I’m always thinking in beats and riffs throughout the day, driving around, at work, etc. It’s only when I sit down with a guitar that my mind draws a blank.
My brain: CHUGGACHUGGA BOWOW CHUGGACHUGGA Me: Huh, that sounds pretty cool, let's try and write it My fingers: I'm going to ruin this man's whole career
This made me laugh because I think of a lot of my riffs while I'm at work. I'll come home and try to figure it out, and it sometimes takes me weeks to figure out how to play the song that I've written in my head. By then the song has totally changed. 😂
I have a good tip... listen to a completely different genre of music and use those scales/patterns for a metal riff. Obviously, put a twist on it to introduce the heavy aspect of it. Experimentation is key!
The problem for most guitarists is not writing riffs but how to join them up. In other words, how to make coherent musical pieces out of them with tension, hooks, bridges etc. Can you do a video on that?
Absolutely genius. I've been playing for over 25 years. I delete more riffs than I play it seems like. It's like you turned the page and the next chapter is here. Thank you my brother. Keep on doing the greatness you do .
Brother I’m an ancient rock dude and always played Les Pauls etc, I just got one of your Solar guitars and I’m playing shit I never played before. Thanks for that. Love this video. I’ve been doing riffs all my life (I’m 57) and I needed this.
I'm currently at string number 69, and I have run into a problem. You see, I've run out of space. My guitar's neck is literally touching the ceiling right now. Can I stop or should I move to a bigger house? And is it possible to do this outside so I don't have a limit? Thanks for your time.
I'd also recommend that if you're struggling to write good riffs, plug into an amp and cab and jam. Sometimes hearing and feeling the guitar blast out of a 4x12 behind you can often make a huge difference (as opposed to using using your studio monitors).
100% agree. I just bought half stack a couple months ago. It’s been 10 years since i had one . I havent been in a band since then. Instantly inspired. 5 songs written already. Just from the feeling and tone of the amp. 👍🏼
Lol, I was waiting for you to say "Buy my masterclass" in the end and didn't expect that. 😂 You are so right, fooling around and developing the parts that sound cool is a great approach. Thanks for making my day, Ola!
8 months into playing and I've done this so many times now. Play something cool and think, "damn I'm creative" then I hear it on my Playlist 3 days later and it's just a song I've known for several years
"And then I just... wait for it to load" Damnit, even when they're programs on computers, still gotta wait for them pesky drummers. Feels like being ready on time is more than just a human condition.
... categorise your riffs. That is fucking genius. I have spent so many hours and days thinking about that ever elusive 'next section' that ties everything together, and I realise I've spent frickin' ages thinking about stuff I've jammed before and jesus. I think on top of that, I might spend some time just tabbing up the riff too, so if it ends up that I've came up with something and can't remember how to play, I have that reference too! I feel this is gonna make a huge difference for me! Cheers, Ola. It's the weekend soon, and I finish making pretty websites soon, so bring on cranking the amp up and smashing out some riffs!
I subscribed due to the technique passed down through the ages you demonstrate at the end. I've already written 5 songs this way... and I've been subscribed for 2 minutes.
Your hilarious Ola. I just stumbled across your channel not too long ago. I’ve been a huge metal fan my entire life and was beginning to wonder if any truly amazing original guitarists were still out there making music. Love your stuff brother. Keep the videos coming!
Ola, this is the best lesson I've seen in this topic. Have played for ages and does something similar myself. The one thing I've not done...I have not taken the time to make a video for free and shared it with the rest of the world. Hopes it comes back to you in one way or another. Love the ending. Cheers!
Powertab is free and it works for tabbing extremely well. All that $60 gets you is a better guitar sound for playback and a clunkier interface. Don't waste your money. I'm a guitarist and a drummer and a bassist and a vocalist and ect.. guitarpro is crap...
Suggested topic: writing unique bass parts. Yes, we generally tend to just have the bass follow the guitar, but think of some of your favourite songs and I guarantee you that the bass is doing something unique. Perhaps get in a guest bass player.
Great idea, but Ola tends to just have the bass following the rhythm guitar or slower, tense transitions on root notes. It'd be interesting if he got Adam Neely for that, since groove metal oriented bands tend to have bass follow rhythm guitar for extra 'chunk.' Edit: Grmph has a jazzy walking bassline, now that I think about it, so who knows...might work.
