riffs

[silly_german]

im looking to write some hevy metal guitar riffs that are original im just intrested about what kind of scale i would need and stuff anything will help im just having a writers block if you will

 

[Symbiant]

Minor something?

 

[Alcaline]

Well, there's..

Akebono 1
Algerian
Algerian Oct 1
Algerian Oct 2
Altered
Arabian scale
Arabian(a)
Arabian(b)
Arabian(c)
Arabic Buzurg
Arabic Hijazi
Arabic Iraq scale
Arabic Isfahan
Arabic Rahawi
Arabic Zangula
Arabic Zirafkand
Artificial
Asavari Theta
Augmented
Augmented chord
Augmented Lydian
Augmented scale
Auxiliary Augmented
Auxiliary Diminished
Balinese
Balinese scale
Be-bop Dominant
Be-bop Half Diminished
Be-bop Major
Be-bop Minor
Bhairav Theta
Bhairava
Bhairavi Theta
Bilaval Theta
Blues auxiliary diminished
Blues combination scale
Blues II
Blues Modified
Blues Nonatonic
Blues scale
Byzantine
C.Melin Improvisational Scale
Cambodian 5 tone scale
Cambodian 7 tone scale
Chad Gadyo
Charhargah
Chinese 2
Chinese Eight Tone
Chinese Mongolian
Chinese scale
Chromatic
Chromatic
Chromatic Dorian
Chromatic Hypodorian
Chromatic Hypodorian Inverse
Chromatic Hypolydian
Chromatic Hypolydian Inverse
Chromatic Hypophrygian
Chromatic Hypophrygian Inverse
Chromatic Lydian
Chromatic Lydian Inverse
Chromatic Mixolydian
Chromatic Mixolydian Inverse
Chromatic Phrygian
Chromatic Phrygian Inverse
Dim chord as scale
Dim chord with 4 interjected notes
Diminished b2
Diminished b4
Diminished b6
Diminished b8
Diminished chord
Diminished Dominant
Diminished Minor
Diminished scale
Diminished Whole Tone
Diminished wholetone
Dom 13th chord
Dom aug 11th chord
Dom eleventh chord
Dom Seventh aug fifth chord (Dom7+5)
Dom seventh sus 4 chord
Dom7-5 chord
Dominant major nineth chord
Dominant minor 9 chord
Dominant pentatonic
Dominant seventh Chord
Dominant seventh Chord inverted
Dorian
Dorian b2
Dorian contracted
Double Harmonic
Egypt disjunct polytetrachord
Egyptian
Egyptian scale
Enigmatic Ascending
Enigmatic Descending
Eric Dolphy's "Synthetic Formation"
Eskimo Heptatonic
Eskimo Hexatonic 1
Eskimo Hexatonic 2
Eskimo Tetratonic
Ethiopian
Ethiopian (A raray)
Ethiopian (Geez & ezel)
Fixed Melodic Minor
Flamenco
Four Semitone
Fourth Plagal Byzantine
Genus Chromaticum
Genus Diatonicum
Genus Diatonicum Veterum Correctum
Genus Primum
Genus Secundum
Genus Tertium
Ghana Heptatonic
Ghana Pent 1
Ghana Pent 2
Greek Archaic
Gypsy
Gypsy I or Turkish
Gypsy II
Gypsy or Byzantine scale
H. Hanson Symphony N 4
Half Diminished
Half-Diminished
Half-Whole Step Scale
Harmonic Major
Harmonic Minor Inverse
Hawaiian
Hawaiian 1
Hawaiian 2
Hexatonic Anhemitonic
Hexatonic Minor
Hindu MA-grama
Hindu Ma-Grama (altered)
Hindu Sa-Grama (altered)
Hindu scale
Hindustan
Hirajoshi
Hirajoshi_2 Pent.
Hochoshi
Hungarian Gypsy 1
Hungarian Gypsy 2
Hungarian Gypsy Persian
Hungarian Gypsy scale
Hungarian Major
Hungarian Major or Blue scale
Hungarian Minor
Hungarian scale
Hybrid hexachord
Hybrid scale
Hybrid scale
Indian Bhairawi or Bhairon
Indian Goonkale Morning Raga
Indian improvisational scale
Indian Jog Ascending
Indian Jog Descending "Nostalgy"
Indian Marwa "Great Tenterness"
Indian Raga "Male Heroic & happy"
Indian Raga Lalit "Female Sadness"
Indian Ravi Shankar
Indian Sri or Purvi
Indian Todi "Atmosphere of serene devotion"
Infra-inter- ultrapolation C F# C
Infra-ultrapolation C F# C
Infrainterpolation C F# C
Interpolated symmetrical
Interpolation 3 tone symmetric
Interpolation nonsymmetrical
Interpolation symmetrical
Interpolation Symmetrical 2 notes
Interpolation symmetrical 3 tones
Inverted Diminished
Ionian
Ionian Contracted scale
Iwato
Japanese (A)
Japanese (B)
Japanese ?
Japanese Ake Bono
Japanese Banshiki-Cho
Japanese Hira joshi- Hon Komoi-Joshi
Japanese Ichikosucho
Japanese IN
Japanese Kumoi
Japanese Kumoi 3
Japanese Kumoi-Joshi
Japanese modern Kokin-Choshi
Japanese Naka Zora
Japanese Noh
Japanese Nohkan flute scale
Japanese Shimo-Chidori
Japanese Sho
Japanese Sho #2
Japanese Taishikicho
Japanese Yo
Japanese Zokugakusempo ascending
Japanese Zukugakusempo descending
Javanese Pelog
Javanese scale
Jazz Melodic Minor Descending
Jazz Minor
Jazz Minor Inverse
Jewish (Ahaba Rabba)
Jewish Adonai Malakh
Jewish Hebreian
Jewish Magen Abot
Kafi Theta
Kalyan Theta
Khamaj Theta
Kumoi 1
