How do you write metal?

[gonzilla]

Question for the metal and hard rock crowd-

When writing metal and hard rock, what instrument do you tend to write for first? I'm having difficulties with how a single person can write pieces that make a whole when every instrument kind of blends into the song seamlessly. It's like trying to place a puzzle piece into the middle of the puzzle when nothing has been put together yet.

 

[Against Will]

Are you going to be playing all the instruments, or is this for a band?

For my band in college; I would write parts on bass, the drummer would figure out the time signature, and the rest of the band would fall in behind. We were doing kind of a stoner-prog metal type thing, so thick, slow, groovy riffs were our stock in trade. In other genres, like Death or Power metal, it would probably make more sense to write on guitar, seeing as those are more shredtastic.

 

[mambo4]

For the one basement thrash band I was in, it was guitar riffs first, everything else second.Of course, the guitarist was writing all the songs...however I think its a safe bet to say that most metal hard rock originates from a couple of nice guitar riffs, contrasting the standard pop approach, which is to begin with a strong vocal melody. a secondary advantage to starting with guitar is that you can lay down the chord progression right off the bat, making it easier for other instruments to develop parts.

But a good riff on any instrument can be the foundation for a song. Even -gasp- a strong vocal melody No real reason to favor one instrument first.

 

[gonzilla]

Against Will-
This would be for a band.

I'm looking for a classic metal vibe.

 

[D Rokk]

that really depends on what you hear in ur head as you play it.. if u can play it on bass and hear how it would sound on guitar or how the drums would go or the vocals then great.. whatever instrument fits the current riff or part of song u are working on.. i've wrote great songs on bass..

i do find it easier to write on guitar personally tho

 

[Korladis]

A lot of times the guitarist will write riffs and I will write bass lines to them, and help in putting the song together.

When I'm writing the riffs, I tend to write both bass and guitar at the same time, strange as that sounds. Which means, whether I'm playing bass or guitar, I'm always keeping the other in mind and often switching back and forth during the course of writing just one riff.

 

[nortonrider]

Just write:
E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-A-A-A-A-A-A-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E

and you'll be OK .

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

Just write:
E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-A-A-A-A-A-A-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E

and you'll be OK .

+1.


On a more serious note, I just play the bass. My fingers happen to play slower, doom-y metal, so I write Sabbath-y songs. As far as writing songs, usually when we get together and jam one person or another will say "hey, check this out," present said riff/beat/whatever, and we'll work on it.

In other words, I write it by playing it.