Idea for future video: how about getting a shitty guitar, shitty interface, barebones setup and teach us what the results would be, a lot of prospective artists quit before they get far because all the tutorials always show people recording awesome sounding material that has massive post processing, of course they always fail to disclose that part. I think you are honest and it would be interesting to see the results..,,,
When you're using programs like bias, guitar rig, amplitube or vsts and similar you can think like you're using real stuff but all digital. A virtual pedal is like a real pedal, so are cabs, mics, fxs, etc. They try to emulate the sound but of course it will never sound 100% equal (nor good).. something can be fixed, a bit eq here a bit eq there, but for example harmonics don't resonate well and i hate that digital feel, especially cause i like tube distortion. Anyway i find most of the virtual fxs are ok, but distortion and hi gain are the worst. I upgraded my ai to an ur22 with the hi-z switch for matching impedance (= no need for di box), I solved the plastic sound problem by getting a mesa tube preamp and a maxon od808 boosted by a ge10, all going straight into the ai, to the program with all the effects. since i play mostly metal i don't need lots of fx, just a bit of compression, cab simulation, eq and rev/dl for leads.. and i NEVER use ai gain, cause number 1 of plastic sound. This works for me.. my pc is i5 16gb, daw studio one 3 pro, hs80m monitors, good cables.. and i'm planning on getting an axe fx when i save some money (can't wait)! Can your shit tone depend from your guitar? Maybe, but lots of people don't know (or are scared) how to set it up and/or adjust pickup height correctly, sometimes that solves some issues, try it before spending 200$ on nazguls. You have to spend time dialing the tone and trying different combinations, don't go gain 10 treble 10 no mids and 10 volume please, it's easier to get a shit tone than a good one.. also check noise gates, eventual compressors, limiters on the master, be sure your levels aren't clipping..
Massimiliano Fiorini I guess cheap but effective....orange mini dark, 4x12 cab, 808 pedal, sm57, focusrite interface, reaper....top if the line solar guitar.....
Make sure your guitar, no matter what it looks like or how cheap it is, has a good pair of pickups like Duncan Seymour or EMG 81. Standard entry-level humbuckers won't do and will be like trying to get water out of a rock which is what I'm doing because I got everything else, except the damn pickups. Good pickups are one of the most important things none of these guys mention, but makes all the difference as distorted guitars are the worst to record and work with if you don't know what what a clear and crackle-free distorted tone should sound like. Make sure you have a decent bass guitar with new strings replaced regularly and a drum machine or vst plugin like Toontrack, a Focusrite 2i2 interface, Amplitube 4(has the best sounding virtual amps and cabinets), Reaper or Studio One DAW and you are pretty much set to record mind-blowing metal tracks.
Nice. The noodling-around is what I imagine, when someone says: "I gotta write some riffs. Meet me tomorrow" haha. What I'll definitly try is noodling with the virtual drummer. Well, it's obvious a good thing, whne one considers, that you have one, while playing in a band, but for timing and precision - nice idea.
Good tips man. I pretty much do the exact same thing too except I am a drummer, I just started playing guitar pretty recently. So the good thing about being a drummer is I always have an idea in my mind of what the drums are going to do in the song. I also always record riffs I like on my phone on a camera so I can say what the notes are to the camera then play the riff properly and put it in a folder. Always works great
Also listening to new music inspires me immensely and helps me discover interesting chord progressions and styles that I had never of thought of before. Music is truly a beautiful thing
It's pretty awesome to find out someone of your caliber does the exact same thing I do. A lot of times I will construct riffs. With this I will play a simple basic foundation of sound that catches my ear from noodling. Then I will play it over and over. Then once I have the form memorized then I will add to it and construct the sound I am looking for that I feel deep within me by adding a little bend here, maybe a slide there, or little tiddly diddly finger tippy tappy.
Pradipto Gitokusumo no, swedish people are just artists and extremly talented people in all ways.... just really... idk why, its a bit scary. For example: Pewdiepie, Anomaly, Adam Björk, Avatar (the Band), this dude, Amon Amarth, Ghost, Meshuggah and much more. Fuck.... swedens are amazing people....
Another approach in a rut is try to find an a riff or song unknown to your fingers and try to find it with your ear, i tend to build off the basement of other peoples riffs for inspiration
A good tip for writing metal riffs is to use the minor scale and flatten the 2nd and the 5th. So In e minor you have e, f#, g,a,b,c,d,e add in an f natural and a b flat into your power chords in passing every so often but don’t overdue it, it gives a very heavy and dissonant sound that sounds out of place but it works! Great for that deeper heavier sound without having to drop tune the guitar.
That intro/ opening statement might put some people off but I kind of find comfort in knowing I already knew basically time and practice will get you there, I’m not a very patient person but with guitar I want to test my skills and improve to make a unique sound so if that means being extremely patient then so be it
I write riffs for guitar and bass much the same way. I'm to the point now where I hear riffs in my head while driving or in the shower or waiting for my daughter to get on the school bus and I quickly rush back to instrument and knock them out. Love your channel.
