Personal notes: Start simple and establish foundation riff Create a melody Build on the foundation riff, make it less boring by changing groove Incorporate melody into foundation or expand the melody itself into its own thing separate from the foundation Use blast beats, or use a base drum groove then incorporate bass drum to fit the heavy riff better Noted with thanks
This riff from 4:46 is fucking sick. Honestly I would like to hear a full song with it. It’s sorta of Trivium from In Waves era and Gojira alike. Dooope!
This is the best explanation I've heard on riff writing. The part about adding space to creat rhythm as really helpful because I find myself chugging or playing Bleed-esque rhythms all too often . I don't plan on making 578 core even though it's sick, but this has helped me with my own sound. Also, I felt see when you used Javier Reyes' guitar as the 8-string example, because that's the 8-string I have lol.
Nik, I’d like to see you make a list for people who’d like to get into heavier music. The idea is to start with a rock song and the next song will be a little bit heavier, do this until you get to the heaviest song you know. Basically a stepping stone playlist so people can determine how heavy they wanna go.
Blink 182 Linkin Park My Chemical Romance Bullet for my Valentine Killswitch Engage As I Lay Dying Parkway Drive Everytime I Die The Dillinger Escape Plan Hope that helps.
I love content like this when I'm in a rut. Been playing metal for about 25 years. Been in several bands, signed twice, recorded played many shows, and I find myself in ruts from time to time. Other genres of music and somehow videos like this help me when I'm searching for something new to create. Liked and subscribed. Keep it up man. You shred by the way. Don't hate the bassist BTW. Take it from a guy who plays bass and guitar, nothing you do to a guitar, adding strings or effects will ever duplicate or replace a bassist with good tone who actually knows how to play the instrument instead of just mirroring the guitar.
The drums and guitar on the newest Phinehas album lock in *so tight* and it sounds phenomenal. Maybe the first album I ever listened to where it just stood out how dang good the combo was.
Wow this is exactly what I needed, just a few days ago I started working on my first ever metal song and I just watched your how to make amazing choruses video and now I see this one!
Thats it, I'm quitting my job as a marketing director and forming a chug metal band. Now that i have the power of riffage. This was great Nik. Thank you.
What I find the hardest is syncing a riff with the kick drum... like yeah not all parts have to be the same but a breakdown is a mind fuck to me programming the drums lol
I actually like the offset of simple drums + technical riff and vice versa. Simple riff + technical drums works very well. I feel if one instrument is being busy then the rest must take a back seat for that moment,
Awesome! Those complicated technical riffs were cool too. Have you done a how-to video on those? Also please do a how-to on how you make your drum beats! love
Thank you So much Nik. Ive been struggling with how to come up with a good heavy grooving Nu metal or just any kind of Grooving metal. You just helped me so much
Love your stuff. Especially the “make anything metal” content. But, I feel like you have a lot more to offer than typical metal and would absolutely LOVE to see you put out some math metal or post metal à la Botch or Pelican. Thanks for all you do
An excellent riff to see this in action IMO is Wasted by Def Leppard. You have 3 notes of 7-5-10 on the A and a bunch of muted low E chugs in between, and then some random ass power chords and pull-offs for the tail, and that repeats like 4 times at the start of the song and it sounds great!
To be fair bass is actually really important for supporting the guitar and making a tone that sounds better. Also what is that drum tone program? Sounds great. Your production is really getting better.
@Dr. Kujo Jotaro I think it's the Modern and Massive drum set with some pre-production applied to it. I searched his old videos and that's what he used, so I'm assuming it's the same stuff.
Been following your channel for a while and enjoying man, but little videos like this remind us that behind the fun and memes you're a really solid musician
Some of these things are genuinely good advice even though it sounds like it shouldn't be. Yeah, experimenting with random flourishes can make any simple melody sound amazing
How I write a metal song: - Drop A tuning - 190-230 BPM - 6-0-1-4 riff - Sick alternate picking pattern (like in Meshuggah’s Bleed but not as hardcore) - String switching riffs - All 8th notes must be down-picked - 16th note minor third trills - Blast beats - Chorus with octave chords/harmonies and tremolo picking (like in Slipknot’s Sulfur/Orphan/Unsainted) - Fade out with sick riff and/or legendary solo (like in Metallica’s Fade To Black/The Thing That Should Not Be/For Whom The Bell Tolls)
Hey Nik, it'd be cool if you could do an updated video about the drum plugins you use and perhaps some of the presets / changes you make to get a great drum sound like in the songs of Termina!
