original guitar

[Granny33]

i'm having tons of trouble coming up with original riffs and solos and stuff. how do you do it?! do you guys use music theory, or just play around and hope to get lucky?

[Matty Boom]

i recommend learning some scales on your own or going to a teacher who can teach you the whole shabang, theory included...here's a site for some scales

http://www.looknohands.com/chordhouse/g ... ex_rb.html

and here's a thread posted a few days ago with some theory...

http://www.antsmarching.org/forum/showt ... hp?t=93494

[Granny33]

i know some theory, basic chord progressions and scales and stuff should i learn more advanced stuff? thx for the sites

[thejoe]

first of all, you need to expose yourself to many types of music, lots of differtne generes, not just the dmb type clicky things
dave matthews was not inspired by music that sounds like his

as for writing thigs, just try to figure out differtnt riffs and solos in the songs you like, this way you might get a hold on this type of stuff

and just use what sounds good, theory will help, and learn some scales, but there are many good musicians who no nothing of theory

[grock]

there is a difference between knowing theory intelectually and apllying theory to your playing. i would argue that all the great guitarist all know theory, and how to apply it. they just don't know it verbally.

an easy way, is to set up the chord or rhthm structure or both at the same time. then you play a riff based on that chord structure. i have so many great GCDC riffs that i could kill a small dog.

i make up songs by just playing along to other music and when i find a riff i like, the riff is my new song and i make up the lyrics.

i get so much from playing solos and stuff that become whole songs in themselves.

and again if you are feeling a but plateued, listen to other types of music and broaden your horizon. learn some spanish guitar or metal or folk. expand yourself. free your mind and the rest will follow.

[dmfollower]

I agree, expose yourself to other types of music. I recently(i love using song titles in a sentence) started playing heavy metal. I don't really like it but my fingers can move soo fast now. Now when i play the guitar i have a couple of different things that i know and can do. Ofcourse, dave and heavy metal don't really mix well but they are both very talented ways to play the guitar. Exposure is a plus

[mastermindmatthews3436]

i will argue that dave and heavy metal mix....what about dave and tim?? two completely different musical styles combined to create amazing music...learn many different genres and lots of trial and error will help too. also sometimes you can think of it in your head and then apply it to the guitar

[dmfollower]

i will argue that dave and heavy metal mix....

Thats why i said, "Ofcourse, dave and heavy metal don't really mix well but they are both very talented ways to play the guitar. "

[Granny33]

lol i've been listening to more metallica than dave lately, i love both of them. i do try and expand my music horizons though, i play todays rock classic rock dave clapton chuck berry and a little gypsy jazz

[lyrics101]

Actually, Dave said that when he was younger, "The harder the better." You can definitely feel an electric guitar style on his acoustic.

But I do agree, listen to absolutely everything you can get your hands on, from Bjork to Tool, to David Gray or Deftones.

[Beauford33]

I just mess around with different chords and some cool stuff comes out.