# Riff recommendations, and Riff writing help



## silentrage (Aug 2, 2009)

Heya, I wanna try writing some riffs, I was thinking I could do this by listening to some good ones, disecting them and doing my own take on them. 
Can anyone recommend some good bands or songs to check out for some melodic, groovy, heavy, and above all, interesting riffage?

Also, any lessons or tips on how to write riffs would be most welcome.

Go!


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## TonalArchitect (Aug 3, 2009)

Well, here's my standard advice, which, I think, is really important: you can't write without inspiration, so that's the most important factor.

Aside from that, I suppose I'd recommend listening to lots of music which has the types of riffs you want to write. Learn as many as you care to and see what traits they have in common. 

Just as important, look at how the riff fits within the greater context of the piece. This can be either form-- verse riff and so on-- or it can be how it interacts with the other instruments. 

Take Tool's "Vicarious." I dig the opening riff, but only less than or equal to half the awesome comes from what Adam Jones is doing on the guitar. Justin's bass part is very important, and much of the interest comes from the harmony/counterpoint that's going on. 

On a similar note, if your music will have vocals, then now that less busy and/or more supportive figures tend to work better when the vocalist is yowling. 

Every piece is a judgement call, and if you have a vision, then break the rules, but listen to the verse riffs on Symphony X's "Incantations of the Apprentice." It's pretty open and thereby allows the vocals to shine. The drums, mean while, are playing a fairly uncluttered rhythm which maintains momentum while keeping it "open."

Another thing to think of is the Theme and Variations approach. What often really works is to alter a riff, either subtly or dramatically, for a different section of a composition. 

Like the first verse in Strapping's "All Hail the New Flesh." I feel that the rhythm is a sort of reprise (variation) on the opening riff. They don't sound identical and the verse figure has only a few notes played mostly in syncopated tremolo fashion, but it has a similar feel to the figure heard before and during that initial blast beat. It's because the gaps in the verse rhythm evoke the places where the notes changed in the blast riff and, I think, some of the notes are the same. 

Just think like a composer, who should think like a listener. Go with what fits, hear a sound in your head and try to get it out on guitar. Favor what you'd like to hear, not what you'd like to play. A song is greater than the sum of its riffs, so include only what is worthwhile and adds to the piece. Break any 'rules' if you are inspired to do so.


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## silentrage (Aug 3, 2009)

Thanks for that great write up, I almost forgot about the context there, I'll definitely try to absorb all that and try to apply some of it. 
Feel free to recommend some great riffs that fits the descriptions in my first post. 
Right now I'm listening to Lamb of God, Circus Maximus and some Nevermore, but I'd like to see what other people are inspired by as sometimes you find unexpected awesomeness that way.


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## Looneygah1 (Aug 5, 2009)

I get inspired by Necrophagist, The Faceless, Born of Osiris, Arsis, and Suicide Silence atm. If you havent checked any of these out do they are killer!


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## right_to_rage (Aug 6, 2009)

Write everything down. Just brainstorm/improvise as many riffs in the key of D for example, and amass them. Go back and look over them after, pick the best ones and try moving around notes that you think could be better, or experiment with rhythms to go with each chord. Put em together and slowly you'll get more ideas down to choose from, eventually bypassing the need to brainstorm at all because you've written your hundred ideas so now you have momentum. It's practice just like doing scales, you've got to write for the sake of getting better at writing.


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## Hawkevil (Aug 6, 2009)

silentrage said:


> Thanks for that great write up, I almost forgot about the context there, I'll definitely try to absorb all that and try to apply some of it.
> Feel free to recommend some great riffs that fits the descriptions in my first post.
> Right now I'm listening to Lamb of God, Circus Maximus and some Nevermore, but I'd like to see what other people are inspired by as sometimes you find unexpected awesomeness that way.


 
For groove metal you could have a listen to Pantera or Devildriver. For some very interesting riffs have a listen to Cynic. Very melodic and original!!

Arch Enemy helped me alot when learning to write metal riffs. It's kinda like paint by numbers but with metal riffs. I'm not saying its bad because I love Arch Enemy. It just seems a lot of their riffs seem to have a simplistic feel to them and kind of sums up what metal riffs are. 

I'm sure there's a word for what i'm tryuing to say but thats the best I can explain it haha.


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## lnname (Aug 18, 2009)

hmmmmn - it has to depend on what you want to sound like, before I developed my only style (and was about 7)- I used to pause Annihilator records after every riff and write down what made them tick. Another band that redefined thrash is Testament.

Some of the best innovative death came from early Opeth/Bloodbath/Gojira and good old suffocation. 

SYL and Cynic are both really good non generic bands! 

Just listen, and write down what you like or try and play something similar.


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## TheSyncopath (Aug 18, 2009)

If you're looking for some thoughtfully composed riffs with a lot of unconventional harmonies and counterpoint lines, check out Anata's album 'The Conductor's Departure'. It has these dual guitar counterpoint riffs with unusual, jazzy harmonies all over the place, the hallmark of Fredrik Schalin's writing style.

Listen with headphones, that's the best way to get the most out of the interplay between the lines that each guitar plays, on each channel.

Hope this inspires you like it did for me!


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## lnname (Aug 24, 2009)

I think people get focused to much on sounding like this or that, its best to develop your own sound. The biggest questions you have to ask shouldn't be "what should this sound like?" but " what do i like?" i mentioned a few bands earlier and how I started to write riffs - but the truth is, once you know what you like then you can emulate it- just going round trying to emulate stuff in general probably wont help you to write songs that you love.

just write a list of a few favourite/most admired songs- get the tabs, and start circling your favourite bits. Sooner or later you'll think, "i like syncopated riffs in fancy scales" or " i like riffs that gallop for a while and then have a fill". Soon you'll start writing the things you love.


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## InCasinoOut (Aug 25, 2009)

I find a ton of riff inspiration from transcribing SikTh and Bulb's songs, especially when it comes to incorporating tapping, dissonance, legato techniques in a non-soloist context, and efficient ways to play complex parts. Then I'd just adapt those ideas to my own style, without it coming off as a rip-off of either band. Before that, I was transcribing anything and everything, which led to a phase of mine where a lot of the leads i'd write were very much inspired by monophonic synthesizer lines.


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