Kumoi_2 Pent.
Kyemyonojo
Leading Whole Tone
Locrian
Locrian #2
Locrian b4
Locrian Flat 4
Locrian Minor
Locrian natural 2
Locrian Natural 2nd
Locrian Sharp 2nd
Lydian
Lydian 7b
Lydian Augmented
Lydian b7
Lydian contracted
Lydian diminished
Lydian Diminished 1
Lydian Diminished 2
Lydian Dominant
Lydian dominant scale4
Lydian Minor
Lydian Sharp 2nd
Major
Major 6 inverted
Major 69 chord
Major add b2
Major add b2 b5
Major add b2 b6
Major add b2 b7
Major add b3
Major add b3 b5
Major add b3 b6
Major add b3 b7
Major add b5
Major add b5 b7
Major add b6
Major add b7
Major b6
Major chord
Major chord inverted
Major Harmonic or Major b6
Major Inverse
Major Locrian
Major Minor Mixed
Major Phrygian
Major seventh Chord
Major sixth chord
Mantra Of Will
Marva Theta
Mela Bhavapriya
Mela Chakravakam
Mela Chalanata
Mela Charukesi
Mela Chitrambari
Mela Dharmavati
Mela Dhatuvardhani
Mela Dhavalambari
Mela Dhenuka
Mela Dhirasankarabharana
Mela Divyamani
Mela Gamanasrama
Mela Ganamurti
Mela Gangeyabhusani
Mela Gaurimanohari
Mela Gavambodhi
Mela Gayakapriya
Mela Hanumattodi
Mela Harikambhoji
Mela Hatakambari
Mela Hemavati
Mela Jalarnavam
Mela Jhalavarali
Mela Jhankaradhvani
Mela Jyotisvarupini
Mela Kamavardhani
Mela Kanakangi
Mela Kantamani
Mela Kharaharapriya
Mela Kiravani
Mela Kokilapriya
Mela Kosalam
Mela Latangi
Mela Manavati
Mela Mararanjani
Mela Mayamalavagaula
Mela Mechakalyani
Mela Naganandini
Mela Namanarayani
Mela Nasikabhusani
Mela Natabhairavi
Mela Natakapriya
Mela Navanitam
Mela Nitimati
Mela Pavani
Mela Ragavardhani
Mela Raghupriya
Mela Ramapriya
Mela Rasikapriya
Mela Ratnangi
Mela Risabhapriya
Mela Rupavati
Mela Sadvidhamargini
Mela Salagam
Mela Sanmukhapriya
Mela Sarasangi
Mela Senavati
Mela Simhendramadhyama
Mela Subhapantuvarali
Mela Sucharitra
Mela Sulini
Mela Suryakantam
Mela Suvarnangi
Mela Syamalangi
Mela Tanarupi
Mela Vachaspati
Mela Vagadhisvari
Mela Vakulabharanam
Mela Vanaspati
Mela Varunapriya
Mela Visvambari
Mela Yagapriya
Messiaen Mode 2 Inverse
Messiaen Mode 3 Inverse
Messiaen Mode 3 Inverse (Tr)
Messiaen Mode 4 Inverse
Messiaen Mode 5 Inverse
Messiaen Mode 6 Inverse
Messiaen Mode 7 Inverse
Messiaen Modus 1
Messiaen Modus 2
Messiaen Modus 3
Messiaen Modus 4
Messiaen Modus 5
Messiaen Modus 6
Messiaen Modus 7
Minor 2nd Minor 3rd
Minor 7 inverted
Minor Chord
Minor Chord inverted
Minor Eolian = Minor melodic desc.
Minor Eolian b4
Minor Eolian contracted
Minor Flat 5
Minor Harmonic
Minor M7-5 Chord
Minor M7-5/-5 Chord
Minor M7-5/3 Chord
Minor M7-5/7 Chord
Minor melodic ascending - Melup
Minor seventh chord
Minor seventh flat fifth chord
Minor sixth chord / 3
Minor sixth chord / 5
Minor sixth chord min6
Mischung 1
Mischung 2
Mischung 4
Mischung 5
Mixolydian
Mixolydian Augmented
Mixolydian b6
Mixolydian Contracted
Mixolydian Sharp 4
Mohammedan Scale
Mongolian
Neapolitan Major
Neapolitan Minor
Neapolitan scale
Niagari
Nine tone scale
Octatonic
Oriental (a)
Oriental (b)
Oriental scale
Overtone Dominant
Parus Major scale
Pelog
Pelog 2 Pent.
Pent Altered
Pent Dominant 1
Pent Dominant 2
Pent Dorian
Pent Locrian
Pent Lydian
Pent Minor
Pent Mixolydian 1
Pent Mixolydian 2
Pent Phrygian
Pent Suspended
Pentatonic
Pentatonic Aeolian
Pentatonic Major
Pentatonic Major
Pentatonic Major altered
Pentatonic Major altered scale
Pentatonic Minor
Pentatonic minor altered
Persian 1
Persian 2
Persian scale
Persian scale
Peruvian Major
Peruvian Minor
Peruvian Pent 1
Peruvian Pent 2
Peruvian Tritonic 1
Peruvian Tritonic 2
Phrygian
Phrygian contracted
Phrygian Sharp 6
Prometeus scale
Prometheus
Prometheus Neapolitan
Pure Minor
Purvi Theta
Ravel
Relative Minor
Ritsu
Ritusen
Romanian
Roumanian Minor
Rwanda Pygme Scale
Sansagari
Scale over a dominant seventh chord (Dom7)
Scale over a major seventh chord
Scale over a minor seventh chord
Scottish Pent
Scriabin Prometeus scale
Scriabin Sonat No 7
Sharp Fourth
Six Tone Symetrical
Spanish Eight Tone
Spanish Gypsy 1
Spanish Gypsy 2
Spanish Phrygian
Spanish Phrygian (in La Fiesta)
Spanish scale
Superlocrian scale
Supradiatonic mutated
Sustained chord
Symmetrical
Three Semitone
Todi Theta
Ujo
Ultra Locrian
Ute Tritonic
Warao Tetratonic
Warao Tritonic
Verdi enigmatic
Whole Tone
Whole-Half Step Scale
Whole-halftone scale
Wholetone b2
Wholetonescale
Yo
Yu
Zhi




