Writing Music in a Different Genre

[AKMG]

So I was brought up with classic rock/hair metal, punk, and some metal. Anyways, I decided that I wanted to start to get back into the whole music thing again (after two years off with hockey tourneys, college, and other stuff) and try to write different genre music, more mellow and utilizing my amp's clean channel more

I picked up the guitar after studying some jazz/blues chords, riffs, etc. and I find it impossible to write jazz/blues; my fingers always set up for bar/power chords and "AC/DC-esque" solos.

Any tips?

[kotornut]

Well, the first thing is to listen to that stuff and how it works too. But more than that, just have patience and wait until your inspired to play something. Forcing stuff never works. You can try playing with musicians of the other genres and even getting some tab of that stuff or videos. It's kind of like teaching yourself again, but in a different way. I'm sure you learned your favorite rock/metal player's stuff when you were learning. Why would it be different when learning Jazz or Blues or Classical?

Also, I know it's cliche, but you can't help what comes out sometimes. For me, a lot of metal comes out and it's just what happens. But after trying to do what you are currently doing, I occasionaly got some jazz (bossa nova stuff) out and some other jazzy things. Once you play emotionally you kind of get stuck into just doing what comes out.

[newbieguitarmaker]

seems like jazz/blues is the hardest to learn, I was raised in a jazz/blues environment so it was easier for me but what I'd do is for blues think more simple. I love how blues can put so much emphasis on a single note, maybe a long hold or just a brief pause on the note. For jazz it is all about the theory for me, the scales just overlap and go into weird chromatics which give me goosebumps lol

I am still working on the Jazz theory though since it is so complicated but major payoff for all genres will come from learning it

[AKMG]

I think that's a problem with my writing style; I always write for two guitars and there's always gotta be noise. With jazz/blues, it's more of controlling the sound with sustain and there doesn't always have to be constant strumming, which is something I have yet to adapt to.

[rastachild]

kotornut said it best. i would add that you really have to immerse yourself in the style that you want to start writing in. and it won't happen overnight, but if devote enough time to listening, learning examples of stuff that you would like to write like (i.e., learning a kenny burrell tune or a wes montgomery tune note for note) and trying to incorporate it into your playing, it will slowly seep into your style. just think back on how you learned rock/metal, it was probably a similar process.

[ken_r152]

When you say "study" did you mean formal lessons? You might want to look for formal lessons from a teacher to immerse yourself in the subject.

Ken

[Stringz]

This brings up a good point. A few years back I had fallen into a rut with my playing and writing ( everything I wrote sounded like Iron Maiden, and granted that's not a bad thing Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Jers have greatly influenced my playing).
But as a musician you always want to learn, I jumped into jazz and found it very difficult at first, but I ended up learning so much, the learning curve was well worth it. I also had to force myself to put down the electrics and pick up my acoustic. I worked on Classical and Flemenco techniques which was very demanding. 90 per cent of the stuff I write is still heavy, but much more melodic. Knowing just alittle about other styles has improving my playing and in turn my writing. It's well worth the time invested.