What do you tend to start with?

distressed_romeo · 10-26-2006, 07:58 PM

When you compose, what's the first thing you start with?
Chord changes?
A melody?
A riff?
A rhythm or groove?
Something else (wierd noises, a la Adrian Belew?)?

Personally I keep it pretty varied. I've been experimenting a lot with percussive techniques and drum programming the past few months, so I've developed a lot of ideas starting with rhythms and grooves. When I solo, I like to approach it thematically, starting with a couple of simple themes and developing them, so that approach is quite natural for me when I compose riffs and melodies. Sometimes when I'm practicing playing over some cool changes, a melody will begin to suggest itself, and something I just wrote as a practice progression will become a full on melody, or chord-melody.

Other times I just pick up the acoustic, tune it to an open chord, and put my fingers on the neck until something cool happens...

What's everyone else's approach(es)?

All_¥our_Bass · 10-27-2006, 01:29 AM

Melody, riff or, noises for me. I came up with a riff that the first time playing it, I pickscrape the whole thing on the G, then pick it normally on the A. The scrapes sound cool with overdrive.

Vince · 10-30-2006, 05:34 AM

riffs, definitely!

Leon · 10-30-2006, 09:22 AM

i love cranking my amp up and creating riffs, but i can't really develop them without a way to record them, and come back to them at a later date

Vince · 10-30-2006, 09:40 AM

Leon, I agree 100%.

If I come up with a good riff, I want to remember it, so I'll either hook up the recording equipment quickly & record the riff, or I'll tab it out in Powertab. Either way, it's to make sure I don't forget it!

I have a freaking library of unused riffs as a result

D-EJ915 · 10-30-2006, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertdweller

Leon, I agree 100%.

If I come up with a good riff, I want to remember it, so I'll either hook up the recording equipment quickly & record the riff, or I'll tab it out in Powertab. Either way, it's to make sure I don't forget it!

I have a freaking library of unused riffs as a result

I try to do that too but I'm too lazy to get around to it. Sometimes I develop the things I come up with and they're so ridiculous that I can't even play them anymore

Leon · 10-30-2006, 12:58 PM

it sucks! i get the creative spark pretty often, but without a canvas, i'm just waving my paint brush in the air. i need to get this Audigy2 soundcard jiving with my software!

Vince · 10-30-2006, 05:47 PM

you're an inventive guy, Leon, just pull out Notepad and jot down the riff in simple tab

Brandon · 11-04-2006, 05:57 PM

i either start with a riff or melody, and go from there. i hardly create a whole song, but i recently found powertab is a useful tool in the writing process, just so you can hear everything in motion.

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10-26-2006, 07:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
distressed_romeo Sumerian 7string Sorcery Join Date: May 2005 Location: The Eleven-day Empire Posts: 9,670 Real Name: I have many... Main Seven: C7 Hellraiser/LTD M207 Main ERG: Aria bass tuned in fifths Rig: POD v2.0 Thanked: 182	What do you tend to start with? When you compose, what's the first thing you start with? Chord changes? A melody? A riff? A rhythm or groove? Something else (wierd noises, a la Adrian Belew?)? Personally I keep it pretty varied. I've been experimenting a lot with percussive techniques and drum programming the past few months, so I've developed a lot of ideas starting with rhythms and grooves. When I solo, I like to approach it thematically, starting with a couple of simple themes and developing them, so that approach is quite natural for me when I compose riffs and melodies. Sometimes when I'm practicing playing over some cool changes, a melody will begin to suggest itself, and something I just wrote as a practice progression will become a full on melody, or chord-melody. Other times I just pick up the acoustic, tune it to an open chord, and put my fingers on the neck until something cool happens... What's everyone else's approach(es)? 'If one octave isn't interesting then who the hell cares about the others?!' Diamanda Galas http://farsideguitars.blogspot.com/

10-27-2006, 01:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
All_¥our_Bass Is Selling Flowers!! Join Date: May 2006 Location: Sevenstring.org Posts: 1,682 Real Name: Nicholas Main Seven: I don't has yetz :'( Main ERG: Hello Kitty Squire Strat Rig: BP80->Drive CD 100B Thanked: 26	Melody, riff or, noises for me. I came up with a riff that the first time playing it, I pickscrape the whole thing on the G, then pick it normally on the A. The scrapes sound cool with overdrive. STARBUCK'S IST KRIEG!! "Stop eating chocolate, and go take pictures of your Squier with those monstrous strings. :P" - TomAwesome "I have had sex to Symphony X before. Not a good idea, I stopped to air guitar the solo!! : shred :" - stuh84

10-30-2006, 05:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Vince Vince is X!!! • Super Moderator • Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Tempe, AZ Posts: 7,657 Real Name: Vince Main Seven: Ibanez Rig: Rocktron / Mesa Thanked: 112	riffs, definitely! THE ASYLUM VINCELUPONE.COM

10-30-2006, 09:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
Leon {##[====:::. • Super Moderator • Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The Ohio Crew Posts: 12,490 Main Seven: RG7620 of Doom Rig: Mesa / Sovtek Thanked: 81	i love cranking my amp up and creating riffs, but i can't really develop them without a way to record them, and come back to them at a later date I have a radical idea. The door swings both ways, we could reverse the particle flow through the gate. We'll cross the streams.

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10-30-2006, 09:40 AM	#5 (permalink)
Vince Vince is X!!! • Super Moderator • Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Tempe, AZ Posts: 7,657 Real Name: Vince Main Seven: Ibanez Rig: Rocktron / Mesa Thanked: 112	Leon, I agree 100%. If I come up with a good riff, I want to remember it, so I'll either hook up the recording equipment quickly & record the riff, or I'll tab it out in Powertab. Either way, it's to make sure I don't forget it! I have a freaking library of unused riffs as a result

10-30-2006, 12:58 PM	#7 (permalink)
Leon {##[====:::. • Super Moderator • Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The Ohio Crew Posts: 12,490 Main Seven: RG7620 of Doom Rig: Mesa / Sovtek Thanked: 81	it sucks! i get the creative spark pretty often, but without a canvas, i'm just waving my paint brush in the air. i need to get this Audigy2 soundcard jiving with my software!

10-30-2006, 05:47 PM	#8 (permalink)
Vince Vince is X!!! • Super Moderator • Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Tempe, AZ Posts: 7,657 Real Name: Vince Main Seven: Ibanez Rig: Rocktron / Mesa Thanked: 112	you're an inventive guy, Leon, just pull out Notepad and jot down the riff in simple tab

11-04-2006, 05:57 PM	#9 (permalink)
Brandon Azlgaf Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Posts: 48 Real Name: Brandon Main Seven: Ibanez Universe 777BK Rig: Vox AD30VT Thanked: 0	i either start with a riff or melody, and go from there. i hardly create a whole song, but i recently found powertab is a useful tool in the writing process, just so you can hear everything in motion.

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What do you tend to start with?