Or just don't think about scales and just play.

 

[Vimana]

I would just play. I think learning some Exotic scales like Arabic, Gypsy, Chinese can make you sound more interesting though, but its your choice.

@ Alcaline: theres a Peruvian scale? Tabs?

 

[BlackMetalWhiteGuy]

Arabic / Gypsy scales are usually phrygian dominant, sometimes with an augmented seventh and a Chinese scale in most cases is just pentatonic minor.

If you want heavy riffs, you'll probably find that phrygian and phrygian dominant suit you best, along with minor and harmonic minor slightly less.

 

[Alcaline]

Hehe, oh dear.. I definitely shouldnt visit forums when I've been drinking.

I agree with my drunken self though, if you want to write a riff, there's way too many scales for you to get bogged down in. 'Riffs' are probably the part of songwriting that grants you the greatest amount of freedom because you can play literally any sequence of notes to form the basis of your tune. I would look into chromatic ideas first and combine them with the natural minor scale. You'll probably find you deviate from the scale a lot and so it will become something completely different.

But seriously, don't think about scales too much when coming up with riffs. Just think about sounds and rhythms. Every good riff has a good rhythm to it.

@ Alcaline: theres a Peruvian scale? Tabs?

Who knows, listen to some Peruvian folk music and you'll hear it I guess.

 

[silly_german]

thanks guys i didnt know that their were so many scales out their

 

[BlackMetalWhiteGuy]

thanks guys i didnt know that their were so many scales out their

A lot of them are the same thing with a different name.

