It's obviously not a work of genius, but it's an example.  I've written
better songs since, but that song was a breaking ground for me, as far
as recording with multi-guitar layers and using things other than 5th
chords throughout.
**************************************************************************
Ok, so now on to the good stuff.  The next time you come up with a riff
that you like and are going to turn it into a song, play it over and 
over for a few days.  Yeah, I said days.  You'll find that the more you
play it, the better you can make it sound by adding or taking away from
the riff.  It's important to become intimate with your music, to make it
a reflection of yourself and your personality.  I'm not going to tell
you how to come up with a riff, because I can't.  I'm hoping that you
already have written some songs, or at least some starting riffs.
You should also know about keys, i.e. what key your riff or chord
progression is in, that helps for coming up with the rest of the
song.  Sometimes you won't be able to finish the song right away,
it's taken me up to a year to finish a song, because I couldn't think
up other parts right away, or didn't have the knowledge to finish it.
If you don't know about this, check out some of the cool lessons at
Nevada, there's a series of guitar lessons that are really good.
This is something I came up with after hearing Yngwie Malmsteen's "No
Love Lost" from the Magnum Opus CD.  A simple riff chugging on the E
string and adding the infamous "Jimi Hendrix" chord at the end, this
repeats for 4 bars.  This riff is a typical heavy rock riff.  Very
simple, but very effective.  There are many ways you can go from here,
changing keys, tempos...The "E Chugging" is the Iron Maiden triplet
romp type rhythm, fast beat.
|--------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|----------------------------------8----|
|--------------------------------|----------------------------------7----|
|--------------------------------|----------------------------------6----|
|--------------------------------|----------------------------------7----|
|--2p0--0--0--0--0--0--0--3--5---|--2p0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-------|
The next part, I could have continued with the E pedal or a different
type of riff, but I opted for some chords.
     Csus         Em          Csus         Em      D       C       Bm
|----0------|----0--------|---0-------|----7---7-------------------2----|
|----3------|----0--------|---3-------|----8---8---7---7---5-------3----|
|----0------|----0--------|---0-------|----9---9---7---7---5-------4----|
|----2------|----2--------|---2-------|----9---9---7---7---5-------4----|
|----3------|----2--------|---3-------|----7---7---5---5---3-------2----|
|-----------|----0--------|-----------|---------------------------------|
I like suspended chords, with a lot of distortion you get really nice
overtones and harmonics.  The last bar is just descending in the Em key.
When writing just chords, I recommend listening to drummers for different
types of strumming.  There's a book called 4/4 for drummers, and it's an
excellent reference for different types of patterns.  Rush is a great band
to listen to for strumming rhythms.  Especially the old stuff.  I try to
stay away from a lot of "chugging" and the ever typical heavy metal
downstroke rhythms.  Reggae is a good source as well, playing on the 
2nd and 4th beat, Rush uses this in "Vital Signs" from Moving Pictures.
Here's the main theme from Yngwie Malmsteen's "Heaven Tonight".  Notice
the guitar riff is the same as the vocal melody.  This is pretty basic
and straight forward, but it's a nice melody, and makes for a very
commercial song.  Yngwie opts for leaving off the root note, and leaving
that to his bassist.  The Keyboards are playing the same thing, and the
layered background vocals add to the hugeness of the melody.  Notice also,
that he uses the E note for "chugging on", makes the song a little 
heavier, since the rest of the part is melodic/commercial.
  E                        D                                C
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|--------------
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|--------------
|-9--------9--------9-----7---|----7~------7--7--7--------|-5--------5---
|-9--------9--------9-----7---|----7~------7--7--7--------|-5--------5---
|----7-----------7------------|---------------------------|--------------
|----0--0-----0--------0------|-0------0------------0--0--|----0--0------
     C        D                   D  A  D
-----------------|-----------------------------|
-----------------|-------------8--7-----7------|
-----5-----5--7--|-7--7--------7--7--9--7------|  2x
-----5-----5--7--|-7--7--------7--7--7--7------|
-----------------|-----------------------------|
--0-----0--------|---------0-------------------|
When you're writing, let your imagination go, don't hold back, even if
you can't play it right at that moment, with a little work you'll be 
able to.  Try different ways of changing to another part, be it total
silence, a scale run, a slide, pick scrape, drum fill...Whatever comes
to mind.  Not all of us are natural born Mozart's, we have to work on 
this and it helps to take your time with a song, and don't rush it or 
force it.
tune 6th down to D
   
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--3--2--2--2----2------------------------------------------------------|
|--2--2--2--2----2------------------------------------------------------|
|--2--2--2--2----2---4~--------------------------2--2--2--2-----2---4~--|
|------------------------------------------------3--3--3--3-----3--/5~--|
|------------------------0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-------------------------|
   1  and2  3    and 4   1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &  1 and 2  3     and 4
this one is another basic, but catchy tune I wrote.  It's in the key of
D.  Tuning the 6th string down, helps what would be an annoyingly hooky
riff, by being heavier.  The mix between the 8th & 1/4 beats make for
a semi-interesting riff.  
Post-Chorus
|----------------------------------------------------------------------
|----------------------------------------------------------------------
|----------------------------------------------------------------------
|--4--------------4--------------5--------------5--------------7-------
|--5--------------5--------------7--------------7--------------9-------
|-----5--4--0--0-----5--4--0--0-----7--6--0--0-----7--6--0--0-----9--8-
   1  &  2  3  4  1  &  2  3  4  etc
-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
--------7---------------9--------------/11-------------------------------|
--------9--------------10--------------/12---12--10--9-------------------|
--0--0-----9--8--0--0------0--0--0--0-------------------12--10--0dive----|
                           1  &  2  &   3&    4===================
This is a really basic rhythmic pattern, but it jells well with the 
rest of the song.  The diads (two note chords) are stacatto, don't 
sustain them, one hit, and choke the chord leaving for a half a beat
of silence.
Writing vocal melodies are a different story.  One of the things that I
have a hard time with.  When I do, I try to base it on the guitar 
line.  Cheezy way of going about it, but sometimes it will work its
way into something more.  
There's also the way of writing the music around a vocal line.  If you
come up with a melody, you can figure the basic chords under it, then
fool around with a riff based on the chords.  (Maybe for next time)
I'd really like to do more of these files, I've enjoyed all the ones
at Nevada, and have found lots of helpful ideas.  If I haven't 
explained myself too well (which is typical for me) please don't hesitate
to give a hollar, I did this at work, no guitar, just from memory.
Or if you have any other ideas for another one of these, let me know.
Hope you enjoyed this, I hope this helps someone out there :)
=======================================================================
h = hammeron                    Judy Letostak                         
p = pulloff                     Internet letostak@ix.netcom.com
/\ = slide                      Fidonet 1:202/762                     
x = ghost note                  MetalNet 282:100/2                    
t = tap (right hand)            The Music Shop BBS (619)423-4970 24hrs
~ = vibrato                     * = picked harmonic
bf = bend full                  tr = trill
rb = release bend               p.s. = pick scrape
dive = dive with bar            b = bend / step written over note
% = repeat bar                  + = natural harmonic
========================================================================
The Music Shop BBS (619)423-4970  24hrs
Tons of music files, tab, lyrics, pictures, sound files....LORD, BRE
Falcon's Eye (interplanetary).  Internet Email and USENET. Unsigned/
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--- GEcho 1.00
---------------