Anyone else hearing Jinjer in that riff he plays at the start? Cloud Factory starts almost the same way, it just sounds like he played it from the top of his head and didn't remember it perfectly
*Smash like so I can show more people the way of the chugs, tyty*
How to Godsmack in 30 seconds?
How to Type O Negative/Paradise Lost in 30 seconds ?
Cool riffs could be heavier😂
What guitar plug-in are you using
Nik,react to "Rakuin" by Unholy Harakiri
Brutal Brazilian band🇧🇷
Nik tuning up to standard tuning gave me chills
It was honestly badass going to standard
yea fr
Never expected to see a Cyborg Octopus profile picture but I approve ! \m/
Haters will say it's edited
@Xxpsyhodelik007xX haha yeah, Baptism of Clay goes too hard
Personal notes:
Start simple and establish foundation riff
Create a melody
Build on the foundation riff, make it less boring by changing groove
Incorporate melody into foundation or expand the melody itself into its own thing separate from the foundation
Use blast beats, or use a base drum groove then incorporate bass drum to fit the heavy riff better
Noted with thanks
You forgot to shit on bass players 🎉
@@DarkBladeOniken hire an actual bass player. Jk, midi is good enough
@@DarkBladeOniken Sacrilege! Bassists rarely get the respect they deserve!
Nik is our new Music theory teacher lol
Period 😂❤
Bob Ross of music
You’re such a good teacher Nik! Thanks for always breaking it down for us simpletons
just when I was about to lose my mind struggling to write riffs, this came out. THANK YOU
This riff from 4:46 is fucking sick. Honestly I would like to hear a full song with it. It’s sorta of Trivium from In Waves era and Gojira alike. Dooope!
That reminded me of the main riff in Far From Heaven by Fit For An Autopsy
I actually really liked the simple drums with the more technical riff. It sounded cool
7:00 Expected a Davie504 to come in breaking the door down
Awesome riffs Nik! You should also show us your approach to drum parts, writing those seemed so smooth!
second this!
Honestly there are no guides as good and easy to follow as Nik's I would pay good money to have a course or somthing
That technical riff was FIRE🔥🔥🔥🔥
6:39
He's actually such a talented writer
the amount of memes you tie in with actual good advice is gnarly
Indeed
This is the best explanation I've heard on riff writing. The part about adding space to creat rhythm as really helpful because I find myself chugging or playing Bleed-esque rhythms all too often . I don't plan on making 578 core even though it's sick, but this has helped me with my own sound. Also, I felt see when you used Javier Reyes' guitar as the 8-string example, because that's the 8-string I have lol.
578 core lol
NIk, your tutorials are awesome bro, actually making music theory fun and easy to understand!
3:22 Locust-Machine Head
glad someone else heard it 😭
@@rigbog7714 i thought i was trippin tho😂
PLEASE make more tutorials like this. I feel like these kind of lessons are what I need to really get back into it.
Nik, I’d like to see you make a list for people who’d like to get into heavier music. The idea is to start with a rock song and the next song will be a little bit heavier, do this until you get to the heaviest song you know. Basically a stepping stone playlist so people can determine how heavy they wanna go.
Starts with American Idiot, ends with XAVLEGBMAOFFFASSSSITIMIWOAMNDUTROABCWAPWAEIIPPOHFFFX
Blink 182
Linkin Park
My Chemical Romance
Bullet for my Valentine
Killswitch Engage
As I Lay Dying
Parkway Drive
Everytime I Die
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Hope that helps.
I'd say that Crowbar will always have the heaviest riffs in the business. Low-tuned, groovy chugs and breakdowns with all sorts of heavy chords.