 

[Vimana]

Who knows, listen to some Peruvian folk music and you'll hear it I guess.

I think its just Pentatonic like Chinese music. I listened to some Andean folk music when I went to Peru, I even bought some flutes there. But there might be some Spanish influence in it, of course probably not as much as other countries since 30% of the population is pure Qetchewa and the rest is pretty much Mestizo.

Anyway, silly German. I think its a good thing to learn a variety of scales, even if you think some sound like crap.

Here are some scales.

 

[Alcaline]

Yes, most of those scales are the same collection of pitches with different names. However the name refers not only to the collection of pitches but the context in which they are used, and the style of music in which they were developed.

I don't know how much you already know, but whatever you do DON'T just learn scales from tabs. 'Knowing a scale' does NOT mean knowing a pattern on the fretboard. Knowing a scale means knowing the intervallic relationship between each scale degree.

From this approach, the only (western) scale you'll ever need to learn is the major scale. That is w-w-h-w-w-w-h or in the key of C, C-D-E-F-G-A-B. Everything in western music theory is relative to this sequence of intervals. When you play a different 7 degree scale, all you're doing is adjusting a few of the intervals. This is how we identify any scale - by comparing it to the major scale.

There are scales with more than 7 degrees, but for now you should just focus on this. A scale with less than 7 degrees like the pentatonic scale is technically an arpeggio, but just think of it as the major scale with the 2nd and 6th taken out.

 

[waif]

scales are good, but for writing I usually just fuck around until I find a couple notes that sound cool together, then come up with a couple riffs based on those notes. These riffs will sound good together. Do this a bunch and you've got you a song.
Also note that the ability to imagine the drum parts is essential. 90% of all riffs sound way less cool without drums backing them.

 

[razoredge]

yeah, its really in the way you put them together, the groove of the whole thing is where you get your creativity. Metal riffs are almost a percussion kind of thing so while the intervals and progression are important the pick hand chops are where you ice it. Various usage of chromatic (half steps) has great value too but that would prolly come natural later on

 

[Depth Perception]

I think its just Pentatonic like Chinese music. I listened to some Andean folk music when I went to Peru, I even bought some flutes there. But there might be some Spanish influence in it, of course probably not as much as other countries since 30% of the population is pure Qetchewa and the rest is pretty much Mestizo.

Anyway, silly German. I think its a good thing to learn a variety of scales, even if you think some sound like crap.

Here are some scales.

There`s a quite a few mistakes in those scales he listed. For example he has a natural 7th instead of a sharp in the harmonic minor and a sharp 7th instead of a natural in the Dorian mode.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

Arabic / Gypsy scales are usually phrygian dominant, sometimes with an augmented seventh and a Chinese scale in most cases is just pentatonic minor.

If you want heavy riffs, you'll probably find that phrygian and phrygian dominant suit you best, along with minor and harmonic minor slightly less.

the arabic isn't phrygian dominant

 

[Vimana]

Yeah, in Middle Eastern music (or at least Persian) they go into microtones.

 

[BlackMetalWhiteGuy]

the arabic isn't phrygian dominant

Okay, let me rephraze that. Westerners often call it an Arabic or Gypsy scale.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

Yeah, in Middle Eastern music (or at least Persian) they go into microtones.

some of them do but the arabic scale is a pattern of W H W+H H H W+H H W
the phrygian dominant is H W+H W W H H W H

 

[Vimana]

I never understood why Western music limited itself to semitones.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

I never understood why Western music limited itself to semitones.

not true exactly, if you give me a slide guitar...

 

[Alcaline]

I never understood why Western music limited itself to semitones.

It is the way the western tonal system developed. The western music system doesn't 'limit' itself to semitones - it is the way it has divided a series of pitches between a tonic and it's octave.

Originally there were 7 pitches in western music which (accidentally) were the product of dividing a string in half (octave) into thirds (perfect 5th) quarters (perfect 4th) and so on. This was then expanded upon by stacking 5ths which can be done 12 times before you reach the starting note again - hence the division of 12 we have today. It wasn't quite perfect which is why we use the equal temperament system to tweak the tones a little.

Other cultures simply chose to divide their octaves in a different way - like 17 or 24 pitches. But then I don't believe the western system is any more limited than other systems. In fact, I think the chromatic pitch system is the most well designed in that distinctions between pitches are clear and have a certain quality in its intervals that are lost with the inclusion of too many tones. Just look at how popular western music has become in other cultures. (yeah I know, you can all start a debate about cultural imperialism blah blah)

Besides, the guitar has strings for you to bend. If you want to reach quartertones etc they are there if you want them.