Creating song ideas from guitar riffs played to drum loops

[Ricklh]

I'm a new poster to the songwriting forum. Anyone else come up with song ideas this way: you pick a drum rhythm on your machine, then try to come up with a chord progression on your guitar with the drum loop, and try to create a song from this? This has been my standard method for a while but I think I'm starting to burn out on it in that I rarely come up with any lyrics - 95% of the time, I create an instrumental that tends to be repetitious. Any suggestions on how to get out of this stagnant approach to song creation?

 

[rick woodall]

if your using a drum loop things do turn out repetative because the drums are repeating. i used to do the same thing on a 4 track i had. use cubase or something similar to make more varied drum patterns that change with the movement of the song and youl find things stop sounding so repetative. as for lyrics, if i could come up with a song every time i picked up a guitar i'd be a happy man. if i have some good lyrics and a bad tune i change the tune because personaly i find lyrics a lot harder to come by.

 

[grimtraveller]

I take it you're a guitarist ? The obvious thing to suggest is to play without a click or drum machine. Use your own natural internal rhythm and then fit a rhythmic pattern after a song comes. Also, try reversing everything you've come up with. The reverse of your progression can be more interesting than the progression itself.

 

[Ricklh]

I take it you're a guitarist ? The obvious thing to suggest is to play without a click or drum machine. Use your own natural internal rhythm and then fit a rhythmic pattern after a song comes. Also, try reversing everything you've come up with. The reverse of your progression can be more interesting than the progression itself.

Yep, I'm a guitarist. You advice sounds good, I believe my mistake (or illusion) is thinking that using the Zoom Rhythmtrak is causing me to come up with a "better" song but the opposite approach could very well be true. And the reverse progression thing sounds interesting, I had not thought of doing that before. Thanks grimtraveller & Rick Woodall, RickH

 

[Ellipses]

My main system of recording was to structure a whole song with drum patterns from my Boss Dr. Rhythm then write and record random riffs over them. worked great and i got alot done but by the end of the song i had no idea how to play it cus I had no idea how it was going to be. most riffs came out of nowhere and were out of my playing capabilities (good out punch in and out). I've also worked with a single drum loop recorded for around 3 mins then did the same thing recording riffs over them, then later changing the drums with midi. But its so true, the flow and songs ryhthm always seems to stay the same... It does always sound better turning the clicks and beats off and going internally.

 

[Emerson Maningo]

Every songwriting requires you to think deeply and be creative. So this means go beyond what your loops are playing. I suggest to simply just start with a guitar, lyrics and start writing melodies; do not yet involve the drum in your writing process. Then once you have created a song hook and the entire songwriting process is complete; then it's time to start imagining how the arrangement and production should sound like. It's now the time you will experiment with the drums, bass and other instruments in a way it is very nice to hear and can even can make your song better. This is just how I write a song, songwriting itself is an art. Others may have different approaches.

 

[Ricklh]

Every songwriting requires you to think deeply and be creative. So this means go beyond what your loops are playing. I suggest to simply just start with a guitar, lyrics and start writing melodies; do not yet involve the drum in your writing process. Then once you have created a song hook and the entire songwriting process is complete; then it's time to start imagining how the arrangement and production should sound like. It's now the time you will experiment with the drums, bass and other instruments in a way it is very nice to hear and can even can make your song better. This is just how I write a song, songwriting itself is an art. Others may have different approaches.

I appreciate the advice. I also checked out your home recording website - some very helpful info on there for home recordists. I have bookmarked the site.

 

[benherron.rrr]

Add a bit of veriation, sometimes I come up with a melody, sometimes a drum beat, sometimes a progression, sometimes a little 4 note riff/motif. Some times on the piano sometimes on a guitar. Helps me keep writing new songs rather than new versions of others.

I also find it really interesting to pick 4-8 chords and using the same progression and even rhythm seeing how many really different ideas you can come up with.

Like I would say to anyone, just chill out and let what ever happens happen. More often then not the part of your brain that has no/little influence on yor concious actions can write something far better then that which applies logical thourght.