When you said 80% percent of the best riffs came up with the help of this secret weapon.. I thought you were talking about weed lol But for real, when baked I get super creative
Your guitar playing is inspirational and amazing. I'll never forget when my friend first showed me The Haunted Made Me Do It Album long ago. " I put a sweet cover of trespass on my TH-cam page" :) You are definitely one of my top inspirations in metal. Also I Love the washburn solar 7. It was like the planets aligning scoring that thing.
Man I gotta make a folder , so sick of forgetting mad riffs that i will never remember or play again . so simple but it took Ola to think of it . keep the techniques coming my friend.
Thank you. I've been stuck in a rut for a little while and you're giving me some fresh ideas that I could work with. I'm a self taught guitarist that's been playing for many years.
You can also take a piece of some solo from any song you like - and then turn it into a riff with completely different rhythm - it's as simple as that. And lots of fun! \m/
yeah - you can even take something that famous like for example master of puppets and turn some licks from this song into something completely different
I always try to over complicate my riffs at the start and found that getting the basic riff idea down first is really important. Once its out, then I keep playing it and try making small changes to certain parts or techniques or whatever. I slowly build it up rather than trying to start with a complicated, technical, or hard to play riff. Also through out my day I’ll come up with something in my head and record myself singing it into my phone to play later. I actually wrote a pretty cool riff based on the sound of a windshield wiper skipping across a dry windshield while I was at my mechanic job. When inspiration strikes record it on your phone before you lose it.
I do this also. I do the same thing with lyrics. I just start writing. Everything that comes to the top of my head. Unfiltered. Just keep writing and don't stop until I have about 3 pages. There's a lot of nonsense, but I can usually pull some great and interesting phrases out of the jumble.
These are great suggestions. Always record yourself when trying to write, because you may do something cool and not be able to recall what you did to recreate it. Another idea... Take what you recorded and play the recording backwards. There might be something interesting and unique there if you reverse it. I've also on occasion cut out a full beat or half measure of a guitar riff to intentionally throw things off from the drums, which I leave whole.
*insert name here* it's still drop D they just tuned in quarter step shifts for their own reasons like Megadeth used to and George Lynch and stuff, it's still around standard/drop tuning, nothing complicated whatsoever honestly.
I always hear dope metal riffs in my head and I've never been able to get them out on guitar. Sort of sucks. So kids remember know your intervals. Practice scales and modes.
I absolutely love your channel very entertaining and a lot to learn. I've played guitar for 16 years, but I lost interest and haven't played for 8 years. I finally got inspired to play again and finally picked up some new gear. I was never really good at leads but rythm was my thing. I want to take it to the next level I would love to be really good at leads and I would love to sweep. Thanks a lot for all the new gear info and everything else you do. I did buy some used gear but I had to have the new version of the Boss MT 2w
One of the coolest riffs I've heard (still catchting me evev 8/9 years later is the starting riff of "If it wasn't for you" by may the silence fail. More or less small band from germany that wrote one of the best metal albums I've ever heard (of hope and aspirations). Give it try. And it is exactly how Ola says in the beginning: I cannot even point out why this. But when I firsten listened to it I thought "this is wh metal was invented". Sometime, you simply fall in love with a particular riff
Admit it. Your riffs come to you when you are in the shower, and you keep a guitar next to the shower. That way, you simply grab that guitar, and jam out the riffs IN the shower. Or am I the only one who uses the shower as a "think tank?"....
Guitar Nerd the shower is basically the only time that people in the 1st world are disconnected from the internet and are alone with their own thoughts.
Writing: a medium of human communication that involves the representation of a language with symbols. Sound recording: an electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. (wikipedia)
6:49
Me: woah what a groovy riff.
Ola: ok that was stupid.
Me: terrible. It sounded like garbage.
itwas good tho
Your username is what I call Kirk in real life. I told my dad and he laughed.
hahahah I was thinking exactly same thing
Should have been ashamed to play it lmao
ya i was like, wow what a great riff and off the top so fast.. then ok ya it must suck then...
I like to start off with 000000000000000000000000000000000000000
And see what happens
So Static X - Skinnyman?
But first... Make sure you're in drop B
So.....Slayer
Djent be like
It's the drums that makes it good
Your comedic talent has better timing than most drummers I've played with.
Lmao, good one
Hahahaha... you sir, just won the comment section! :D :D
well, that's... setting the bar way too low.
Person: How can I write riffs?
Ola: Write riffs
100% effective
tbh, that´d be my answer, too...
