Coming up with riffs on the guitar

[tanlith]

Hey Tanlith,
Did you catch the thread on collaborations? I remember you were working on a collaboration website...just wondering how it turned out.


bd

Still workin on it... I want it to be totally legit, so I hired a lawyer to help with the wording of the electronic contracts... been going slow ever since... I can't pay him all at once, so whenever I got some extra cash I send it his way... I figure maybe by next January at this rate... unless I win a lotto or something

- Tsnlith -
Webmaster: Super Loop Library

 

[tanlith]

get a drum machine.

...

Personally, I record everything I come up with. IN my car I have a cassette recorder so that when a lyric melody line hits me, it's instantly documented.

I heard an older musician once tell me that being old meant that he's forgotton more riffs than I've wrote yet.

you never know when inspiration will strike. And some of you have unknowingly forgotton or thrown out ideas that later could have been hits.

doesnt it suck knowing that you've lost a riff or idea that potentially could have changed your life?

I got a casssete recorder in the car after I thought that one over.

Never, EVER throw away the riffs/songs you've written. Always keep it around.

That is SOOOOOOOO true! I remember back in highschool, I wrote an entire song in my head! I had the rhythm/lead/and bass all worked out there... I could almost hear it... by the end of the day all I had was a lyric sheet with no clue how the tune went... I never did finish that tune... and it was the only song I ever remember being THAT excited about...

- Tanlith -
Webmaster: Super Loop Library

 

[Speedy VonTrapp]

I got the best X-mas gift that I ever received this past year from my wife. She got me a micro-cassette recorder from Best Buy, and I put it in my pocket every day, everywhere I go. It's completely indispensable. I can record a melody of some lyrics when I'm driving if something comes to my head, with only a push of a button.

It's not a great recording whatsoever, but it's just the idea, and sometimes, that's the way that things like that hit you, and you need to capture it when you have it.

I will also "play" or sing a guitar riff into it, if that's the idea that's in my head at the time. I'll go back and listen to it when I have time to really pay attention, and find the riff that I was just making with my mouth into the recorder on the neck of the guitar and go from there.

If mine breaks, I'll be at the store the same day to get a new one. There isn't a single piece of equipment that I have with me every day, and use as often as that recorder.

-Speedy

 

[Richie Woods]

Sometimes riffs can evolve. I have found that writing a simple song with a simple chord progression first and laying it down with some drums will start you off exploring. Come back on another track and start to find or "feel" some riffs for that tune on either the bass or guitar. The bass definately will lend your ears to find some cool riffs that you can play later on guitar. Like I said, a song's evolution can involve riffs that were not there from the start.

I have made countless guitar tracks from the start of a song that never appeared in the final mix...they evolved into something else. But then again, first instincts can be the best as well.

Anyway, there are many ways to find or feel for riffs. Use the bass, keyboard, or even a completely different guitar effect that you have never used can inspire a riff out of ya. You never know.

 

[guitarjesus]

It is all by feel. The best riffs come when you just sit down and start to play, the first thing that comes out is usually the best.

If you are going to sit down and thing of something that will be good, and try to work it through like a project. It will get bogged down. Improvising is the best way to get a good riff.

Play on stage with a band, and make sure you don't know any of the songs. If you let your self go, don't hold back let it all hang out. You will be amazed on the riffs that come out. Make sure you are taping or you will lose it.

 

[dragonworks]

I find all the different inversions of the chords in the song I am performing and work my leads from there.

 

[Doug H]

Riffs and songs don't always happen at the same time for me. I try to sit on stuff untill it finds a home, or I end up finding some direction for the rest of the song.