I have too many riffs and ideas

[Mr Flume]

I've finally decided to make a post about this because it's something that's been bothering me as far as writing a song start to finish. I need some sort of advice. Everyday I sit down at my guitar and write riffs and construct parts for a song that consist of a main riff, a verse riff, and a breakdownish kind of riff. I play in a rock/metal band. My problem is I always get like 3-4 parts that really work well together, but then I'll write something else that won't quite fit with that and begin constructing parts to fit with this "new idea". I feel like I have the answer to my own question in a sense because there are times where I'm like "Ok you have a few really good ideas, now just stick to writing and arranging more for this song that i'm working on"....the thing is though I have a.d.d. when it comes to writing music like I said previously I have trouble focusing on one set of riffs and arrangments to eventually have a complete song. What I try to do is get enough of a song together and then bring it to practice to work on it with my other band members, but sometimes It doesn't always go the way I want it too (which is an obvious dilemma that comes about when writing with other people). Can anybody give me some advice.

[natron5000]

I don't think I followed you 100% on the first part, as far as needing parts to a song, or needing whole sections, or what, but I can tell you from a general sense, its always good when you know if something doesn't work. If you have a few parts that work well and then work out some that doesn't, just either trash it and move on, or put it away for another time and move on.

 

I always have trouble connecting ideas as well. I write either a really great verse or a really great chorus, and to find the right verse for the chorus, or right chorus for the verse is a huge strain for me sometimes. Mainly because whatever I write I know just doesn't work, but then you can slowly work out all the things that don't work, and slowly find what does. if that makes sense...

 

as far as writing with your band, I always find things turn out better when you do. Even if they don't go your way. Since I don't know yours or their roles or skill sets, I can't say much, but having more input is almost always a good thing. Try not to get into the mindset of, "this isn't good cause I didn't come up with it". Thats not a good thing. If it just isn't good, then stick to your guns about vetoing it, if other members do come up with stuff that could work, follow it through and work it out.

 

not sure if I directly hit on any of the issues your getting at, but hope this helps.

[Mr Flume]

Yeah that helps, sorry I was rambling a bit. I just wanted to kind of get of sense of how other people deal with similar issues and see what I can do to help myself get better as a song writer.