Many modern guitarists are too quick to put their new riff on social media, but they’re missing one key part of the creative process
How do you make a tissue dance?
Picture the scene: You’ve just written a riff so hot that it’s got the devil craving a Cornetto. You’re excited, why wouldn’t you be? Now all you can think about doing is hitting that record button, bouncing down your mix, and slapping it all over social media.
Don’t.
Patience is a virtue and rushing an idea to the finish line too soon ignores one of the most incredible things about the guitar and what makes it such a unique instrument: Nuance.
I recently spoke to a musician friend, a pianist who has always wanted to learn guitar. The thing is, she’s intimidated by just how variable the instrument can be. On piano, no note repeats. It’s quite literally all there, in black and white.
I get why the sheer amount of variables can be overwhelming: There are more grey areas on the guitar and not just the notes, but how we articulate them. But those greys can be shaded purple with a little imagination and diligence. That’s why the guitar is so magical.
So, before rushing your next riff, try these steps to nurture it into being the best version of itself.
Chugs
Does your riff have chugs? If it’s a metal riff, then that’s almost definitely a yes. So take a moment to review how you’re playing those chugs and make the most of the variance you can achieve by even the slightest adjustments.
Where on the strings is your hand sitting, how hard are you pushing down, and does your hand move during the riff at all? These are some quick questions you can pose.
By moving your hand while palm mute chugging, you can create different harmonics, this might be welcome to keep those chugs interesting as they repeat. Or you may want to double down on one brutal chug. It’s good to explore your options. Find the perfect-sounding chug for that particular riff by experimenting with your hand position, pick attack and tone.
Beyond that, what difference does it make if the chugs aren’t muted, or the noise gate is cranked to high heaven? Leave no stone unchugged.
Same notes, different strings
Going back to my piano-playing friend, the guitar is weird to her because the same notes repeat across different strings. That’s even more applicable in DADGAD too. Again, this is something that should be explored.
Many modern metal bands, from Vildhjarta to ERRA, play their riffs high up the neck on the lowest strings. This, when paired with low open strings, creates dynamic interest as there are some nice octave jumps going on. Playing the riff on the low string retains the chunky, hairy quality of the thicker strings.
Vildhjarta’s Calle Thomér takes this to the extreme. His custom-built EIR 28” baritone has 27 frets so he can go beyond two octaves higher than the open string note and that very same string. It’s lunacy, but it’s also genius.
Take two classic songs as an example, Painkiller by Judas Priest, and Stockholm Syndrome by Muse. Both use a chugged open string and notes nestled on either side of the next octave up. Priest plays those notes on the next string, while Muse plays them on the same string.
There’s a thicker tonality to the Muse riff. However, Priest’s riff could be seen as being snappier, so it really comes down to taste and thinking about which version best suits the riff. The point is, there are many ways to play the same notes on the guitar, so don’t just assume the first way you played it is best.
Pick attack
We can also analyse how we’re playing the notes in terms of articulation. Beyond just how hard or soft we pick – which can make a huge difference to a riff’s presence – we can look at the attack of the notes.
Say you have a quick flurry of notes all on the same string. They could all be played as aggressive down picks, or on the other end of the scale, they could be played full legato. One has bite, one has fluidity. And there are plenty of options in the middle ground between those extremes, combining hammer-ons, up/down picking, and slides in all sorts of ways.
This part of guitar playing can be overlooked, but it can play a huge role in narrative riff writing. We want our riffs to tell a story, so how do these subtle changes reinforce what you’re trying to say? If you are conveying anger, then aggressive picking with few hammers will reinforce that. If the passage is dreamy, like you’re floating through clouds, legato will emphasize that concept.
Here's Sebastiside with a cheeky example of how these differences sound.
Tuning
Another interesting experiment is to simply try the riff in a new tuning. Drop the whole thing by a tone, or if you’ve tracked it on a DAW re-pitch it up and down in a few different ways.
D minor is said to be the saddest key, C major the happiest. Each key has its own feel. Just because you were in D standard when you wrote the riff doesn’t mean it has to stay in that tuning. Find what works best for that song.
Here's Sebastiside again. He's a good egg.
Bend it like Beckham
I’m not sure how obvious that reference is these days – good god, am I OLD?!
Anyway, bends are a surefire way to add more stank and spice to your riff. We can approach it in a few different ways. Instead of hammering on that next note a fret or two away, how does it sound if you bend up to the note instead?
So, instead of playing frets 7, 9, and 10, you could play 7, hammer to the 9, and then bend that half a semitone to get to the 10th. The note will be the same, but the tonality change might help add more character to the riff.
The same rule applies if you have a big open note. How would it work if that was a bend instead? Open notes can be static; bends can add grindiness, and a little more movement into a riff.
Make some noise
One thing I adore about a lot of modern metal is that noises often usurp actual notes, or at the very least can be added in to add a fresh tonality and gnarliness to an idea. Take Unprocessed’s latest song, Snowlover. That main hook is, apart from that sweet little refrain at the end, pure rhythm and noise. But damn it sounds good.
Spiritbox’s rager of a tune, Soft Spine, relies on super simple power chords and some weird harmonic/pick-scraping thing. Without it, the riff would be blander than own-brand vanilla ice cream. They very much take this concept from Gojira.
If there’s a moment of space, or there’s a note that isn’t quite sitting right, try swapping it out with some hellscaped sound. Pick scrapes are an easy method – I actually use the nail of my thumb as I find it easier and way more consistent. Fourth fret harmonics are fun, you can sort of stab at the strings with your pick, or rely on pedals to freak out your sound for a moment. But really, the possibilities are endless.
Check out just a few options in the video below.
There are other ways of making subtle but impactful changes to the way a riff is played or voiced. This is just scratching the surface, really.
But what is does is accentuate the variables that are all over guitar playing – and we haven’t even talked about guitar tone. The best players don’t rush their work. They analyse their ideas to the nth degree to ensure what they present to the public is the best vehicle to tell their story and get the desired reaction from their audience.
So don’t rush your next riff, or I’ll set Browne on you.
We're proud to have launched MMA Ignite, our most affordable package yet, and the easiest way to access core lessons, tips, and tricks.
Priced at £9.99 (€12.99 Euro / $14.99 USD) per month, Ignite subscribers get access to four pillars of our Master's lessons: Fundamentals, Learning Pathways and Learn Songs. It also grants players access to workshops and live streams, daily guitar hacks to fast track your playing, and our monthly riff wars competition, which is an absolute blast, even if you’re just spectating.
Finally, you’ll also have a ticket to the Members Community, our community platform full of creative and dedicated players sharing tips, advice, and memes (of course). This community, we feel, is the heart of what makes MMA special. We’re a learning platform, yes, but we’re also a community where each player is treated equally, where we’re all united by the desire to get better and get inspired by one another.
MMA Ignite is the most affordable way to join the MMA community and elevate your playing to new heights.
And because we understand that your financial situation can change in a heartbeat, players can pause their subscription, or unsubscribe, whenever they need to. You’re not tied down to lengthy contracts.
Head over here to sign up.
Comments