Advice Seeking I Am

Hey how is everyone doing?

Two questions
1.What would you suggest makes a riff or song good to handbang/mosh to and what isa good way to go about writting one.

2.How would I go about changing my songwritting because all I seem to write about it women and heartbreak.

Cheers =]

1. for me a headbanging riff is alot of Down strokes keeping it simple yet heavy like the song peace sells, for me that's a great headbanging song.

2. i can't really say anything there, but if I do ever right any lyrics I look at historical tragedies, like the St. Bartholomew's day massacare, were like 20,000 French Protestants were Killed along with their families. But that's just one example.

Glad you have that same problem Nutter! I thought I was the only one. That's all I can seem to write about too, well okay apart from the women! I find that when I focus to try and write about another subject, I usually end up writing about heartbreak. This seems to happen for me, I don't know if you do that same or not, when I'm getting the lines to flow nicely, I get to a stage where I don't want to change them and then I don't know what to put. Then I've ruined it. I can only easily think of a line that can only be associated with love/heatbreak and so drags the rest of the song into that theme along with that one little line. Watch yourself with that I guess is a tip. If you can't think of a relevent line, take a break and get back to it later when something else springs into mind. But I hate trying to write happy songs, I always think they seem so corny if you don't hear them so I get put off back into heartbreak. Watch that too, really try to imagine a good sound with positive ones as you write.

I'm not sure about the first one. I suppose I think when lots of aggression is in there, but at a fair pace. If it's very fast I don't know how to put it, but it just doesn't seem like the headbanging type. I think some up strokes, but mainly with down strokes dominateing the piece and a few good licks now and then do it for me to call it the headbanging type. I think with this the rythm alone is more important then the lyrics, but even so when there are lyrics there should be quite a bit a repetition in there.

...that was long...

Songwriting is usually a way for someone to put out what they are feeling at that current given time. So, if you are not someone that experiences a lot more than just breaking up with a girlfriend or being rejected by that potential friend with benefits, then you really have very little material to work with.

What I usually do when I want to write music is to find a change of scenery; maybe something tranquil like a garden or something that overlooks a field. That usually helps quite a bit.




About writing a riff that you can head bang to: Listen to music that is for moshing and headbanging. Sit down and play the music: See what works and what doesn't work. Then, when you have gathered all this information, sit down with your guitar and noodle. Think about topics you may want to try (i.e. playing in Locrian, going drop C and playing chords, etc).

It's about trying new things and experimenting. Good luck!

1. Chord progressions in these do not matter much imo, what matters is a rhythm and how you put strong notes. I prefer riffs which have a flow, but its not a rule.

2. Dont change it then :P. If some other things do not give you the kicks or any emotions, why do you want to write of them then? If they do, then write it. For me news are best innovator of lyrics and thinking. Also reading books of all kinds help for that.

Hope this helps
Empirism

1. Lots of Power Chords and palm muting, that or just drop tune to at least drop d and just play some more palm muted power chords, seems to work for alot of bands.

2. Find something that inspires you, or just flat out moves you and write about it, if it happens to be what your already writing about theres no need to change it, music is supposed to come form the heart.

For me, the ultimate headbanging riff is 'Killing In The Name Of'. In fact that entire song does nothing short of OWN; the whole thing just drips with attitude, to the extent that every time I hear it I am ever so slightly motivated to punch someone in the face.

Afro

Afro: Nice to see someone else feels the same with Killing :)
Heather: Your back? Yay, no arguing with me this time xD hahaa, good to hear I'm not alone *hi5*

I play in Drop-Bb/A# depending on what your using for tuning.
Trouble is when I was at band practice with my new band and just talking to the vocalists trying out riffs under lyrics and such I keep getting told to try and make a more moshable riff, it seems I have a habit of making it to flowy and legato technical to mosh to..so was just looking for pointers, maybe a mentality to go to?

I do try to examine the songs that make me headbang (Ride The Lightning-esq Metallica, Megadeth, Death, Parkway Drive) but when I try to write my own its either not possible cause I'm playing to fast, technical or I find it boring to play, I do alot of PM'd down strokes.

With the lyrics, I can never write happy pieces, very cynical sad songs yes, dark angry love/woman related songs yes, acoustic heartache songs yes. If I try to write say about even if I feel strongly about it war, oppression,etc the songs just never workout like heartache/woman related songs.

Thanks for the advice so far guys =]

Well I think the drums are responsible for about 30-40% of the moshing guitar is responsible for the majority.

I agree. A lot of members said that palm muting is key but you have to tremolo pick while palm muting if you want to sound moshy.

Listen to THIS



LISTEN AT 2:07 WHEN ITS KIND OF MELLOW SOLO TIME THEN THE DRUMS RIP INTO STRAIGHT THRASH. tHE RHYTHM GUITAR IS PLATING FAST PALM MUTED RIFF BUT THE DRUMS CARRY THE THRASH INFLUENCE

GIMME SOME SUGAR AND ILL HAVE TO GO CRAZY!

