” is an actual genre or distinct style, or has any staying power as a style.^{[1] X Research source}
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- Periphery
- Animals as Leaders
- Tesseract
- Monuments
- Born of Osiris
- Cloudkicker
- Bulb
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- Deathcore or straight-up death metal
- Metalcore, pop metal, or screamo
- Prog metal or math rock

Part
2 Part 2 of 3:

Getting the Djent Sound

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- Generally, djent guitarists will leave the six strings tuned to standard (EADGBE), then down tune the lowest string on the guitar to the key that matches the particular song.
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- Depending on the amp you use, you generally want to turn down most if not all other effects, especially effects such as delay, tremolo, or reverb. Djent tone is really crisp and dry, so you want things as sharp as possible.
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- Use a compressor effect, as well, to help keep your signal regulated and your notes at the same amplitude. This helps to keep the djent riff at the same level of all the other notes that you’re playing in the song, and the individual notes in the riff equalized. Since it’s so percussive, this is an essential pedal in your chain.
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- Depending on your rig and guitar, this may be totally unnecessary and kill your tone. If you’re happy with your djent-style riffs without either of these pedals, it’s safe to leave out of your chain.

Part
3 Part 3 of 3:

Playing Djent Music

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- Take your picking hand and rest the space between your pinkie and your wrist on the strings, in between the bridge and neck pick-ups. Do an alternate-picking pattern on the lowest string on your guitar. You’re close to djent now.
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- If the concept of polyrhythms seems overly complicated, think of it as playing “off-time” riffs instead, as if you and the drummer were playing slightly different songs, but at the same tempo, but working together to create one effect.
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- Most djent riffs feature no more than one or two notes, so it doesn’t need to be overly complicated. Most djent riffs are on the lowest string of the guitar, unfretted.
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- Sweeping arpeggiated solos
- Poppy choruses
- Frequent djent breakdowns and blast beats
- Abrupt tempo transitions

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Question Can I still djent with just a ukulele? Community Answer No, in order to properly djent, you must have 15 strings or more, 4 strings are useless. Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful.
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Question I’m gay and white, can I still djent? Community Answer Of course, nothing should stop you from doing what you want to do. Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful.
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Question I’m black and Indian: can I still djent? I love Barbie Community Answer Sure! Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful.
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Tips

Splurge on your guitar(s). You cannot be a successful djentlemen without an insanely expensive guitar. Bonus points if custom built by some obscure luthier. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you only have a six-string guitar, try tuning your low E string to either a low C or B and leave the rest the same. While this won’t give you the proper djenting sound, it’s a good solution until you can get another guitar.
An eight- or nine-string guitar is recommended for djenting, but the more strings the better!
Get a good noise gate to get the dry and percussive sound you want when djenting.

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