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Thread: Need help writing songs for first band

  1. #1

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    Default Need help writing songs for first band

    Hey fellow drummers,
    I am now in my first ever REAL band as ^^^we will be starting originals in two weeks I need your help. This week on Tuesday ^^^we plan to play a few covers of songs from bands such as pantera, disturbed and parkway drive etc.

    Our band will be solely based on metal and heavy metal music. But all of that aside I wanted tips on how you guys write your drum parts for songs. The way ^^^we plan to do it is the guitarist works with the vocalist to make riffs and solos and all that. Then the drummer makes a drum part then the singer puts in vocals. What I mean is how do you guys start making up a drum parts. Do you just go through the song and make it up as you go. Try out every possible beat you can come across. Or do you work on say a chorus and try and make it as fast or complex as possible.

    This is my first band that I've ever been in doing originals so I really want your inputs since most of you are in bands and have 15 plus years experience
    CURRENT SETUP-
    Sonic Drive 7 piece kit.
    2 up 2 down

    - Sabian AA Holy China 17"
    - Meinl classics custom extreme metal crash 18"
    - Sabian AA 16" crash
    - Zildjian Z custom 20" ride
    - Evans G2 heads
    - Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal
    -Joey Jordison signature snare drum.

    Drummer For: *BAND HAS NO NAME YET*
    Genre:Metal/Screamo

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    Just do whats right for the song, but please, please dont be like every metal band and do the same four beats. Be different, do something funky and riffy. Listen to Devildriver or Lamb of God, and note how the drums are varied and not so rigid and boring. Be yourself, do what is right for the song and have some fun, its your music.

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    Quote Originally Posted by Yoda View Post
    Just do whats right for the song, but please, please dont be like every metal band and do the same four beats. Be different, do something funky and riffy. Listen to Devildriver or Lamb of God, and note how the drums are varied and not so rigid and boring. Be yourself, do what is right for the song and have some fun, its your music.
    great advice.....
    Tamaholic

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    get tight with the bass player and find a groove, be it 140 bpm or 220 (good luck with 220) then bring the other bandmates in on what you guys are laying down. if it doesnt work try to do a quickfix but otherwise let it go.
    its hard enough for 2 people to make music together, 4 or 5 is difficult. dont rush things, just try jamming for a sound you like and let the singer write lyrics, thats his job.
    lay down a sturdy 16th with the bip player and see what lead and rythym can do, singer may walk or stay.
    Last edited by kyle102565; 01-04-2013 at 11:31 PM.

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    Like Kyle said, work with the bass player. You both have to be on the same page or it will never sound good.

    As for the playing part, I always played just straight time the first couple of run throughs. Just to get a feel for the song and to let everybody get comfortable with it. After that I would add the fills.

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    Yeah haha 220 is pretty quick highest I can do is like 190-200. Cheers. Yeah I'm planning to keep it simple for the first couple then add some complex beats and swap it out. And nah I won't just be playing straight double Pedal stuff. Trying to mix it up
    CURRENT SETUP-
    Sonic Drive 7 piece kit.
    2 up 2 down

    - Sabian AA Holy China 17"
    - Meinl classics custom extreme metal crash 18"
    - Sabian AA 16" crash
    - Zildjian Z custom 20" ride
    - Evans G2 heads
    - Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal
    -Joey Jordison signature snare drum.

    Drummer For: *BAND HAS NO NAME YET*
    Genre:Metal/Screamo

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucius-Borich-JR View Post
    Yeah haha 220 is pretty quick highest I can do is like 190-200. Cheers. Yeah I'm planning to keep it simple for the first couple then add some complex beats and swap it out. And nah I won't just be playing straight double Pedal stuff. Trying to mix it up
    you are on your way dude, Godspeed

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    You haven't mentioned a bass player, do you have one?

    If you don't. Listen closely to the guitar riff. Where are the accents or stresses of the riff? Play accordingly.
    Too Much Stuff.

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    Nah still looking for a bass player ^^^we have a lead and rhythm guitarist. Both with 10 years experience and been in bands before.
    CURRENT SETUP-
    Sonic Drive 7 piece kit.
    2 up 2 down

    - Sabian AA Holy China 17"
    - Meinl classics custom extreme metal crash 18"
    - Sabian AA 16" crash
    - Zildjian Z custom 20" ride
    - Evans G2 heads
    - Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal
    -Joey Jordison signature snare drum.

    Drummer For: *BAND HAS NO NAME YET*
    Genre:Metal/Screamo

  10. #10

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    Quote Originally Posted by kyle102565 View Post
    you are on your way dude, Godspeed
    The only problem is I can only do that speed for like 30 seconds. My comfy speed is like 160-170
    CURRENT SETUP-
    Sonic Drive 7 piece kit.
    2 up 2 down

    - Sabian AA Holy China 17"
    - Meinl classics custom extreme metal crash 18"
    - Sabian AA 16" crash
    - Zildjian Z custom 20" ride
    - Evans G2 heads
    - Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal
    -Joey Jordison signature snare drum.