I swear Planets Collide is still one of the heaviest songs in the universe even though it's "only" in B standard
Heaviest riff for me's gotta be Sacrifice unto Sebek by Nile
I love content like this when I'm in a rut. Been playing metal for about 25 years. Been in several bands, signed twice, recorded played many shows, and I find myself in ruts from time to time. Other genres of music and somehow videos like this help me when I'm searching for something new to create. Liked and subscribed. Keep it up man. You shred by the way. Don't hate the bassist BTW. Take it from a guy who plays bass and guitar, nothing you do to a guitar, adding strings or effects will ever duplicate or replace a bassist with good tone who actually knows how to play the instrument instead of just mirroring the guitar.
Nice man
I got so excited when he said bass riffs!! I love Nik and his videos, but he never gives bass enough love lol
0:36 Nik: "You could be a guitarist"
Then shows a pic of a bass player during a break down!
Classic😂
A.) Love the editing.
B.) Love that lowered drop C sound. Chunky is funky. 🤟🔥
The drums and guitar on the newest Phinehas album lock in *so tight* and it sounds phenomenal. Maybe the first album I ever listened to where it just stood out how dang good the combo was.
The only thing I want from you: I sick modern metal riff in e standard
*Checks comments for attacked bass players.*
Wow this is exactly what I needed, just a few days ago I started working on my first ever metal song and I just watched your how to make amazing choruses video and now I see this one!
I love your tutorial videos! Was starting to miss them.
Love your vids Nic! btw that initial riff you started with sounds like the pre chorus to Locust by Machinehead😛
thought my boy was gonna come up with the Machine Head - Locust main riff in 5 secs of improvising at 3:00 lol, great video!
Thats it, I'm quitting my job as a marketing director and forming a chug metal band. Now that i have the power of riffage.
This was great Nik. Thank you.
I always enjoy these teaching videos of yours! 🤘
What I find the hardest is syncing a riff with the kick drum... like yeah not all parts have to be the same but a breakdown is a mind fuck to me programming the drums lol
I love the "Tuning: Metal" in the description, haha!
ok now how do i write or program heavy metal drums(full lesson)?
Asking the tough questions we want to know lol
wanna hear Nik on this too 😏
I actually like the offset of simple drums + technical riff and vice versa. Simple riff + technical drums works very well. I feel if one instrument is being busy then the rest must take a back seat for that moment,
Drop C, chugs, 578, power chords, crazy drums. Okay, time to do some 2000s metalcore
Awesome! Those complicated technical riffs were cool too. Have you done a how-to video on those? Also please do a how-to on how you make your drum beats! love
Thank you So much Nik. Ive been struggling with how to come up with a good heavy grooving Nu metal or just any kind of Grooving metal. You just helped me so much
Love your stuff. Especially the “make anything metal” content. But, I feel like you have a lot more to offer than typical metal and would absolutely LOVE to see you put out some math metal or post metal à la Botch or Pelican. Thanks for all you do
Sick riff straight outta the gate, well done sir.
I love that guitar tone 3:44
For as many videos on this topic that I've watched, this is the one that really made the pieces fall in to place.
Id like some advice on how to make D.I. guitar and digital drums sound better. What plugins, how to use them, maybe some cheap and expensive options.
An excellent riff to see this in action IMO is Wasted by Def Leppard. You have 3 notes of 7-5-10 on the A and a bunch of muted low E chugs in between, and then some random ass power chords and pull-offs for the tail, and that repeats like 4 times at the start of the song and it sounds great!
To be fair bass is actually really important for supporting the guitar and making a tone that sounds better.
Also what is that drum tone program? Sounds great. Your production is really getting better.
Let me know if you find the drums he uses!
fr we need it wtf
I need to know this too!
@Dr. Kujo Jotaro I think it's the Modern and Massive drum set with some pre-production applied to it. I searched his old videos and that's what he used, so I'm assuming it's the same stuff.
Been following your channel for a while and enjoying man, but little videos like this remind us that behind the fun and memes you're a really solid musician
Lulz loved the Siccas guitars plug. I’m a classical player so I watch most all of their stuff.
Some of these things are genuinely good advice even though it sounds like it shouldn't be. Yeah, experimenting with random flourishes can make any simple melody sound amazing
0:57 “Funda-metal-ly”.
