Writing Clean Parts
- Thread starter mrbean667
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Ator
big damn hero
- Oct 6, 2008
- 40
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I think people have trouble with "clean parts" because once they're working within the confines of a specific chord or group of chords, they just arpeggiate that chord in a more or less straight forward ascending or descending pattern, which will pretty much always sound simple and boring. I find it helpful to eschew big chords and instead work with a lot of open strings, which inspires me to approach the part in a more melodically interesting way, and leads to more varied relationships between the bass notes and the melody than you would get combining a couple different positions of a movable chord, for example.
I have basically zero knowledge of music theory or terminology,so I hope that was helpful, or at least made some sense.
I have basically zero knowledge of music theory or terminology,so I hope that was helpful, or at least made some sense.
Eligos
Problem Yet to be Solved
This is key. It's true that you want a good chord progression for the clean part, but if the bassist and drummer aren't doing anything interesting musically then it won't have much of an effect.
Ator
big damn hero
- Oct 6, 2008
- 40
- 0
- 6
yeah, it really depends. To suggest bass and drums are always necessary to make a clean bit interesting definitely isn't true, it just depends on the part. if you are just arpeggiating a couple of chords than it usaully is necessary
for example check out quo vadis' myspace, where they should have a rough mix of one of their new tunes, which starts with a single arpeggiated chord on guitar-but the fretless bass work and drums make it cool
however, more complex acoustic/ clean guitar work can sound fucking stunning with 0 accompaniment. usaully a lot more shifting of chord forms/roots and melodies between chords.
After this thread went up a wrote a simple clean piece that I think will be more helpful to explaining the advice I gave earlier about making clean bits less predictable/ more unique
hopefully, I'll be able to get it up next weekend-kinda busy with school
Also, it occurred to me to point out that its a mistake to feel obligated to include clean parts in your songs, especially if it feels really forced. No ones gonna say "fuck these guys" just because your band excludes clean guitar work
I'm not trying to discourage you from writing/working on clean stuff, I jut wouldn't include it until it feels natural is all.
Mostly, as others have said, just mess around-nothing good ever gets written intentionally!
for example check out quo vadis' myspace, where they should have a rough mix of one of their new tunes, which starts with a single arpeggiated chord on guitar-but the fretless bass work and drums make it cool
however, more complex acoustic/ clean guitar work can sound fucking stunning with 0 accompaniment. usaully a lot more shifting of chord forms/roots and melodies between chords.
After this thread went up a wrote a simple clean piece that I think will be more helpful to explaining the advice I gave earlier about making clean bits less predictable/ more unique
hopefully, I'll be able to get it up next weekend-kinda busy with school
Also, it occurred to me to point out that its a mistake to feel obligated to include clean parts in your songs, especially if it feels really forced. No ones gonna say "fuck these guys" just because your band excludes clean guitar work
I'm not trying to discourage you from writing/working on clean stuff, I jut wouldn't include it until it feels natural is all.
Mostly, as others have said, just mess around-nothing good ever gets written intentionally!
BlackMetalWhiteGuy
Manly Man!
I rarely play chords for clean parts, because I've never taken guitar lessons and don't know the finger positions or any of that. For distortion, I know how to play different intervals for two, three and four string chords, but it's unlikely that I'll go beyond that. I don't want my clean parts to sound like unplugged distortion parts though, so I do what I can to avoid using techniques that I would normally use for my distortion parts. Thus, I generally finger a chord but only play individual notes allowing them to ring together into a chord rather than just playing the chord as is. As someone above said though, it's important that you don't just play them ascending and descending, because that's pretty boring. If you can incorporate alternate picking, that's a pretty good way to add a melodic component to the piece.
Element_man
Lord of the Realm
Arpeggiating chords up and down is a solid warhorse technique for clean sections, as people have already stated. Find cool voicings and play the notes in an order that will appeal to the context of the clean section. Is it supposed to sound serene, anthemic, sad, tense, etc. Use your basic power chords, major and minors to lay out a base for chords, but try filling them in with other notes that pass nicely or create interesting colours. The best method is to experiment, really. Check out what other bands are doing and see why it work (Or why it doesn't work, in some cases).
Alternatively, try doing some fingerpicking stuff. Check out Blind Guardians "The Bard Song (In The Forest)" and X-Japans "Kurenai" for some power metal fingerpicking and try working with that.
Happy hunting
Alternatively, try doing some fingerpicking stuff. Check out Blind Guardians "The Bard Song (In The Forest)" and X-Japans "Kurenai" for some power metal fingerpicking and try working with that.
Happy hunting
mutantllama
Active Member
I think for clean parts, it all depends on what you want to the mood to be.
Like if I want a mysterious feel to the clean part, then I'll use an enigmatic cord or some other weird cord like that.
Once you find a nice little part you like, change positions, or change one note and then play the rest of the riff.
Also learn some clean parts of songs that you like, and see how those bands do it.
Like if I want a mysterious feel to the clean part, then I'll use an enigmatic cord or some other weird cord like that.
Once you find a nice little part you like, change positions, or change one note and then play the rest of the riff.
Also learn some clean parts of songs that you like, and see how those bands do it.
Orion Crystal Ice
Rider of the Astral Fire
My best advice is to not write parts that suck, do your best to make them good, bad sections will definitely bring a song down some.
mutantllama
Active Member
get a chord chart, learn various chords and understanding of keys helps. By the time you get done messing around with the chords your learning, if you are truely creative you'll probably have come up with a handful of decent progressions. This is how it goes for me, everytime I learn some new to me idea or sound, some kind of rhythm and progression starts flowing out. As someone else said, very little good comes intentionally, its the messing around with this thing and that and suddenly something clicks.
Bad clean sections make you look like a total twat because it's like, "okay, he's slowing down the rocking; I'm ok with that but this had better be worth it, I guess he's gonna show his talent and diversity as a musician and all. Well, let's hear it.
...
aww, what the fuck is that? This sucks. BOOORING"
And then they leave.
Doomguy
This is huh, wow...
Listen to some inspiration. Look at the biggest power bands; Maiden, Iced Earth, Blind Guardian etc. and absorb their structure. Learn from their mistakes, in a way.
Orion Crystal Ice
Rider of the Astral Fire
srsly. Cuz it's like..I want the ROCK.. I don't want the ROCKING to stop, you know...but at the same time... I want to feel some EMOTION, man. EMOTION. And only clean sections can really do that for me. Like Opeth. The way they're easily the best death metal around and then they just go all CLEAN on you and break your heart. Brutal.
