# Technical Death Metal writing/composing help



## xiphoscesar

so i wanna get into writing technical death metal stuff like riffs and all

but i dont know where to start or how to get started 

i really like necrophagist's style and a bit of origin's too,
and also this that was posted around last week on here


 

and i keep my guitar at E standard just incase anybody asks what i tune to


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## Xiphos68

I would say get your down picking as best as you possibly can and come up with tremolo or fast picked melodies. But mainly work on rhythm first. Hope that helps.
Awesome video!


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## Stealthdjentstic

Work on your alt picking, trem picking and string skipping, alot. And chromatic scales are your friend.


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## Mr. Big Noodles

Minor and diminished chords, scales based around those, don't chug too much.


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## OrsusMetal

Strict alternate picking for rhythm work will help a ton. Also what SchecterWhore said.


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## 7 Strings of Hate

Um, its like everything else, lots of practice 

Learn a few tech songs and see how THEY built them up so you have some tools in your box to work with. Try some necrophagist or spawn of possession


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## Scar Symmetry

Listen to Decapitated, Soreption, Martyr, Necrophagist, The Faceless, Psycroptic, Brain Drill, Decrepit Birth, Hour of Penance, Psycroptic, Scarve and Gorod and learn from the masters


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## darbdavys

just play whatever sounds good and tech-y for you. after all, you write music for yourself, not others


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## WoodenAshtray

That is some sweet-ass guitar playing.


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## Slamp

Scar Symmetry said:


> Listen to Decapitated, Soreption, Martyr, Necrophagist, The Faceless, *Psycroptic*, Brain Drill, Decrepit Birth, Hour of Penance, *Psycroptic*, Scarve and Gorod and learn from the masters




I approve of the double mention


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## Scar Symmetry

Haha damnit I knew I'd mentioned someone twice.


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## xiphoscesar

SchecterWhore said:


> Minor and diminished chords, scales based around those, don't chug too much.


 

ok im gonna sound like a noob for asking this ....
but how do u apply those? like do u play the notes that are in the diminished and minor chords? cause i get confused when it comes to that type of stuff


and thnx guys 
try to keep em coming if you can


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## Keytarist

xiphoscesar said:


> ok im gonna sound like a noob for asking this ....
> but how do u apply those? like do u play the notes that are in the diminished and minor chords? cause i get confused when it comes to that type of stuff
> 
> 
> and thnx guys
> try to keep em coming if you can


 This video was posted in the 12 Tone-thread. It explains a cool use of a 12 Tone row made of disminished 7th chords, in a technical death metal context.


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## groph

Yes, yes lots of Psycroptic. All you need to do is tune to Drop D.

EDIT: That above video is fucking awesome. I do something perhaps kind of similar, at least similar to the very first thing he shows you, using all twelve notes in some random combination. I'm a dolt with theory so I can't actually make all that much sense of what is being explained, but Ron is explaining it very well. What I do is write a riff using every note only once, it's kind of fun and you can come up with some really neat weird sounding riffs when you stumble upon a particular combination by accident. I write everything by accident.


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## xiphoscesar

Keytarist said:


> This video was posted in the 12 Tone-thread. It explains a cool use of a 12 Tone row made of disminished 7th chords, in a technical death metal context.




thnx man
and the cool thing is that this ron guy teaches in the south side from where i live at


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## Stealthdjentstic

Get lessons from Ron then


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## Mr. Big Noodles

xiphoscesar said:


> ok im gonna sound like a noob for asking this ....
> but how do u apply those? like do u play the notes that are in the diminished and minor chords? cause i get confused when it comes to that type of stuff
> 
> 
> and thnx guys
> try to keep em coming if you can



The Jarzombek example is good.


This is sort of where I was going:



Code:


This is a diminished seventh chord - 

e-----9-12
b---11
G-12
D-
A-
E-


This is a melodic idea based around that chord -

e-----9-t14-/15-p9-11/12
b---11
G-12
D-
A-
E-




Code:


Again, a diminished chord -

e-
b-
G-
D-----6-9
A-5-8
E-

Here's a little melodic idea that you can cycle really fast, with just that
arpeggio and two passing tones -

e-
b-
G-
D-------6-8-9-8-6------
A-5-6-8-----------8-6-5
E-




Code:


In a similar fashion, here's a minor chord -

e-
b-
G----------11
D-------11
A-9-12
E-

And a couple embellishments to make a melody -

e-
b-
G---------11-10-9
D---------11-10-9
A-9-10-12
E-


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## darbdavys

that's not a minor chord there, that's F#aug


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## Mr. Big Noodles

darbdavys said:


> that's not a minor chord there, that's F#aug



Oops, I had it on the wrong string. Fixed.


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## xiphoscesar

ok so let me see if i got this

he plays the notes from the dimished chords like lets say d# dimished 7th
which contains the notes D#. F# C and A

does the play like those four notes when top(low) strings
and only play those notes in the riff?


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## Joeywilson

not to repeat the monotonous answer that you are probably dreading but...practice: the worst thing that can come from that is you get better.

Theroy is your friend, everyone who says "i dont want theroy to limit my creativity" is full of it. They're just to lazy to learn the science side of music. 

Once you know how music works the sky is the limit dude. Unless you suck like me haha


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## xiphoscesar

metallisuk said:


> not to repeat the monotonous answer that you are probably dreading but...practice: the worst thing that can come from that is you get better.
> 
> Theroy is your friend, everyone who says "i dont want theroy to limit my creativity" is full of it. They're just to lazy to learn the science side of music.
> 
> Once you know how music works the sky is the limit dude. Unless you suck like me haha


 
haha your probably right


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## wannabguitarist

xiphoscesar said:


>




I'm shocked that's the guitar player from Sea of Treachery


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## xiphoscesar

so any one got anymore advice?


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## Mr. Big Noodles

In that video, the rhythm guitar part is just chugging away, and the lead is arpeggios and scalar figures.


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## xiphoscesar

SchecterWhore said:


> In that video, the rhythm guitar part is just chugging away, and the lead is arpeggios and scalar figures.



whats that guys name?
i know hes a member here on SS.org cause he posted that video


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## 7 Strings of Hate

basically, most of that stuff is pretty simple odd chords played at lightning speed.


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## windu

homeboy is sick! and im a little suprised too that hes in sea of treacery. good band but didnt expect a tech death maniac from them! lol


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## xiphoscesar




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## Joeywilson

xiphoscesar said:


> whats that guys name?
> i know hes a member here on SS.org cause he posted that video



voice gajic (<---no idea how to spell his last name I just know it starts with "ga" and ends "jic").


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## voiceguitar

Oh snap eh... Thanks for all the attention over here guys. Haven't checked the forums in a bit, sweet to see some great support and comments. Yes the spelling is Voice Gajic btw  . xiphoscesar told me to drop some advice for this type of writing here. The best method i can suggest for writing your desired genre, is to just learn projects from the most unique bands. I found with every project i took on, i would think about / write music a bit differently then before. Switch up the bands and styles though, the more styles you consume and understand, i ensure the more capable you will become.


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## xiphoscesar

voiceguitar said:


> Oh snap eh... Thanks for all the attention over here guys. Haven't checked the forums in a bit, sweet to see some great support and comments. Yes the spelling is Voice Gajic btw  . xiphoscesar told me to drop some advice for this type of writing here. The best method i can suggest for writing your desired genre, is to just learn projects from the most unique bands. I found with every project i took on, i would think about / write music a bit differently then before. Switch up the bands and styles though, the more styles you consume and understand, i ensure the more capable you will become.



ok thank you so much bro, i will try that as soon as i can.


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