Slow Paced Intros and Solos

[DriveThruEmoKid]

Ok Me and a couple Buds of mine just put together a Emo/Screamo band, and we are trying to write songs, but everything i come up with is bland. All i can get out of my intros/solos are Roots notes with 5ths, 3rds, and Octaves. I try to get more interesting, but it always goes back to those notes. Is there something i am missing? I am stuck and need help. Thanks

[labrat]

Try this:
I happen to be very theory oriented, and have to break out of my patterns also.

If you have a copy of the song, use your imagination to picture a solo over the section you solo over. That way it's free of your normal playing constraints, it's what you want it to be, and it may even have some interesting tension and release parts due to the fact that it may clash occasionally with the song (which can be good in the right context). You just have to find the same sounds on your bass that were in your head. Just imagine a bar or two, work it out on bass, then work out another bar or two in your head, ect.; you'll slowly build up your whole part. Something of a mental improvisation.

Just a thought.

[Coypu]

When I get stuck I usually write something completely different to put things in perspective. Like writing a completely atonal peice for example, it helped me alot to get my other writing in perspective and so forth. Just expand your views and use different tecniques or methods.

Try writing something using a 12 tone based chord progression for example, its a good way to break from the usual rutine.

example :
http://www.spasticink.com/runs1.html

You can always learn new scales if you are a scale person or start listening to Allan Holdsworth, his music can be a real eye opener.

[labrat]

Hey Coypu. You're not the same guy from the Steve DiGiorgio message board, hmmmmm?

(i'm unregistered there. i refuse to pay for an email service to get registered. i'm cheap)

Another possibilty is use altered tunings, then relearn the part in your standard tuning once you come up with something. (unless your a natural Micheal Manring and can think through practically any weirdo tuning- he still boggles my mind by doing that stuff)