Songwriting help

[Dan Shipway]

I was wondering if any of you could share any tips on how to break down the huge task that is songwriting. I often use drum tracks to create riffs but It seems that inspiration is forced because nothing new ever comes. After much thought I have narrowed it down to a few points
All the riffs rely on open power chords and are all written in a drop tuning which makes them bounce off the open D/C.
Most progressions are either whole-half or whole-whole-whole+half or some variation (Think beast and the harlot or Deutschland).
They are all in D minor/F major.
Rhythms are recycled and seem to follow a linear pattern and structure.
They either have a phrase which is over repeated or not repeated (The repetitiveness may be a result of the drum track being a loop).
These are just a few things I have picked up on for riff writing. There are a few issues with other aspects but I thought its best to focus one one area at a time.

 

[Forgetabull]

I’m probably on the wrong track, but perhaps:

Arpeggiate the chords
Switch to finger style – could move you to a picking pattern/rhythm you wouldn’t otherwise go to
Start with a chord (like C sharp near the 12th fret) and “move like a joystick” ie. Use move one string up, one whole back, two wholes up, move one string down
Chromatic walks
Following that last one, deliberately mix scales ie. if you were using A blue scale in standard tuning, instead of 5,6,7 on the A string, do 5,6,7 on the D string.
Deliberately target the 6th (it’s horrible sounding so forces you to find was to resolve it).

Also DISCLAIMER I’m a noob, so my advice is probably not very useful !

 

[idssdi]

When I write a song I just think cadences. They are probably the most important ones in songwriting to pay attention to.

 

[Calvin Phillips]

I wouldnt say every riff is based off a power chord.
What I would say is every single riff is based off a melody. And even a melody could just be power chords.
Most start with a simple beat bass…drums.. anything. Everything that follows is off that beat. And eventually builds into something more.

 

[Dan Shipway]

Well, I can definitely say the past week has been eventful, I have recorded some old ones I did for my music exams back in school and I have 16 ideas which is more than enough to use

 

[Ed Seith]

Try different tempos or beats with the drum machine.
Try different tunings – even going back to E standard can push you in slightly different directions, writing-wise, and can still be translated to drop D for performance or recording, if you prefer.
Take a riff or part you already wrote and play it over and over and over again, to the drum track, until you get bored and your head and heads go somewhere else. See where they lead you. I wrote a lot of stuff with my last original band that way.
Listen to something outside your comfort zone/style and try to play along with it. See what kind of melodic ideas it fills your head with.
Record a simple bass line along to a drum part that does NOT conform to the keys you mentioned above. Work out a guitar part you like that fits!
Just a few ideas to maybe help you find a way out of the rut. They suck, but they CAN be overcome!

 

[Dan Shipway]

These are all really great tips that you have all shared and Im so happy that you all took the time to help out. One of the big things for me that I found out is that I come up with lots of ideas on acoustic, Im not sure what it is but ideas just seem to manifest themselves easier.
I have also started to be inspired by riffs, there is an Amon Amarth song that I have been listening to from Berserker and that helps the juices flow because it gives a base stylistically. I think it may be based around what Devin Townsend said in a clinic where he said he likes to play teles and other guitars that he disassociates with his “work” guitars such as his storm-bender and 335.
With regards to the tunings I play in drop C and D now and thats mainly because I like to use dissonance to create riffs.
I have thought about using different time signatures but that seems a little too complicated at the moment with regards to how to feel them.