Lack of Comprehension

i think of riff by just playing, somtimes i play somthing completly wrong and get an idea for a riff. somtimes i put my fingers to the guitar hit 3 power chords and think of one, somtimes i think of them in the shower lol.

well i made a pact to not constantly write about girls, but id suggest writing about other things in your life.

my first song is gotta keep movin on its basicly about patially how you feel like your completly ignored and need to find the way to go, and you gotta do it your way. so i just kept gotta keep movin on for how whatever happens u move on

the 2nd im working on now is never gona do it again, which is when i tryed weed which my friend did compltly wrong (dont put weed in a plastic bottle bong...tastes like burnt plastic, very stupid) anyway im like u cant put weed in a plastic bottle, i try it hate it, then i thought of never gona do it again a couple days later... now i have half the song done.

also somtimes when i have the guitar part, i get my drummer and i togerther and we play it, somtimes when u put me on a mic when i have drums and guitar done i randomly sing, thts where i thought of the first verse from, i just stood up and sang

Jeff is right man, to put it a little more harshly; you've got to get over your woes and stop wallowing in despair. If you keep feeling sorry for yourself you'll get no where in life, let alone writing good music.

If anything start with thinking how angry it makes you feel, then let that lead to every other thing that p!sses you off. But do keep in mind, and this is to everyone, the more you think about these things; the more of a negative thinker you'll become. Make sure to moderate it.

I would say the groove is what makes any moshing/headbanging song great. groove is king.

as for song wrighting....i've found that i've written a lot of bad songs before i write 1 good one. Keep working on it. A trick i use if i have a song i like except for the lyrics, is I'll completely rewrite the lyrics with a different subject matter. there really is nothing wrong with writing about women and heartbreak it's a basic emotion that lots of people can relate to.

I hope this does not sound preachy but maybe, just maybe your not meant to play metal? With as many struggles you seem to be having with it may it just was not meant to be. Maybe I'm just crazy and don't know what i'm talking about.

I can play metal easily thrash, melodic death metal, metalcore (Argh I hate that it's so broad) I just struggle mostly with making what my band mates agree to being a 'headbanging' riff but that is because of the lack of drums I think now.

Lyrics, yeah I can write really angry lyrics and stuff, I'e just written a song which is like Fade to Black but reads like a note to either a guy or a girl your love (dosen't mention she/him just makes use of 'dear'), I might show it to you if you guys want?

Thanks again guys =]

metal doesnt need happy lyrics, dark or angry is the way to go

its all about drums lyrics come after

well not really, i mean u dont need drums at al to think of lyrics... u a drummer?

most lyrics i wrote were at home all i needed was my guitar..

I right lyrics, then guitar, then drums and bass.
I'm all three but only own a guitar.

holy ** !!! some peeps are listening DEATH!awesome .Nutter,you should listen Atheist for some awesome riff in youre genre,or,Origin for the awesomness.

Listen to? I play Death annoys the ** out of the guitarist in my old band hahaha.
I will man, thanks for the heads up.

witting? i've always felt that the song writes me rather than i write he song.

and that , by circumstance, would also mean that i never sit down with the intent to write; for me the good ones make you write them.

you gotta feel it there is no formula for music you gotta just pour all your emotion and passion into it and if you go in with the right mood the right song will come out

suggestions for good themes to write songs about:
ninjas
the weather
war
fruits and vegetables
traffic
robots attacking Tokyo
movies that you like (if you cant think of a song just rip off the plot of a movie)
drugs
pirates
concrete
castles made of things that you wouldn't normally make a castle out of
getting superpowers
cheese
underwater transport
hitchhiking (or travel in general)
beards
birds
assorted animals
the dark (good theme for a song to headband to)
mythical creatures
car crashes
surfing
double glazed windows
a shirt that you like
electronic equipment
the economy
spaceships
nudist beaches
secret cults
death (another good theme for a headbanging song)
unusual habits
internet forums
your favorite color
pie
odd socks

the list is goes on and on. if that hasn't given you any ideas then just find something in your line of sight and write a song about it.

if you fancy a real challenge you could try taking the chords your playing in a song and using words that start with the same letters as said chords

hope this helps

cheese!

yes cheese... or alternatively one could write about the hardships of being lactose intolerant

Wow, lol.. getting superpowers, robots attacking to tokyo and odd socks was pure favorites xD. Though I see many songs in that list ^_~

drop tune and hit 0's 3's 5's and 6's with a really fast tempo

thats how slayer does it

Writte Songs about Drangons And a Princess and Dwarfs And Heroes with vikings and Ninjas,You cant go wrong with that,people seem to like it these days

Using The tritone will give you what you need,create some groovy riffs,or some fast tempo tremolo picking style riffs using it,also get some good drums,i dont know im too drunk