Guitar Gear Forum

So been plopping out a few 20 second drumjam turds as of late. Not trying to write anything; just riffing over top of the grooves. My mind is doing that thing to me now. That thing where it starts thinking about riffs, over and over and mentally refining and thinking of parts that will connect to something else down the road. Even though I know nothing is going to come of it in any way, shape or form. It's a process which has always consumed me, if we are being honest. Even though my "songwriting" has never been anything special; or even really songwriting. It just takes over. If we're being honest part 2; I don't like the feeling

This sounds weird perhaps; but it's one big thing about playing covers in an established situation. Things are laid out, you learn them and go play. Not trying to start any sort of VS. conversation necessarily because obviously I love original music. I just don't like what my brain does to me once I open that door. Is this weird? What's wrong with me?

I know exactly what you’re talking about but I literally live for opening that Pandora’s box. Shit literally keeps me up and extra hour in bed replaying and reimagining whatever riff I was just uncovering. Fucking love that shit.

Ostinato Rubato wrote:I know exactly what you’re talking about but I literally live for opening that Pandora’s box. Shit literally keeps me up and extra hour in bed replaying and reimagining whatever riff I was just uncovering. Fucking love that shit.

Hypocritically speaking; I agree with you 100%. It's beautiful when it all comes together But it's a mental process for me that feels very unhealthy. I know that probably sounds stupid to say on a board dedicated to playing an instrument and hopefully making some sort of noise with it

Your mind is being taken over by the Alien Mothership. Best to just go with it and allow the creativity to flow.

crankyrayhanky wrote:Your mind is being taken over by the Alien Mothership. Best to just go with it and allow the creativity to flow.

I might take your advice to heart. Cautiously If I do; I need to find someone else who can write and do some collab stuff with. Which is easier said than done given my location in the middle of nowhere.

I've probably never had an original thought with a guitar. In 20 years of playing I've written one song, and it's no opus! I always strive to nail familiar tones, rather than "have my own sound". I also enjoy learning other people's music and trying to nail it. I try to connect with audiences through the music of their youth. In the last few years I've been taking lessons to be able to play leads, and all I wanna do with my newfound knowledge is learn and copy famous riffs / licks.

I'm totes ok with all of this, btw.

I sit and futz with tones all day long! When I go up to the jam room, I spend about 5% of my playing time learning songs for the band. I honestly never "practice my technique". I am always just twiddling knobs on a modeler or guitar synth It's probably the wrong way to do it but it's how I have fun! For metal band stuff; I'd have what I need dialed in tonally in a matter of minutes. Simple and brutal

I've been on this big creative upswing for the past couple of months. Taking a pause from working in the DAW has helped free me up for spontaneous creativity lately, because music production can be daunting and requires a different mindset for me personally. The other major factor has been owning amazing simplistic gear and settling in with it. I'm rarely futzing with a knob or scratching my head about getting more or less of something. I just plug in, fire up, riff and stomp. Been finding all kinds of new grooves and rhythms and melodies lately.

JiveTurkey wrote:So been plopping out a few 20 second drumjam turds as of late. Not trying to write anything; just riffing over top of the grooves. My mind is doing that thing to me now. That thing where it starts thinking about riffs, over and over and mentally refining and thinking of parts that will connect to something else down the road. Even though I know nothing is going to come of it in any way, shape or form. It's a process which has always consumed me, if we are being honest. Even though my "songwriting" has never been anything special; or even really songwriting. It just takes over. If we're being honest part 2; I don't like the feeling

This sounds weird perhaps; but it's one big thing about playing covers in an established situation. Things are laid out, you learn them and go play. Not trying to start any sort of VS. conversation necessarily because obviously I love original music. I just don't like what my brain does to me once I open that door. Is this weird? What's wrong with me?

Jelly. I don't even know how to write riffs. I "learned" songwriting from the likes of Paul Simon and Pete Townshend... I feel like I missed out on the whole school of riff-based rock and/or roll.

Ostinato Rubato wrote:Taking a pause from working in the DAW has helped free me up for spontaneous creativity lately, because music production can be daunting and requires a different mindset for me personally.

This cannot be emphasized enough. I am now where I have tones I need for doing the hard rock/metal stuff without needing to sit and tweak. My DAW situation is settled enough where I can at least make some clips if inspiration strikes. Which is good.

draelyc wrote:
Jelly. I don't even know how to write riffs. I "learned" songwriting from the likes of Paul Simon and Pete Townshend... I feel like I missed out on the whole school of riff-based rock and/or roll.

Ahhh man I grew up with 80s pop and metal. So weird combination of Exodus riffs and Duran Duran I couldn't sing so that helped in the way that I never had to sing anything over top of anything I ever came up with

I have a line on a couple of dudes doing their own thing for a bit. Reached out and will see if it leads to anything.

When I listen to songs on the radio (and my own songs on CD in the car to/from work), I'm always thinking of new parts, better arrangements, intros, outros, etc.

Most of the songs, that I've written lately, are just under 2 minutes and I have "big plans" for finishing them and using them on my "masterpiece solo album".
(I laugh because, I've been "working" on it for 20 years!)

One of the most rewarding things, for me, is to start recording with only an intro in mind - it could be a guitar, drum, keyboard intro.
I record the intro and listen to it back and I hear "a next part".
When recorded, the next part is never exactly like what I imagined but, it's usually good enough to proceed.
Then, I listen to the intro and the new part and a third part pops into my head, I record the third part, play back the whole song, etc, etc.
Eventually, I have a sketch pad version of a whole song.
I have lots of sketch pad songs that need finishing.

The whole process of writing and arranging songs, on the fly, is really cool.
Of course, writer's block kicks in, on occasion, so, I take a break for a few minutes, hours, days, weeks and sometimes months.... this is my problem.. to progress, I need to keep the breaks as short as possible.... and I need to redo all my sketch pad songs!