QUESTION: How do I add/create riffs to my chord playing

[HappyRon]

Hello!

I've been playing for a while and can play chords, strum, and finger pick. When I play with a band playing my songs the (more technically skilled then I) player far more then just the simple chords, I believe the techincal term would be "riffs". Since i write original songs, I'm a bit at a loss to figure out how do this myself, what to play. Or even what the next step is for me. I'm guessing the best way to go forward would be:

Learn the scale of the key that my song is in and then start noodling around until I find something that sounds good.

Am i on the right track here? I'm just learning scales (have Jamie's two video products on them) and I'm guessing if I can match the scales that's she's teaching to specific songs of mine that would be more motivation to learn them.

Am I on the right track here? or is there some aspect of this picture I am missing.

Thanks for a great forum!

[N E Y]

Hello!

I've been playing for a while and can play chords, strum, and finger pick. When I play with a band playing my songs the (more technically skilled then I) player far more then just the simple chords, I believe the techincal term would be "riffs". Since i write original songs, I'm a bit at a loss to figure out how do this myself, what to play. Or even what the next step is for me. I'm guessing the best way to go forward would be:

Learn the scale of the key that my song is in and then start noodling around until I find something that sounds good.

Am i on the right track here? I'm just learning scales (have Jamie's two video products on them) and I'm guessing if I can match the scales that's she's teaching to specific songs of mine that would be more motivation to learn them.

Am I on the right track here? or is there some aspect of this picture I am missing.

Thanks for a great forum!

Hello HappyRon,

Well, you already have your answer, since you write original songs.

Riffs are songs and songs are riffs and so are symphonies. The only difference is length and instrumentation. All original music comes from the same source: Your inner self, the universal mind, the creative power of the universe, the "zone', inspiration..etc... which are all music itself. All of these powers are the same thing, by different names and live inside you , not outside of your soul!

All you have to do is tune in to it and play what wants to come out spontaneously, then write it down or record it or both.. just as you do when you write your songs.

Put the chords on playback , pick up your guitar, and just let the music come out. It will be perfect , if you let it out without getting in the way with personal interference.

You can also limit yourself to one scale or two at a time while you do this, but this is not pure inspiration. It has an element of intellectual control which limits your genius to a signifiant extent and is anti-art, However you can do this until you get to the master level and can get out of the way entirely so music can manifest in its pure form as it wants to.

That is the highest state of creative manifestation for an artist.

You have, as a prerequisite, to learn your craft: Ear training, Scales, chords and rhythm, which is the most important (after ear training) as it defines styles and phrasing.

That is what one does to be original. You can also copy riffs note by note, but they will not be original. Sometimes you have to be original enough to let your genius out and copy enough from a style to still stay in what we call a"style", that is the language of the style.


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[Jamie]

Learn the scale of the key that my song is in and then start noodling around until I find something that sounds good.

That is precisely what you do Ron! Now, to inform your "noodling" I would also:

Be able to play the melody straight through as is, in a chosen position, where you know the scale of the key.

Play the melody again, making small changes with various scale notes, change rhythms in the melody as well.

Learn various "patterns" to the scales, such as 1234, 2345, 3456 etc. and use those in the melodies and runs you create.

Sing the melody along with the chords, and improvise with your voice, or even do it mentally, and reproduce that with your fingers.

Try these things out and let me know how they work for you.

[HappyRon]

Jamie - Thanks for the ides, they are useful. I normally have been playing in accompaniment style, IE simple chords or finger picking, therefore I don't know the melodies of my songs on guitar. Sounds like from what you are saying that that would be a useful next step for me, I hadn't actually considered that.

Am continuing to enjoy your materials. I came to the conclusion a few years back (after years of denial) that my problems on guitar where directly connected to my disability. However I concluded that most if not all were. Going through your material I've come to understand that a huge percentage of my problems are what most people go through, though with me I think the tension is worse due to my situation. Most importantly I've found a path through the problems. Thanks again.

NEV - thanks for the thoughts, combined with what Jamie just wrote I think it's exactly what I need to hear.

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