I want to like this but its already on 666
I’m always thinking in beats and riffs throughout the day, driving around, at work, etc. It’s only when I sit down with a guitar that my mind draws a blank.
beats, riffs, melodies... always, all day :)
I have that issue too, my brain is always thinking what I will play when I get home on the guitar lmao
Yeah i can make some insane riffs in my head then pick up the guitar and have no clue how to play it
My brain: CHUGGACHUGGA BOWOW CHUGGACHUGGA
Me: Huh, that sounds pretty cool, let's try and write it
My fingers: I'm going to ruin this man's whole career
This made me laugh because I think of a lot of my riffs while I'm at work. I'll come home and try to figure it out, and it sometimes takes me weeks to figure out how to play the song that I've written in my head. By then the song has totally changed. 😂
11:39 almost played Black Sabbath's Black Sabbath main riff with a nerf gun. You're such a talented guitar player Ola
Lol true huh?
lol i hear it too, wtf.
except the riff in G, he played in C
Shit... yeah😅 just noticed lol
I don't think Dimebag has tried that, but then again he probably has 😅
A. Simplicity
B. Groovy
C. Unique
Gavin Wilbur Nailed it.
Triplet fan
The hard part is being unique yet simple
0 3 5
Always gotta remind myself of "simplicity. " Tend to try write and play above my skill level
*ola plays to drums*
Me: ah pretty sick riff
Ola: ok. very stupid
egregion omfg same
same lol hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Agreed
HAHAAHAH exactly
i need more of this "stupid" Riff I NEED IT
0:29 7 year old me when mom brings home the Dino nuggets from Costco
Hahahaha
Lmao
Indeed
@Aiden Jones bro
I'm 18 next month and I still act Like that when my Mom brings Dino nuggets 😭😂
💀💀
6:00 Excuse me, wtf?
Some PTSD symptoms from Swedish viking war no big deal
He is a normal sweeeeeeeeeeeeed what's the problem?
He hungers
That is how you intimidate a computer to load faster.. i do it all the time... xddd
😂
I have a good tip... listen to a completely different genre of music and use those scales/patterns for a metal riff. Obviously, put a twist on it to introduce the heavy aspect of it. Experimentation is key!
Ryan Maynes I could not agree more !
Aye! I kind of like trying a metal bend on 80s pop... Several of those pieces have underlying rock/metal traits, even if no guitar is used.
Thats how prog works
I did this with a Handel concerto once
@@Astromatter is it out anywhere, that sounds badass!
Thanks David Guetta.
riyad amor lol😂😂😂😂
Hahahahahaha. I thought the same.
When did Daniel Bryan become a guitarist? Shouldn't he be feuding with AJ Styles right now?
Hahahaha
HAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
The problem for most guitarists is not writing riffs but how to join them up. In other words, how to make coherent musical pieces out of them with tension, hooks, bridges etc. Can you do a video on that?
6:43 This sounds kinda good actually!
Niin kuulostaakin
yeah but it's very basic and generic
Absolutely genius. I've been playing for over 25 years. I delete more riffs than I play it seems like. It's like you turned the page and the next chapter is here. Thank you my brother. Keep on doing the greatness you do .
3:11 "Allow yourself to be bored". One of the wisest sentences to have ever been said.
"...You have family life, you have work, you have... video games..."
Truer words have never been spoken.
That curtain in the back looks like a low res Skyrim mountain texture. It's really tripping me out 😂
A man of culture I see
Wow I really can't unsee that now
Why did you have to point that out
Dingleberry Tech omg wow
It hasn't loaded in yet. Give it a minute.
How to write killer metal riffs:
Be Chuck Shuldiner
Be mikael akerfeldt
Be Rob Barret
Be James Hetfield
be good at guitar
Be the guitar
Brother I’m an ancient rock dude and always played Les Pauls etc, I just got one of your Solar guitars and I’m playing shit I never played before. Thanks for that. Love this video. I’ve been doing riffs all my life (I’m 57) and I needed this.
Step 1: Add another string
Step 2: Repeat step 1
After stap 2 : go back to step 1 and repeat
Step 3: commence to rifflin'
How to djent
some djent shit
I'm currently at string number 69, and I have run into a problem.
You see, I've run out of space. My guitar's neck is literally touching the ceiling right now.
Can I stop or should I move to a bigger house? And is it possible to do this outside so I don't have a limit?
Thanks for your time.
6:49 *plays a killer riff I can’t even think of*
“Okay that’s very stupid” 😂
The ending was a bit from Bloodline by Slayer :P
PrzemyslaW yeah it was like the verse riff
You can't think of chugging?
man, I’m like “yo son that shits hot”
I'd also recommend that if you're struggling to write good riffs, plug into an amp and cab and jam. Sometimes hearing and feeling the guitar blast out of a 4x12 behind you can often make a huge difference (as opposed to using using your studio monitors).
