Metal Writing Rut??!!

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

Ok, well, I have been playing a lot of lead lately, and when I recently tried to write some metal riffs, I was completely blank. I used to play all out rhythm, and I could pretty much improvise a damn Metallica album on the spot(not sayin much, but meh), but now that my metal tastes have changed a bit to death/melodic death, I cant write any rhythms that appeal to my ears. It seems as if I can't make stuff sound good without adding stupid palm mutes, which I dont want to have. Also, I just can't think of some good chords to start with sometimes. How do you guys come up with your evil/melodic/any types of metal riffs, besides using stupid power chords, and octave chords, and riding those damn palm mutes??? Any interesting reads, lessons, or songs that might help me develop some great riffing techniques for unorthodox metal rhythm guitar???? Im just sick of hearing the same sound out of my guitar, and it is depressing as hell when you sit there for an hour, and can't even come up with one riff. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

 

[Ermz]

I know how it feels. I usually screw around with harmonic minor and major scales and usually come up with a decent lead... once that happens, I worry about the rhythm afterwards,

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

hehe...I tend to work the other way around. I can never put a decent rhythm behind a lead, but I can improvise for hours behind a good rhythm.

 

[Ermz]

Yeah whatever your way of doing it is... I think lately since I've been playing mainly lead for the past year or so I've just taken a liking to it and tend to do it first... I feel that generally its important to do because when im inspired to write something, I write the main part first, the important aspect, the part that's in my head, itching to come out... and that's most normally the melody. I could normally care less for the rhythm, lol, it's just there to fill in the blanks, until I can get access to a full orchestra to start doing fancy counterpoint and all that

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

Ahh...come on, I know there's more guitar players here besides Moonlapse.............

 

[intoxica]

Not sure if it works for anyone else, but i usually find that when I get stuck, a long walk in the park usually does wonders for my ideas, there's no point in sitting for hours thinking about what you can play if you've got no inspiration..just walk away, let your mind wander & then I usually find all sorts of ideas come into my head, then get back home & sit & record any ideas onto mini-disc before I forget em

 

[Katabasis]

Hmmm, usually I just sit around and make up my own chords...or just try some unusual phrasing.

Inverting thigs usually gives it a nice sound; even just simple inverted power chords, for instance

---5---
---7---

or

---5---
---6---

or

---6---
---5---

They're the simple kind of shapes that I begin with, and then usually modify to give a cool sound (usually by just adding another finger to give it a cooler accent), like:

---4---
---6---
---3---

I know it's all pretty basic stuff, and most of these chords are the ruts you're trying to get out of in the first place, but they're a starting point...the more you get used to hearing them, the more you'll be able to string them together easier.
*shrugs*
Don't know if I helped at all, probably didn't, but there's my two cents.
Good luck!

 

[Katatonic]

i got into a rut a while ago, so i started listening to heaps of at the gates. their rhythms are so good and basic, i always like to write an at the gates riff.

needless to say, my most recent song sounds almost exactly like slaughter of the soul

 

[Judas Pissed]

I never sit down intending to write anything, it just happens when it happens. If you sit down going "ok - gotta write a good riff in the next 30 mins" chances are it's not gonna happen. If you are stuck in a rut the best thing to do is just to wait it out, I find anway.

 

[Katatonic]

yeah thats about right. i sit in front of my computer and open up GP4, and just play heheh

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

Alright thanks fellas, I think within these past few days, I have sort of fallen out of the rut, but now Im too lazy to get my ass hooked up to the pc to record my great new stuff.......

 

[fadingessence]

I find myself getting stuck in a certain idea more than anything else. I mean all I do is play rhythm for the most part and I can jam on something for...well damn near forever. I jam on flat out death metal with my drummer for like 40 minutes plus but I still always feel like I get stuck in an idea...but usually I can just give a break and listen to a bunch of music (Dissection does it for me the best, amazing fucking riffs) and i'll come back with a totally new idea to work with.