newbie needs advice

You've brought up two themes, one is professional/non-session player, and the other is creative/original/non-Vai. They can go together, but I think each has to be considered separately at first.

It seems you can pick up a tab or maybe a sheet of music and play it, or play off of scribbled notes from other people. This would already be 'professional' in many people's understanding. I know you said you don't want to be a session player but you have some of that ability none the less. It's not a bad thing in itself, but since you also want to come up with originals and not just practice other people's songs and licks forever, it's almost like you have to do the opposite of that side of things.

I read somewhere where this pro guy (I forget who) said that he'd gone to college and studied music seriously for a few years, and then spent the next way-longer amount of time trying toi *forget* what he'd learned and get back into just playing from feel and emotion. The technical side is great to have as a basis, but it's the end-all and be-all of music. It would seem that you have a good background and understanding of music, but at a certain point, if you want to do your own stuff, you have to almost divorce yourself from what's going on around you. This is not to say that you have to become a hermit or anything and never again listen to anybody else's music, but to a small degree, you do.

My own case is a little extreme, where I did a lot of study, scales, went to college a little to learn theory and composition, the played in cover bands through the 80's and ethnic bands and groups, and then had the music just 'leave' me for 14 years. I never even opened the guitar case in all that time, and never wanted to. Then there came a day when it all 'touched' me again and things started up. I'd lost pretty much all my technique during that extended 'vacation' or semi-retirement, but everything else was still there, some of it a bit rusty, but I mean, you just can't 'unlearn' how chords go together or what the scale looks like on the fingerboard, lol.

But that period gave me a really different perspective on music -- on guitar music as well as music in general. I started to hear new things that weren't so technical and technique-biases, you know? Songs. Melodies. The actual core of music with all the old pomp and circumstance (and arrogance and angst) stripped away. It was really refreshing I can tell you.

I'm not suggesting you take a decade or two off from music and then come back to it later, but I can suggest that you sometimes sit quietly, without your instrument and see if you can 'hear' anything; any song or idea or melody that's already in your head. Some people say that the mind is never empty of thought or creativity, but the problem usually is, few are able to focus in on those thoughts. They just sort of float through their day, thinking things, not remembering them, thinking other things. But within those thoughts, there is music. I'm sure you've already heard it. Musicians are generally more fortunate to step into the realm of music (more than the general music listening public) and so there's already a thread there. But to purposely focus on it and then maybe toi hum it or sing it, is the best way to tap into the creative side that you already have.

Of course there'll be times, like with me, when I wrote this brilliant chord progression, chord by chord, doing the voice-leading as best I could and then I sat back and went, "Welcome to the Hotel California..."

I'd unconsciously rewritten that Eagles song. I laughed, but it was frustrating. It was however a lesson in how stuff from other people 'seeps' into your playing and writing. It's something to be aware of.

And sometimes the melody you hear in your head will be someone else's. The cool thing is, lots of times, it's not!

Anyhow, this post is way too long, as most of mine are when discussing this subject, but, long-story-short: take a break from your learning in order to discover what you already know.

Take care. :)

One thing that is fun, is noodling. The best time is when you're in a somewhat sombre mood (tends to come out in that phase between sobriety and drunkeness, when you're sitting alone and darkness is setting in). Pick yourself a scale and just run up and down it, adding twists and turns, as the mood takes you. Let your fingers do the work and don't try to form any riffs or licks. Thinking will destroy the whole mood!!!!
After a while, you'll find that certain sequences pop up more than others. Just keep doing it and let "you" come out in the noodling (chances are, what you end up playing is far more relaxed and "tuneful" than metal - don't knock it, embrace it - that's *you* playing).

Thanks alot for the replies. They were really insightful. A more specific and urgent question.You see.. the band that i'm jamming with, they just tell me today that they want to come up with 3 originals for a compilation demo and thats in about 2 to 3 months. I'm supposed to do the riffing in the line of Metallica/Megadeth/Slayer or whatever thrash influenced but not strictly anything. So lets put it this way. Though I can read tab/a bit of stave notes and practice songs, I'm in no position to forget all that I've learned, take a vacation from music and try to find my creativity..yet. I guess i just have to go on learning about something like 'how to compose a thrash metal song; step by step guide' or similar. Any suggestion? OR do i post this in the guitar player's forum? Thanks alot anyway...

No, no need to take a vacation. That's just what happened to me. :)

But for the project at hand: You probably know enough of the bands you mentioned, as far as what sorts of things they have done. Perhaps what you might do is to think of things they would've played but never got recorded. You know their style already and if that's the influence then draw from that.

Still, you have to imagine it first. If you have a drum machine or even a metronome, set it to a good beat, something similar to what the bands you mentioned might do, and then don't even play the guitar at first. See if you can 'hear' a riff. Hum it, sing it, bring it out into the open, and *then* find it on your guitar.

You might surprise yourself!

Sometimes when I'm walking somewhere, the rhythm of my steps creates some basic beat, and sometimes I find myself listening to some riff or melodic line, imagining it. I usually don't have a guitar there with me so I just let it go, but what I'm saying is, there's stuff in you already and sometimes it takes *not* trying to play it to bring it out. Think it up, imagine it, then play it.

:)

Hiya,

Greybeard's advice will work best.

You need to come up with three riffs for intros and verses, and three chord sequences for choruses. A couple of sequences for bridges if you have time will do nicely, and can be used as the backing for the solo.

The words are up to you.

Best,

A :-)

Oh and if you don't have a drum machine, you might get with the drummer and have the rest of you create a part that he can play. Record just the drums into a small tape recorder and work off of that. It might give you some ideas.

Take care.

Ok. Thanks for the ideas. After a few days trying to find a riff intuitively, I realised my situation and come up with a more specific new question. The question is 'where can i find material on making a riff, for example like how many different approaches there are and the different styles etc. I've listened to and played many different riffs but I need a clear head to create my own. Just basic starting point to clear out some ideas is enough.Thanks.

The first thing you should do is find out what key you want to make the riff in. Match the key to the singer's (or your) voice. Try the keys of E, A or D first maybe, probably E; you can always barre upward to match the singer.

You could basicall base the riff on, say, the open E power chord, the open 6th string, the second fret of the 5th string and the second fret of the 4th string. Strum the chord, listen to it, then start picking each of those 3 notes one after the other. Try palm muting to give the riff a thuddy, rhythmic sound. A riff ties in with a drummer in that way, almost built like what a drummer would do. The low E would do the work of the bass/kick drum, and the other two notes can be thought of as what the snare drum or one of the tom-toms would do. You just play around with the three notes, picking them individually, until you have a nice rhythm going even without the drummer.

After that you can start to add extra notes on each of the strings. I can't tell you which ones, but you can just fool around with it until you get something you like. It's all about *you* liking it. Then you can switch over and do the same thing starting with the open 5th string power (no fifth) chord.

As far as styles, that can pretty much be done when you work with the drummer and the bassist. The three of you create the groove using the riff you made as the basis for everything. The bassist would probably duplicate your riff on the lower strings of his bass and that would leave you to do other things higher up on the neck. But you could make a riff up, say in 4/4 time, and if the drummer plays around the riff in a certain way, it would make the whole thing sound different. Hendrix did a lot of that; he'd be doing a riff, but Mitch would be doing a jazzy feel drum part and the whole thing combined to make it sound like a different style.

You could even make a riff in 3/4 time, a waltz time, but if the drummer plays it straight, with no swing, you'd wind up with a 'rock-waltz' sort of feel and style.

Anyhow, hope this helps.

K thanks.. I'll try and see if it works..will probably post my next step in a few days time..hope you check me out soon.