Also very good tip
100% agree. I just bought half stack a couple months ago. It’s been 10 years since i had one . I havent been in a band since then. Instantly inspired. 5 songs written already. Just from the feeling and tone of the amp. 👍🏼
Lol, I was waiting for you to say "Buy my masterclass" in the end and didn't expect that. 😂 You are so right, fooling around and developing the parts that sound cool is a great approach. Thanks for making my day, Ola!
My Problem is, that i always "Write" existing Riffs.
Same :/
8 months into playing and I've done this so many times now. Play something cool and think, "damn I'm creative" then I hear it on my Playlist 3 days later and it's just a song I've known for several years
"And then I just... wait for it to load"
Damnit, even when they're programs on computers, still gotta wait for them pesky drummers. Feels like being ready on time is more than just a human condition.
Ben of the north most underrated comment ever
You know the wrong drummers my friend
... categorise your riffs. That is fucking genius.
I have spent so many hours and days thinking about that ever elusive 'next section' that ties everything together, and I realise I've spent frickin' ages thinking about stuff I've jammed before and jesus.
I think on top of that, I might spend some time just tabbing up the riff too, so if it ends up that I've came up with something and can't remember how to play, I have that reference too!
I feel this is gonna make a huge difference for me! Cheers, Ola. It's the weekend soon, and I finish making pretty websites soon, so bring on cranking the amp up and smashing out some riffs!
The riff in the end is from the song Your Black is My White and you can listen to it here - th-cam.com/video/IV0aNzwxC84/w-d-xo.html
tremendous!!!!
Ola you're so awesome, and Dime would be proud of that last riff. It's got his spirit infused in it 🤘
Ola Englund I can't find the "Fumb" lol.
Ola,what tuning are you using? Standard , dropped or .. ??
You almost wrote the riff to Black Sabbath there.
I subscribed due to the technique passed down through the ages you demonstrate at the end. I've already written 5 songs this way... and I've been subscribed for 2 minutes.
"Thought long and hard" *idiotic dancing* God I loved that. Good chuckle from that. This is why you're so awesome Ola
6:31 I almost started moshing with my dog
Hahahaha! My man!
Wtf? 😅
Sounds like breakdown in Despised Icon-Day of Mourning
Your hilarious Ola. I just stumbled across your channel not too long ago. I’ve been a huge metal fan my entire life and was beginning to wonder if any truly amazing original guitarists were still out there making music. Love your stuff brother. Keep the videos coming!
You seen keith Merrow?
I have indeed. I wish he would hurry up and release another album. I've listened the first one about 100 million times so far.
Metal Mennonite omg yes pls ffs
You ever hear of me?
Ola, this is the best lesson I've seen in this topic. Have played for ages and does something similar myself. The one thing I've not done...I have not taken the time to make a video for free and shared it with the rest of the world. Hopes it comes back to you in one way or another. Love the ending. Cheers!
I love how the desk, the room, and the recording quality are pristine and how the t-shirt is an absolute mess.
This is gold Ola. I've been doing this for over 40 years. I hope the youngsters use these techniques. Cheers.
wtf a metalhead youtuber that's actually charismatic and funny and not cringy at all??????
I swear as soon as he said "One riff that I knew was a good riff when I heard it" I knew he was gonna say Walk by Pantera.
Instructions unclear, I impregnated my guitar
At least nothing got caught in a ceiling fan. That's a win.
@@jackrose6996 or toaster
My metal boy
Other youtube guitarists: Stop noodling!
Ola: So, first we bring the water to a nice boil...
your last technique is absolutely GENIUS OLA !
For all those who take the time to tab their riffs, spend $60 and get guitarpro it will change your life. It changed mine and I’m a drummer.....
lucyferina true. It helps
Try tuxguitar, it's free and works just like guitarpro
lucyferina I’m a drummer who plays guitar too.
"It changed mine and I’m a drummer.....". That IS a classy line!
Powertab is free and it works for tabbing extremely well. All that $60 gets you is a better guitar sound for playback and a clunkier interface. Don't waste your money. I'm a guitarist and a drummer and a bassist and a vocalist and ect.. guitarpro is crap...
