Help writing riffs!

[zimmerbz]

Anyone have any advice on writing riffs? Are there any websites out there that teach a little bit? To be more exact, I love playing Dave songs and can play about 95% of them. Yet when I play other musicians tunes, I find myself playing boring open chords. I want to start writing my own riffs that are similiar to Dave type music. Obviously I am not trying to mimic him, but I think his style is so much better to play. Any tips?
Brad

[timmyt23]

Well, it should be something catchy, or interesting, but what that is, is different to everybody. I mean, a "riff" could be anything you want it to be.

[zimmerbz]

well I guess I mean understanding theory and things like that. I have no idea how to read music. All I know is what sound good together I guess. Any ideas?

[werkinsnake]

When I started learning how to write riffs, I found it helpful to sing what I wanted to play, then to play it. After a while, I gained a sense of what I wanted, and how I wanted to play it. Now I don't even have to sing what I want to play anymore.

Another good idea is to play another instrument that you have little to no experience with. It sounds funny, I've come up with some great ideas just by screwing around on pianos, guitars, and basses. I'm a sax player btw.

The third approach is to just jam on your instrument. If you play a catchy riff, record it or write down what you were playing so you can remember it later.

Hope this helps.

[ennthreepio]

i dont know why but i get catchy tunes everytime im in the toilet. later on i quickly turn on the computer, get the tune on the guitar and record in sound recorder. ive been doing that for a year now. i have about 50 short tunes that i hope can make a few songs later on after my school days are over.

[jtdevan]

I just sit around with my guitars and mess around with stuff and come up with something. I haven't written any lyrics in a while, but I have plenty of guitar parts! I also get bored with playing simple open chords, so I stay away from them as much as possible (although I still use them, but not throughout any given song).

[unccrombie]

i look at other songs and changes chords around, or turn a tim reynolds scale into chords and change up the progression. i get ideas and build of things that way

[Dancing Ants]

i just mess around with notes. my fave riffs are those that come to you when you're trying really hard, and out of the blue, you get one from left field that you love.