Grateful Dead Music Forum

So me and my band are trying to make a bunch of new songs. I play guitar, and i have a problem with making new stuff. I always come up with cool riffs, but then i don't know where to go after that, to finish making a song. any suggestions?

spacehead333 wrote:So me and my band are trying to make a bunch of new songs. I play guitar, and i have a problem with making new stuff. I always come up with cool riffs, but then i don't know where to go after that, to finish making a song. any suggestions?

What is stuff? Drum beats, chord progressions, basslines, solos, riffs between lines, um bridges??

well ill make up like a cool intro riff, or a cool riff to jam on, but i just never know what to do for the rest of the song, it seems i can only make one part of the song, then im stuck

you get an opening riff find out what key it's in use chords for a verse and a chorus, or if you're lazy just a verse

i have the same god damn problem with my chord progressions, man. I can never figure out how to build a bridge out of what i am playing. Wonderful question.

For chord progressions read the lyrics than hear what yields to the words.

Candyman, for a bridge try launching from the iii.

strumminsix wrote:
Candyman, for a bridge try launching from the iii.

What does that mean, iii?

Ummmmmm, write short songs. High

look at traditional songs for ideas...

study theory

and just think about it....

say your on a Dm...and you come up with a riff that goes from the A in the Dm and ends up on a G note...well you could go Dm to G...or try Dm to A7..try going to Gm....just think about it and experiment

feel free to modulate key...if your in C dont be afraid to throw in an E7 in place of the Em...then maybe run off the E7 to A7...???

and the iii means....

say were in C again

say your verse contains C F G and Am

try starting your bridge on an Em(the 3 chord of the key of C)

also work on your vocals if your not that good at singing

sometimes it feels like i cant figure out which chord should come next just because my singing isnt staying in key and it would sound fine over the next chord if i just adjusted my vocals

Candyman1984 wrote:

strumminsix wrote:
Candyman, for a bridge try launching from the iii.

What does that mean, iii?

Sorry, the minor third assuming major.

So, if your song is in A, then start your bridge on a C#m!