3:43 just record yourself playing..."goes on and writes a metal masterpiece"
That Riff at the end really spicy
thank you, rock and roll jesus
I took guitar lessons from murderface (of Dethklok). He taught me to literally make love to my guitar. It has improved my playing quite a bit.
literally? 🤨
Quick riff tip... Use lots of 0's, 02's, and PM's
Suggested topic: writing unique bass parts. Yes, we generally tend to just have the bass follow the guitar, but think of some of your favourite songs and I guarantee you that the bass is doing something unique. Perhaps get in a guest bass player.
Great idea, but Ola tends to just have the bass following the rhythm guitar or slower, tense transitions on root notes. It'd be interesting if he got Adam Neely for that, since groove metal oriented bands tend to have bass follow rhythm guitar for extra 'chunk.' Edit: Grmph has a jazzy walking bassline, now that I think about it, so who knows...might work.
Somthing somthing _Powerslave_
Steve Harris basslines
The bass is the glue that holds the song together. Listen to the solo in Stargazer and pay attention to the bass, it'll have you grooving
Funny enough, there's an Aussie avant-garde death metal band named Stargazer with great lead bass.
Idea for future video: how about getting a shitty guitar, shitty interface, barebones setup and teach us what the results would be, a lot of prospective artists quit before they get far because all the tutorials always show people recording awesome sounding material that has massive post processing, of course they always fail to disclose that part. I think you are honest and it would be interesting to see the results..,,,
lucyferina hell yeah!
When you're using programs like bias, guitar rig, amplitube or vsts and similar you can think like you're using real stuff but all digital. A virtual pedal is like a real pedal, so are cabs, mics, fxs, etc. They try to emulate the sound but of course it will never sound 100% equal (nor good).. something can be fixed, a bit eq here a bit eq there, but for example harmonics don't resonate well and i hate that digital feel, especially cause i like tube distortion. Anyway i find most of the virtual fxs are ok, but distortion and hi gain are the worst. I upgraded my ai to an ur22 with the hi-z switch for matching impedance (= no need for di box), I solved the plastic sound problem by getting a mesa tube preamp and a maxon od808 boosted by a ge10, all going straight into the ai, to the program with all the effects. since i play mostly metal i don't need lots of fx, just a bit of compression, cab simulation, eq and rev/dl for leads.. and i NEVER use ai gain, cause number 1 of plastic sound. This works for me.. my pc is i5 16gb, daw studio one 3 pro, hs80m monitors, good cables.. and i'm planning on getting an axe fx when i save some money (can't wait)! Can your shit tone depend from your guitar? Maybe, but lots of people don't know (or are scared) how to set it up and/or adjust pickup height correctly, sometimes that solves some issues, try it before spending 200$ on nazguls. You have to spend time dialing the tone and trying different combinations, don't go gain 10 treble 10 no mids and 10 volume please, it's easier to get a shit tone than a good one.. also check noise gates, eventual compressors, limiters on the master, be sure your levels aren't clipping..
Massimiliano Fiorini I guess cheap but effective....orange mini dark, 4x12 cab, 808 pedal, sm57, focusrite interface, reaper....top if the line solar guitar.....
Make sure your guitar, no matter what it looks like or how cheap it is, has a good pair of pickups like Duncan Seymour or EMG 81. Standard entry-level humbuckers won't do and will be like trying to get water out of a rock which is what I'm doing because I got everything else, except the damn pickups. Good pickups are one of the most important things none of these guys mention, but makes all the difference as distorted guitars are the worst to record and work with if you don't know what what a clear and crackle-free distorted tone should sound like. Make sure you have a decent bass guitar with new strings replaced regularly and a drum machine or vst plugin like Toontrack, a Focusrite 2i2 interface, Amplitube 4(has the best sounding virtual amps and cabinets), Reaper or Studio One DAW and you are pretty much set to record mind-blowing metal tracks.
watch his line 6 spider metal video
Nice. The noodling-around is what I imagine, when someone says: "I gotta write some riffs. Meet me tomorrow" haha.
What I'll definitly try is noodling with the virtual drummer. Well, it's obvious a good thing, whne one considers, that you have one, while playing in a band, but for timing and precision - nice idea.
That last riff creation secret was epic!!! Cheers.
I categorize my riffs too!
Riff 001Riff 002Riff 003
Riff 001, test
Riff 001, demo
Riff 001, final
etc.
I need help.
Good tips man. I pretty much do the exact same thing too except I am a drummer, I just started playing guitar pretty recently. So the good thing about being a drummer is I always have an idea in my mind of what the drums are going to do in the song. I also always record riffs I like on my phone on a camera so I can say what the notes are to the camera then play the riff properly and put it in a folder. Always works great
Also listening to new music inspires me immensely and helps me discover interesting chord progressions and styles that I had never of thought of before. Music is truly a beautiful thing
Easy guide here
Step 1: Be Iommi
Step 2: Profit
Stonks 🤟
Not wrong.
