how do you come up with material?

[shogunlegend]

i've spent so long working on the technical aspects of playing that i've forgotten quite a bit about making real music. i seem to be real good at making solos, but seems to be my limit these days. i come up with riffs that sounds real cool, but putting them together to make them cohesive and interesting loses me in the process.

i could really use some help in the creativity and song building process. do you use some kind of boilerplate or template kind of things to create songs? how to you get from point a to b,c,d to end? now that i have the ability, i could use some help putting that to some good use. thanks in advance guys.

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: how do you come up with material?

I listen to Bad Religion, Dead Kennedys, NOFX and try to write material that has the same intensity and same sort of smooth feel, but with my own twist. I should start trying to maybe putting some riffs in my songs (I've only done it twice, both were really simple riffs). Also if I'm writing a ska number the bands change.

As for lyrics, I write them as they come to me. I write them when I'm mad, when I'm bored, when I'm in deep thought or if I'm learning about something that causes me to feel strongly in some way about it.

I don't necessarily write the lyrics first or the music first, whichever comes first comes first.

 

[VTM Mike]

Re: how do you come up with material?

I find myself trying to get too complex or busy, instead of keeping things simple. Listen to some of the greatest songs in history-brilliant and simple. For me overthinking is my roadblock. I usually come up with riffs, and if I can come up with a catchy melody to go over it, many times it's a chorus. Write a verse around it. Don't think you have to write a song in the order in which the parts are played. If your first riff you came up with would work as a bridge, or a rhythm behind a solo, use it there. If you have a part of a song and it is sitting idle because you can't come up with stuff to finish it, use parts of it with parts of other unfinished songs. You can do whatever you want - put parts together that you never thought would work. No boundaries!!:usa2:

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: how do you come up with material?

Write lyrics to Pachelbel's Cannon and if you want to differ a bit, change the key!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

 

[Osensei]

Re: how do you come up with material?

How are you on understanding form. Like aaba. I know its a basic question, but since I know little about you it seems like a good place to start.

Classically trained musicians have the advantage over self trained musicians in that they are educated in the art of theme and variation. Basically, you create a motif (small musical idea) consisting of several notes over a rythmic pattern. From there you do a series of variations on the theme. There is a list of thematic variation techniques that are commonly known and used by trained musicians.

Self trained musicians usually stumble across the techniques by accident or as a result of listening to other artists. But its a beautiful thing when you come across a cat that knows how to work a theme scientifically instead of using guess work. Check out this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKhSzbhn_oo&mode=related&search=

Also if you're a composer, I find its easier to come up with the music if you have lyrics than the other way around. Instumentals are tougher for me. I also have a tendency to get too complicated with the head and bridge. This is because we spend so much time trying to wail on solos. It's hard to get out of that solo mode long enough to write something simple.

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: how do you come up with material?

How are you on understanding form. Like aaba. I know its a basic question, but since I know little about you it seems like a good place to start.

Classically trained musicians have the advantage over self trained musicians in that they are educated in the art of theme and variation. Basically, you create a motif (small musical idea) consisting of several notes over a rythmic pattern. From there you do a series of variations on the theme. There is a list of thematic variation techniques that are commonly known and used by trained musicians.

Self trained musicians usually stumble across the techniques by accident or as a result of listening to other artists. But its a beautiful thing when you come across a cat that knows how to work a theme scientifically instead of using guess work. Check out this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKhSzbhn_oo&mode=related&search=

Also if you're a composer, I find its easier to come up with the music if you have lyrics than the other way around. Instumentals are tougher for me. I also have a tendency to get too complicated with the head and bridge. This is because we spend so much time trying to wail on solos. It's hard to get out of that solo mode long enough to write something simple.

good stuff, thanks for the tip. that was somewhere along hte lines of what kind of answer i was looking for. that was a very good video. although the guy was kind of a dork, he got the point across real well. thanks. i'm going to use it and record something for the forum

 

[StrangeSound]

Re: how do you come up with material?

Scott Henderson a dork..that's news to me.

Just my 2 cents.

Edit: ahaha..now I know what you mean

Great video nevertheless

 

[Osensei]

Re: how do you come up with material?

Henderson's work with Tribal Tech is the most intense stuff I've seen since the Mahavishnu Orchestra! Those guys were insane! I love the drummer, Covington! Reminds me of the old Billy Cobham days! And Gary Willis on bass? Holy ****!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikPWe5UJqc4

Henderson sounds like Coltrane! Coltrane sounds like GOD! A band of masters!

 

[Artie]

Re: how do you come up with material?

Check out this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKhSzbhn_oo&mode=related&search=

That was cool. The "Jingle Bells" example was enlightening. I'll have to search for more Scott Henderson lessons.

Thanks Osensei . . . as usual.

Artie

 

[sosomething]

Re: how do you come up with material?

I open up the part of my mind that can interpret the buzz in the air around my head and try to play it.

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but I never think about it too much. I do know that all of the best things I've written sort of popped into my brain as complete works that I had to hurry up and record before it faded... like a weird dream upon waking.

 

[larry_emder]

Re: how do you come up with material?

That was an enlightening vid, O-man

 

[CGord]

Re: how do you come up with material?

I use a couple of different methods.

Often, just a drumbeat will get a tune going. I'll set up a 4-bar loop, & just groove to it for awhile, waiting for a main riff to happen.

A lot of times, I'll want to write something in the style of a particular band. I'll think "I want this to sound like the Deftones", or Prong, or whoever, & that will help a lot with the dynamics. Most of the time I don't sound much like the target at all, but the overall feel or style will end up similar.

And then sometimes inspiration hits you like a Mack truck; I'll be listening to something & all of a sudden I am forced to go pick up a guitar & start working out what I'm hearing in my head. Those are fun because the whole thing will usually just spill out quickly, without much effort.

Something that's helped me immensely was to start paying attention to song construction when listening to music, instead of just listening to it without really thinking about it. Listen to a song & pay attention to stuff like which riff is used for the opening, verse or chorus? Which one is used under the solo? How many parts does the song really have? Things like that.

 

[emilio]

Re: how do you come up with material?

just jam out, man.(with a drummer works best) i rarely do but when i do i get some crazy riffs. one suggestion in case you do do this, is record yourselves so you don't forget and keep the rythm going. you'd be surprised man.

 

[Mephis]

Re: how do you come up with material?

I just start recording and play away for awhile, then listen to it back over and figure out what sounds good. Then I start over using the aspects that worked good together. Eventually after repeating things many many times I end up with something half way decent.