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Posted by: steve25 Jun 19 2008, 06:50 PM

Hey everyone. So i've been trying to make some songs for a while but i've had no success at all so far. Maybe this is because i'm being fussy with myself or i just really struggle to do it. I can make riffs no problem, and maybe even licks but i concentrate more on building riffs. Making new riffs isn't a problem and i don't think it will be. However using those riffs in a song is. I just can't build riffs together.

I'm terrible at making an intro for a song i can't do it. One minute i think one thing is ok for an intro and then i think it sucks. I can't link riffs together it never works for me. Of course there are moment where the riffs just aren't coming out or i'll come back to a riff later that i thought was good and i end up thinking it sucks but thats ok because that happens to everyone i think. So any advice for how to build songs out of the riffs you make and stuff?

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jun 19 2008, 06:54 PM

Well, it is hard to work this way if you don't know harmony well. CHeck out Andrew's theory lessons, or my songwriting lesson. It should give you an idea of what chords to use where.

Posted by: kjutte Jun 19 2008, 06:54 PM

QUOTE (steve25 @ Jun 19 2008, 07:50 PM)

Posted by: Nemanja Filipovic Jun 19 2008, 07:21 PM

Try to imagine the whole song before you put it in creation,good trick(it may sound stupid),but,i do it a lot when inspiration missing, or I cant put it all together,like you haw a problem know,is,you sit down in front of a turned of tv,and try to imagine a new song of a band you like or the band that is similar to the music you are creating.And I know this sounds very strange(siting in front of powerd off tv),but it helps when I hav problem with arr.

Posted by: AIB234 Jun 19 2008, 07:24 PM

Here's a link that I've used in the past.

It deals with all aspects including lyrics, but there's some good stuff in there for riffs and chords as well.

http://www.robinfrederick.com/write.html

Posted by: Matt23 Jun 19 2008, 07:49 PM

Well i think i can help you cos i went through parts of this problem a few months ago. Could you tell me first though do you just compose guitar parts, or do you compose for other instrumens (drums, bass etc) as well, and when you compose are you doing it in guitar pro or something similar, or recording things, or just making up things on the guitar.

Posted by: steve25 Jun 19 2008, 08:26 PM

Thanks for the web link i'll be sure to check it out

Ivan: you're right i don't know harmony well but i'd like to learn, anywhere i can?

Matt: Well you know i just kind of mess about with the chords and scales i know until i try and find something. I'll remember what i played and can back to it later to see if i still like it after i've rested my ears. sometimes i do and sometimes im like what was i thinking? You know? If i like it i might try and refine the riff but that's about all. I try and imagine what could come after it but with no luck most of the time