It's pretty awesome to find out someone of your caliber does the exact same thing I do. A lot of times I will construct riffs. With this I will play a simple basic foundation of sound that catches my ear from noodling. Then I will play it over and over. Then once I have the form memorized then I will add to it and construct the sound I am looking for that I feel deep within me by adding a little bend here, maybe a slide there, or little tiddly diddly finger tippy tappy.
i have learned a lot from ola since I've been playing guitar very good advice and good teacher just pay attention his words are worth listening to
1:19 - no the reason you're writing good riffs is because you're swedish........😲
Sascha Rissling Nice generalizing 🙄🙄🙄🙄
But seriously tho, swedish metal guitarists are monsters in riffing
Pradipto Gitokusumo no, swedish people are just artists and extremly talented people in all ways.... just really... idk why, its a bit scary. For example: Pewdiepie, Anomaly,
Adam Björk, Avatar (the Band), this dude, Amon Amarth, Ghost, Meshuggah and much more. Fuck.... swedens are amazing people....
Opeth?!
Arch Enemy ?
0:28 made me laugh way to hard...
Cellar Studio Productions fr😂😂🙌
Hahahaha i didnt catch that. Lmao
Made me laugh long and hard
Cellar Studio Productions oh yeah
Zach R Wassup Tekonix. Nice to see you here
Another approach in a rut is try to find an a riff or song unknown to your fingers and try to find it with your ear, i tend to build off the basement of other peoples riffs for inspiration
Great tip!
I thought I was the only person that did this! I always feel as though I'm ripping off the original song though
A good tip for writing metal riffs is to use the minor scale and flatten the 2nd and the 5th. So In e minor you have e, f#, g,a,b,c,d,e add in an f natural and a b flat into your power chords in passing every so often but don’t overdue it, it gives a very heavy and dissonant sound that sounds out of place but it works! Great for that deeper heavier sound without having to drop tune the guitar.
This guys comment > this guys video
@@PRADtapes lmaoooooo hahahahaha
@@PRADtapes thanks dude lol
@@PRADtapes check out signals music studio on TH-cam. I learned that trick from there. He’s a great teacher. Jake Lizzio is his name I believe
I know how you come up with riffs. IT'S 'CAUSE YOU'RE OLA ENGLUND, A FUCKING LIVING LEGEND.
How to write killer riffs: Get your heart broken
no that's how you write good lyrics
0:28.. Gets me everytime!
I like metal that has sections that resolve and go to the garden for awhile.
Why i love megadeth so much. Hard rock to metal in one song. Holy wars and tornado of souls 🔥
That intro/ opening statement might put some people off but I kind of find comfort in knowing I already knew basically time and practice will get you there, I’m not a very patient person but with guitar I want to test my skills and improve to make a unique sound so if that means being extremely patient then so be it
I write riffs for guitar and bass much the same way. I'm to the point now where I hear riffs in my head while driving or in the shower or waiting for my daughter to get on the school bus and I quickly rush back to instrument and knock them out. Love your channel.
You talented crazy Viking 😂🤘🏻👍🏻 as usual, great video and lot of fun watching it. Thanks Ola. Have a nice weekend!
When you said 80% percent of the best riffs came up with the help of this secret weapon.. I thought you were talking about weed lol
But for real, when baked I get super creative
Fucking yeah Cannibis Corpse warm up
Hahah I 100% had the same thought
Not me man, I just have panic attacks on the weed.
Smoking weed was fun as a youngster, but eventually got weird
@@JSG-mw4qr same here.
Your guitar playing is inspirational and amazing. I'll never forget when my friend first showed me The Haunted Made Me Do It Album long ago. " I put a sweet cover of trespass on my TH-cam page" :) You are definitely one of my top inspirations in metal. Also I Love the washburn solar 7. It was like the planets aligning scoring that thing.
Thanks Ola I play about 2-5 hours a day now. I come up with riffs pretty well now
Man I gotta make a folder , so sick of forgetting mad riffs that i will never remember or play again . so simple but it took Ola to think of it . keep the techniques coming my friend.
00:28
You can thank me later.
0:29
can't stop seeing it
EHEHEHE EHEHEHE
6:03
Mr Bla sometimes the troll comes ball to life.
That has to become a viral meme.
I will not take this video with a grain of salt, sir! I choose to take it with a beer instead.
Thank you. I've been stuck in a rut for a little while and you're giving me some fresh ideas that I could work with. I'm a self taught guitarist that's been playing for many years.
Enjoy every moment of your shows Ola!