2:51 stone sour Inhale
Man the riff in standard tuning at 4:45 is just FUCKING SICK
So sick
5:40 More like it kinda sounds like Mush...
😎
...uggah
YEEEEAAAAHHHHH!
The bass part is like the complete opposite of what Rob Scallon just said in his recent video......... I'm so conflicted!!!! I need an adult!
There's some Machine Head "Locust" in that there riff
If you don’t say out loud “we do fun metal things here” at the same time as Nik, you’re not real. Like birds.
I want to hate nik because he's popular, but I do dig his guitar chops
You should do more videos like this!
The more im picking up about the metal. The more it becomes clear. Its the drums man. Its always the drums that are cool xd.
1:31 that tone was fucking delicious jeez...
6:58
BASS TEARS DON'T FALL, THEY CRASH AROUND MEEEEH
Drop C and good drums is literally all you need, couldn't have said it better myself
Which drum vst does he use?
2:50 As I Lay Dying wants to know your location ... Literally the Intro of Blinded lmao
4:45 epic As I Lay Dying levels of melody
This just might be the greatest tutorial EVER!
“Sounds like mush” he says after sounding like he was about to bust out the Doom ost
"Way back in the day" *5 years ago*
How I write a metal song:
- Drop A tuning
- 190-230 BPM
- 6-0-1-4 riff
- Sick alternate picking pattern (like in Meshuggah’s Bleed but not as hardcore)
- String switching riffs
- All 8th notes must be down-picked
- 16th note minor third trills
- Blast beats
- Chorus with octave chords/harmonies and tremolo picking (like in Slipknot’s Sulfur/Orphan/Unsainted)
- Fade out with sick riff and/or legendary solo (like in Metallica’s Fade To Black/The Thing That Should Not Be/For Whom The Bell Tolls)
Heavy Djent is easy. Write a double kick drum groove, then pick 0s and 1s to the kicks.
We need a tutorial on programming drums baaaaad. No drummers of the core exist where I live sooooo.
Your explanations absolutely crack me up 😂😂😂 yet you exsplain it so well 😂😂😂
Now do a follow-up, using riffs to make a song structure
Good video 🤘 definitely gonna use these tips.
I'd kill for a full version of the Dad Rock one lol
Actually was the most helpful video I've seen for so long
Chromatic notes "as long as you hit them with confidence, it works" awesome words
4:45 huuuuuge a month ago there was a clip from twitch with this riff, since then I have been waiting for the full version
Sweet video man. Can’t wait to see you hit a mil scriber count. 🎉
Whole lotta love is the riff because you always move your head listening to it everytime
Wow thx nik this just unlocked tons of stuff for me
What are you plugged into sounds awesome....playing again after 10 years... drop D was the shit now C love it keep it up....
Fuckin love this dude. Never fails to put a smile on my face
i have never touched a guitar in my life but this video was fascinating
Hey Nik, it'd be cool if you could do an updated video about the drum plugins you use and perhaps some of the presets / changes you make to get a great drum sound like in the songs of Termina!
Started laughing at 5:37. Yeah! It actually kinda rips.
Actually the tech riff with dad rock drums slaps af
looks like my man nik’s been getting some sun!
Anyone else hearing Jinjer in that riff he plays at the start? Cloud Factory starts almost the same way, it just sounds like he played it from the top of his head and didn't remember it perfectly
6:47 bro really thought he could sneak digital veil into this without us knowing
I would pay high dollar to have full lessons from this man
any content put out my Nik is fire. should definitely do more edumacational vids😌
Ironically, the riff developed into Machine Head's Locust. LMAO
Secret sauce: in my head: drums
Nik: bass
Visible confusion
Haha nice one Nik, you mentioned Tails, I really love that character
Usually I suck at writing songs and riffs but this made me understand a little more, so thanks I guess! 😅
build a toolbox full of riffs, songs, scales, and chords thats all you gotta have to write music!
this is a fucking grade A video thank you so damn much Nik!
I'm convinced now. My musician career will rocket sky high!
Now need a video on drum programming lol
Did you find which drums he uses?
the first approach sounded like the riff to Locust by Machine Head
next tutorial: how to midi blast beat
yes, we need this