    Drummer For: *BAND HAS NO NAME YET*
    Genre:Metal/Screamo

  11. #11

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    And just remember that "complexity alone does not metal make"....learn to balance it. If you can only maintain 200 bpm for 30 seconds though (and hopefully that's with accuracy.....no speeding up or slowing down by accident) then don't be looking at trying to write songs at that fast speed until you can really say that you've mastered that tempo area. But if you can maintain double kick comfortably at a slower speed for a longer period of time, aim for around that way until your body is used to playing at that speed. Everyone wants to be a bit of a speed demon, but not everyone is usually prepared to put that work in consistently. Are you recording yourself when you do your double kick exercises? Can you notice timing or endurance problems as you play? Hopefully you're doing daily double kick exercises where you are slowly increasing your speed day by day and week by week. Same thing with your hand speed when you're doing rolls (singles, doubles and combinations) and various rhythms. Above all, make sure your parts and your guitarists' part lock and compliment each other. When going over a section,especially when you have complex changes, don't just 'breeze over' them in rehearsals and then decide just to repeat the whole tune again......find that section and go over it with a a critical ear. Sometimes you're going to find yourselves just looping over and over a four bar or eight bar section, but if you're going to be writing your own material, that's what you find any serious band will do.
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

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  12. #12

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    Thanks drumbledore! I Always heed your wise words haha. Yeah each day I practice going up 5 BPM. Start at like 120 then put it up 5 every minutes or so. Do you guys help with lyrics or do you just drum? And um going to a studio and playing on another drum kit. Do you guys go to a studio and setup the drumkit there the way you like it e.g. Move toms around and change height and all that?
    CURRENT SETUP-
    Sonic Drive 7 piece kit.
    2 up 2 down

    - Sabian AA Holy China 17"
    - Meinl classics custom extreme metal crash 18"
    - Sabian AA 16" crash
    - Zildjian Z custom 20" ride
    - Evans G2 heads
    - Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal
    -Joey Jordison signature snare drum.

    Drummer For: *BAND HAS NO NAME YET*
    Genre:Metal/Screamo

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    When we get to the practice space I just play along at first. Keep it simple, listen to the riffs. After a while and I know the riffs to where I can hear them in my head I start thinking about how I can spice it up.

    I don't listen to the bass player much though. I probably should but I follow the guitar the most. I spent the first 4 years of this band with bass players who weren't very good so I didn't pay attention to them.

  14. #14

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    I haven't done much compositional stuff in a while but the way I go about it is play something basic but fitting to the style, such as a double bass groove or blast beat, and get a feel for the song first. Then gradually sculpt the beats, though often the music has called for just straight up blast beats so that stays pretty easy and basic. I generally add fills last. Personally, I think vocals should be worked on last in metal, but of course you could work the completely opposite way.

  15. #15

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    Quote Originally Posted by marko138 View Post
    When we get to the practice space I just play along at first. Keep it simple, listen to the riffs. After a while and I know the riffs to where I can hear them in my head I start thinking about how I can spice it up.

    I don't listen to the bass player much though. I probably should but I follow the guitar the most. I spent the first 4 years of this band with bass players who weren't very good so I didn't pay attention to them.
    I do exactly the same. I listen to main groove of the tune and follow the guitar or vocal accents. I'll dial in the BPM on the metronome and just jam to the meter until I feel comfortable, then I'll start adding fills.

  16. #16

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    I had my first band practice. But I couldn't bring my kit which is a bummer because I feel I play half as well with someone elses. Is it worth bringing the kit to the studio if ^^^we are only there for three hours but can play better on it. ^^^we had a good practice though. Working on some stuff now. Thanks for the help guys. I'm still struggling with confidence issues though. I mean I can play in front of people but I always have to high expectations of myself and I kinda care what people think of me. I'm getting better though
    CURRENT SETUP-
    Sonic Drive 7 piece kit.
    2 up 2 down

    - Sabian AA Holy China 17"
    - Meinl classics custom extreme metal crash 18"
    - Sabian AA 16" crash
    - Zildjian Z custom 20" ride
    - Evans G2 heads
    - Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal
    -Joey Jordison signature snare drum.

    Drummer For: *BAND HAS NO NAME YET*
    Genre:Metal/Screamo

  17. #17

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    i tend to let the guitar and bassist work there bit out and then just play it over on loop for a while, i can then jam along to it, testing out different beats to see what works the nicest, and do that with verse and chorus's, then try and do those basic beats through the song to check it flows nicelt throughout the song. Then when im comfortable with that (and were fine tuning guitar bits/synth/vocals e.t.c) ill be playing about with fills as we do run throughs... i dont think ive ever wrote a drum part, and then played it exactly the same in the studio cause ideas keep popping up and you dont know how theyll work until you try them out!

    like Yoda says, theres so much more to metal beats than the basic that seems to keep getting churned out by some bands, you say you like Disturbed, and there beats are nice, fit the song, and are interesting so are good to go off for ideas

    good luck with it!

  18. #18

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    Default Re: Need help writing songs for first band

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucius-Borich-JR View Post
    I had my first band practice. But I couldn't bring my kit which is a bummer because I feel I play half as well with someone elses. Is it worth bringing the kit to the studio if ^^^we are only there for three hours but can play better on it. ^^^we had a good practice though. Working on some stuff now. Thanks for the help guys. I'm still struggling with confidence issues though. I mean I can play in front of people but I always have to high expectations of myself and I kinda care what people think of me. I'm getting better though
    If I'm transporting that kit to every rehearsal I'd just use the kit that's there. If it's safe and you trust these guys and can leave it there then I'd bring my own drums.

    Also, what I've been doing lately is doing my fills with my feet and keeping the snare/hats going. Sounds cool sometimes.

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