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Author Topic: Riff making help  (Read 3191 times)

Crazy_Joe

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Riff making help
« on: November 12, 2007, 08:59:53 PM »
Just got into an old school stoner type Sabbath band, but i am completely out of riffs, i used to be able to make a riff in a second but now i have no ideas and being in a Sabbath style band it's not good!
I made one riff but then listened to Into The Void by Sabbath later on and it turned out it had pretty much the same riff in it!
Anyone got any tips on how to make myself a riffmaster again?! :P
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Black Dogs

Previous BKP's: Riff Raff, Holy Divers, Painkillers, C. Warpig, Nailbomb, Miracle Man.

maverickf1jockey

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Riff making help
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2007, 09:08:04 PM »
Depends on if you want to sound Sabbathy or original. Try other scales and count odd time sigs like 15/16.
Or for Sabbath you need POWER CHORDS!!! and BLUES SCALES.
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I too use chicken as a measurement.

Crazy_Joe

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Riff making help
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2007, 09:15:36 PM »
I think the whole idea of our band is to have a Sabbath style band but at the same time trying to keep it original and not copying them completey, hence why i threw away the riff i made that sounded like Into the Void haha.
The the biggest and main influence for us all is Sabbath.
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Black Dogs

Previous BKP's: Riff Raff, Holy Divers, Painkillers, C. Warpig, Nailbomb, Miracle Man.

badgermark

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Riff making help
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2007, 09:15:50 PM »
Go Slow. 60 bpm is probably good for a fast song, slow down and fuzz up. Buy a Big Muff or similar and turn that tone control down loooowww.
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Mississippi Queens, Holydiver.

HTH AMPS

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Riff making help
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2007, 09:31:56 PM »
I wouldn't even bother worrying about your riffs sounding like an existing song, just do it - you'll find your feet eventually.

Experience of writing songs is the main thing.

Look at the 60s rock bands - they shamelessly ripped off Elmore James, BB King and Muddy Waters and didn't give two f*cks.

Early Slayer sounds like Priest and early Zep sounds like the Jeff Beck Group (ouch!!!)  :lol:

 :twisted:
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Crazy_Joe

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Riff making help
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2007, 09:37:44 PM »
Haha good advice HTH :D

And Badgermark, yeah i've been going slow and sludgy like the old Sabbath riffs, may need to invest in a fuzz though, got any suggestions?
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Black Dogs

Previous BKP's: Riff Raff, Holy Divers, Painkillers, C. Warpig, Nailbomb, Miracle Man.

Will

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Riff making help
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2007, 09:46:49 PM »
I guess to get the low feeling, it would be best to keep to the 3 low strings, however far up the neck it takes you.

and throw in open E, and the A string 7th fret with wide vibrato.

Thats quite an Iommi thing, but depending on the vibrato, you can characterise it maybe?
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Muttley

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Riff making help
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2007, 09:48:57 PM »
How about listening to some other doom/groove/stoner metal to get some extra inspiration.  

I can recommend Trouble, Cathedral and Kyuss for starters.  :)

Muttley
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Crazy_Joe

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Riff making help
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2007, 10:01:32 PM »
Quote from: Will
I guess to get the low feeling, it would be best to keep to the 3 low strings, however far up the neck it takes you.

and throw in open E, and the A string 7th fret with wide vibrato.

Thats quite an Iommi thing, but depending on the vibrato, you can characterise it maybe?


Haha i've actually already been doing exactly that, i love the sound it gives!

And to Muttley, yeah i've given people like Kyuss, The Sword, Priestess, Electric Wizard etc. and listen and we love that too, The Sword is a particular favorite of myn love the riffage!
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Black Dogs

Previous BKP's: Riff Raff, Holy Divers, Painkillers, C. Warpig, Nailbomb, Miracle Man.

Muttley

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Riff making help
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2007, 10:09:32 PM »
Quote from: Crazy_Joe
Quote from: Will
I guess to get the low feeling, it would be best to keep to the 3 low strings, however far up the neck it takes you.

and throw in open E, and the A string 7th fret with wide vibrato.

Thats quite an Iommi thing, but depending on the vibrato, you can characterise it maybe?


Haha i've actually already been doing exactly that, i love the sound it gives!

And to Muttley, yeah i've given people like Kyuss, The Sword, Priestess, Electric Wizard etc. and listen and we love that too, The Sword is a particular favorite of myn love the riffage!


Here's some Trouble for ya trouble then.  ;)

Psalm 9 live on cable TV in '82.  Awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7E2j-Ut6iE

And one from the live DVD of the other year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fuVOhnVhjE
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Will

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Riff making help
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2007, 10:31:13 PM »
how about clutch?
saw them with Motorhead at Oxford a year ago, and then again 6 months ago at the Zodiac. That was the most boring and slow gig to stand through!

loved the Motorhead one though  :twisted:
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Crazy_Joe

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Riff making help
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2007, 10:35:45 PM »
Quote from: Muttley
Quote from: Crazy_Joe
Quote from: Will
I guess to get the low feeling, it would be best to keep to the 3 low strings, however far up the neck it takes you.

and throw in open E, and the A string 7th fret with wide vibrato.

Thats quite an Iommi thing, but depending on the vibrato, you can characterise it maybe?


Haha i've actually already been doing exactly that, i love the sound it gives!

And to Muttley, yeah i've given people like Kyuss, The Sword, Priestess, Electric Wizard etc. and listen and we love that too, The Sword is a particular favorite of myn love the riffage!


Here's some Trouble for ya trouble then.  ;)

Psalm 9 live on cable TV in '82.  Awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7E2j-Ut6iE

And one from the live DVD of the other year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fuVOhnVhjE


Awesome Muttley! I like that band a lot, i think i just need to listen to even more stoner rock/metal and i should get a few more riff ideas, cheers!

And Will, haven't heard any Clutch, think i had one song but can't remember it, any song suggestions?
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Black Dogs

Previous BKP's: Riff Raff, Holy Divers, Painkillers, C. Warpig, Nailbomb, Miracle Man.

Will

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Riff making help
« Reply #12 on: November 12, 2007, 11:14:11 PM »
Its not really my type of thing, but there is a song which is about a jacked up ford  :P  s'all I remember.

maybe a song called Cyprus grove, with a woman on a hill in a wide brimmed hat.

As I say, not my type of thing. I just went with a mate, and the first time, to see Motorhead (who incidentally are way better than this type of music  :roll:  )

Edit: to make this post useful...
managed to find some clutch. I would advise Blast Tyrant (album) with focus on tracks: (2) profits of doom (3) the mob goes wild (4) Cyprus grove and (9) spleen merchant.

Pure rock fury (album) has a different feel. Think it was too much for my demands of happy music with lively guitar riffs, so didn't listen to it much
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Crazy_Joe

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Riff making help
« Reply #13 on: November 12, 2007, 11:26:16 PM »
Cheers for that :D I'll give it a listen tomorrow.
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Black Dogs

Previous BKP's: Riff Raff, Holy Divers, Painkillers, C. Warpig, Nailbomb, Miracle Man.
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