By using the resonant vibrations of metal spheres it is possible to separate the contributions involving different amounts of shear, hydrostatic, and longitudinal strain merely by choosing the appropriate resonant frequencies. Birch [J. Geophys. Res. 80, 756–764 (1975)] has applied this method to the radical, spheriodal, and torsional modes of metals, glasses, and rocks. He has shown that if there is no loss connected with the hydrostatic component of vibration, the ratio of theQof the radial mode to theQof the torsional modes should be 9 to 1 whereas his measurements of steel indicated a ratio of about 3 to 1. We have measured several cubic metals (Al, Fe, Ta, Nb, W, V, and α‐brass) and have found that this ratio ofQ’s varies systematically with elastic anisotrophy. It is shown that the difference in the elastic constants of adjacent grains introduces a shearing stress in the body of the material which adds a component of the internal friction proportional to the anisotropic factor minus one which accounts for the drop inQfor a longitudinal vibration. For the radical mode the much larger effect has not been explained and the value ofKfound is experimental.