"You know how it is: you have work, you have family life, you have video games..." Here, please take my "like", good sir
Ola Englund . that 6:50 was cool actually
Duuuuude ! The last part from 11:20 to 12:06 made my day ! ahahah and now i know the secret of making good riffs ! just need a toy gun like yours :D
I'm a random guy from Canada who stumbled upon your channel. Subscribed! I love it.
You have an excellent way of teaching. 💞
Exactly. Guitar player with all the creativity and riffs inside to jam with a drummer. That’s how I’ve done my best work.
What I learned from this video: green means OK
😂😂
"Green, means okay"
You can also take a piece of some solo from any song you like - and then turn it into a riff with completely different rhythm - it's as simple as that. And lots of fun! \m/
It's a good idea, and works with famous riffs too
yeah - you can even take something that famous like for example master of puppets and turn some licks from this song into something completely different
To create a more Brazilian riff style I usually use a soccer ball instead of a nurf gun. The results are also stunning.
Thanks to talk so clear bro, i am brasilian and its difficult to understand what some north americans says, your english is nice, thanks 😎😎✌
The last riff was so dimebag
Dog Mattinson but how are he do da craze noise at de end?!!?
For real though, I don't understand.
I must buy
Is this riff actualy a song coz its fuckin siiikk
DENIM MAN Yeah, it's "Your Black Is My White" by Feared
I always try to over complicate my riffs at the start and found that getting the basic riff idea down first is really important. Once its out, then I keep playing it and try making small changes to certain parts or techniques or whatever. I slowly build it up rather than trying to start with a complicated, technical, or hard to play riff. Also through out my day I’ll come up with something in my head and record myself singing it into my phone to play later. I actually wrote a pretty cool riff based on the sound of a windshield wiper skipping across a dry windshield while I was at my mechanic job. When inspiration strikes record it on your phone before you lose it.
Dimebag was a genius!
I do this also. I do the same thing with lyrics. I just start writing. Everything that comes to the top of my head. Unfiltered. Just keep writing and don't stop until I have about 3 pages. There's a lot of nonsense, but I can usually pull some great and interesting phrases out of the jumble.
These are great suggestions. Always record yourself when trying to write, because you may do something cool and not be able to recall what you did to recreate it.
Another idea... Take what you recorded and play the recording backwards. There might be something interesting and unique there if you reverse it. I've also on occasion cut out a full beat or half measure of a guitar riff to intentionally throw things off from the drums, which I leave whole.
Well...IVe played Walk wrong for about 8 years now...FUCK
TuningSociety West It’s in a really weird tuning
*insert name here* not really
Spingus Malingus 1/4 step down from D standard is weird. It’s not a normal tuning.
*insert name here* just play it in drop d, it's not weird
*insert name here* it's still drop D they just tuned in quarter step shifts for their own reasons like Megadeth used to and George Lynch and stuff, it's still around standard/drop tuning, nothing complicated whatsoever honestly.
I always hear dope metal riffs in my head and I've never been able to get them out on guitar. Sort of sucks. So kids remember know your intervals. Practice scales and modes.
Jesus christ that end riff....
I absolutely love your channel very entertaining and a lot to learn. I've played guitar for 16 years, but I lost interest and haven't played for 8 years. I finally got inspired to play again and finally picked up some new gear. I was never really good at leads but rythm was my thing. I want to take it to the next level I would love to be really good at leads and I would love to sweep. Thanks a lot for all the new gear info and everything else you do. I did buy some used gear but I had to have the new version of the Boss MT 2w
One of the coolest riffs I've heard (still catchting me evev 8/9 years later is the starting riff of "If it wasn't for you" by may the silence fail. More or less small band from germany that wrote one of the best metal albums I've ever heard (of hope and aspirations). Give it try. And it is exactly how Ola says in the beginning: I cannot even point out why this. But when I firsten listened to it I thought "this is wh metal was invented". Sometime, you simply fall in love with a particular riff
Admit it. Your riffs come to you when you are in the shower, and you keep a guitar next to the shower. That way, you simply grab that guitar, and jam out the riffs IN the shower.
Or am I the only one who uses the shower as a "think tank?"....
Guitar Nerd the shower is basically the only time that people in the 1st world are disconnected from the internet and are alone with their own thoughts.
Whilst peeing
Porn hubs hard to watch in the shower
When I'm taking a shit I use my grunts as a basis for coming up with riffs.
Love this channel bro!
10:40
the master of video editing and acting
Writing: a medium of human communication that involves the representation of a language with symbols.
Sound recording: an electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. (wikipedia)
Writing to drums will bring out things you wouldn't normally create as a guitarist. It is a great exercise in creativity.