thinking of a riff

[dmandude123455]

is hardd :<

im trying to get a song kinda together, i want it to sound raunchy, an aerosmith groove meets vanhalen guitar work kinda feel? im sticking with the pentatonic box shape kinda. any suggestions?

 

[Ninja Monkey]

Re: thinking of a riff

Step 1: Imagine your riff and it's musical surroundings.
Step 2: Sing your riff if possible, or at least get a strong sense of the note you wish to use.
Step 3: Find the first note of your riff on the guitar, and using your ear, figure out the intervals from there.

Note: Take this with a grain of salt, because I suck.

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: thinking of a riff

The riff will find you but will you choose it or another one that finds you. Listening well is the key grasshoper.

 

[dmandude123455]

Re: thinking of a riff

well I have riffs running around in my head every two seconds but there really not that raunchy sound that I want, theres one that im moprhing and working it to the bitter end. i think it may work but i dont know :<.

any other advice?

 

[cream123]

Re: thinking of a riff

listen to music music music, especially the music you want to sound like. and learn all of the songs that you want to sound like...up and down. figure out how they did what they did. and do it

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: thinking of a riff

well I have riffs running around in my head every two seconds but there really not that raunchy sound that I want, theres one that im moprhing and working it to the bitter end. i think it may work but i dont know :<.

any other advice?

Learn a song that has everything you want in a riff then learn another. Take what you've learned and make it your own. Or in other words what Cream said.

 

[sosomething]

Re: thinking of a riff

ignore your hands

listen to your brain

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: thinking of a riff

obviously you like van halen and other similar riffy rock. listen to and learn some van halen songs. figure out what kind of note progressions are used. take bits and pieces of what you learn and put it together to make something new.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: thinking of a riff

Actually, what you'd want is some Big Band Swing, since both Aero and VH riffs generally have that feel to them. Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, etc, etc.

Learn some trumpet and sax solo lines and riffs. Somewhere in there, you'll find the riff you want.


But for starters, get a Swing/Jazz beat rolling in your head, then play any Pentatonic scale in that beat.

For example, here's a straight Pentatonic box track I did with a Swing feel (and a Roland synth driver)
http://newcenstein.com/mp3/swang.mp3

E||-----------------------------||
B||-----------------------------||
G||-----------------------------||
D||------------------5----------||
A||---------5--6--7----7-6-5----||
E||--5--8--------------------8--||

Before anyone says it, yes, I know it's horribly off-time. I used a Roland GI-20/GK3 for the interface to my Alesis QSR, so there's a distinct latency issue.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: thinking of a riff

is hardd :<

im trying to get a song kinda together, i want it to sound raunchy, an aerosmith groove meets vanhalen guitar work kinda feel? im sticking with the pentatonic box shape kinda. any suggestions?

Dude, make chords like E, A, and D, arpeggiate a little bit, hammer on, pull off, and GET IT ON!

 

[tone4days]

Re: thinking of a riff

ignore your hands

listen to your brain

ignore your brain
ignore your hands

just play

 

[tone4days]

Re: thinking of a riff

Dude, make chords like E, A, and D, arpeggiate a little bit, hammer on, pull off, and GET IT ON!

and then be prepared for people to remind you of how you ripped off an aerosmith/vanhalen song that has a different tempo, different rhythm, different melody, different tone, and a different key

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: thinking of a riff

But the spirit was there. :lol:

 

[astrozombie]

Re: thinking of a riff

ignore your hands

listen to your brain

some of the best advice on this forum.

i usually hear riffs in my head before I hear them through my amp.

since this doesn't appear to be the case, try to take inspiration from your favorite riffs.

Kind of like Paul Gilbert. He kind of sounds like EVH, but in reality sounds like paul Gilbert.

and me. I kinf of sound like EVH, but in reality sound like Paul Gilbert. :laughing:

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: thinking of a riff

Try composing on an instrument other than your usual one. Adapt what you come up with back to guitar later.

I agree with DrNewcenstein's comment about big, bold, "brass" type figures. If you are in a band, borrow the bass guitar. Start something simply. Find a groove or a hook. Expand the harmony later.