Doom/drone/stoner advice

Pantsman · #1 07-03-2006, 06:10 AM

I didn't really know where to put this, but misc is as good a place as any.

I been listening to heaps of this style of music lately because there is likely to be a gig in it for me. But the thing is, i can't seem to be able to write doomy bass lines. I mean, i can come up with a slow groove, but it isn't a metal slow groove. If you get my point. Are there are certain modes i should be looking at, any specific rythic patterns?

Thanks for any advice

Mitchell Royce · #2 07-03-2006, 09:30 AM

Pentatonic all the way. Listen to Black Sabbath and Kyuss for inspiration. The more you listen to the genre the more you'll get a hang of the rythms and note choices.

hyperlitem · #3 07-03-2006, 10:35 AM

get a big muff, the inspiration will flow.

#4 07-03-2006, 11:53 AM

Definately and Definately. Fuzz helps, and working out of pentatonic scales helps. Also, one of the best things you can do mentally is just kick back and have fun with it.

Matt Till · #5 07-03-2006, 11:44 PM

Learn your favorite doom riffs, and try to figure out what makes them awesome. Try to draw influence from other sources though... doom can get bland fast if you just spend your whole career ripping off Black Sabbath and/or Kyuss (I do it often, but I try to add my own flavor... a lot of the newer songs I've written for my band have odd timed parts and so forth, to change it up a bit).

Tone is a big issue too. You aren't going to want to let something drone if it won't have a big sustained sound.

pklima · #6 07-04-2006, 01:19 AM

For death-doom or funeral doom, try to move by minor seconds or tritones a lot. Descending major seconds or major thirds or ascending minor thirds are also good. Descending is generally doomy.

For more traditional Sabbathy doom, use pentatonic minor or natural minor scales. also try to ascend by minor intervals and descend by major ones when possible.

For more inspiration, try to play the heads of the following jazz standards really slowly with a heavy tone and without any swing:

"Autumn leaves"
"Early autumn" (lower the third in each chord in the A section to make it minor and skip the happy-sounding B section)
"Lullaby of the leaves"
"My funny Valentine"
"Moonlight on the Ganges" (OK, so it's in a major key, but the descending melody is has some very doomy moments)

I am absolutely serious. My old doom band recorded and released two of those.

Pantsman · #7 07-04-2006, 03:30 AM

Thanks for the advice, I don't really have that much doom atm, i've got a bit of Kyuss, heaps of sabbath and a little bit of Electric Wizzard. Once i have some spare cash i'm going on a CD buying spree.

pklima, thats a touch out of my theory reach at the moment, but i will slowly digest it and see what i can make of it. Once I get my car (thursday hopefully) I should be able to organize some lessons. Basic jazz theory, knowledge of the scales and rythym theory stuff. That will help my playing no end i'm sure.

pklima · #8 07-04-2006, 03:41 AM

Here's a cheat-sheet to aid your digestion:

Minor second = 1 fret
Major second = 2 frets
Minor third = 3 frets
Major third = 4 frets
Tritone = 6 frets

Natural minor scale = for example A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A or E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E
Chromatic scale (sometimes used in death-doom or funeral) = all the notes on the fretboard

Ascending = higher than the previous note
Descending = lower

You could also try these forums:

http://www.doom-metal.com/phpBB
http://forums.southernlord.com

Many doom musicians hang out there so they're good places to get doom-specific help. Southern Lord is geared more towards drone doom.

Pantsman · #9 07-04-2006, 04:41 AM

pklima: Thanks, thats got me headed in the right direction now. Just focusing on descending has made me alot more doom'y. Still have a habit of 'overplaying' though.

I'm using bits of the minor pentatonic and descending with tritones ... I know you can play anything you want to, but how much of a doom sin is it to get technical? like with slides and tapping?

pklima · #10 07-04-2006, 05:18 AM

If you still have a habit of overplaying then it's probably not a good idea to get technical right now. Get the essentials of the style down solid first. Slides may actually be part of the essentials depending on your band. Later you can see if you can, say, tap some slow sustained chords. But fast solos are unlikely to ever be a good idea!

Pantsman · #11 07-04-2006, 05:28 AM

Well, out of an hour of random jamming, I have managed to come up with 'something' i like (and i found out i need to practise playing with a drumbeat at slow tempo's).

Whats the best way of hosting this file? I read the sticky and have tried rapidshare and soundclick, both you either have to sign up or go through alot of spam/crap.

Edit: here is the rapidshare link, constructive (or even not-so, i don't mind :P) criticism is welcome. btw, the recording sucks, done with a cheap-o sony microphone and the amp is my stereo.

http://rapidshare.de/files/24909886/doom.mp3.html