John Browne did a Songwriting Masterclass to give people an insight on how he makes his Monuments songs. 00:00 Start 00:45 Doxa 10:10 Atlas 23:50 Stygian Blue
@@pablom2274 the way I like to think of his guitar playing is a drummer, a rapper and a clean singer all shoved into a guitar... In terms of how it flows...
Thats probably why he started riff hard. Cause rhythm guitar has turned into simple ridiculously uninspired bass playing but with more strings. His down picking technique and stamina are crazy. I'd love to have that on lock like he does. Working at it though.
@@brandonkeller478 couldn't agree more. Once I started learning how Browne looks at constructing a song, its really hard for me to write other ways. Its actually easier to write riff salads now, but I've always wanted to learn how to write each song like a book or an album like chapters. He does write complicated music for sure, but its unbelievably well written. He's also better at explaining it in other videos now imo. Like he knew what he wanted to say, but didn't articulate it as well.
1) Adding odd groups together to create interesting 4/4 patterns i.e. 9/8, 7/8, 7/8, 9/8 = 32 which is four bars of 4/4 2) Using the same phrase but with different articulation (tap versus picked) 3) Introduce an idea as a layer before it is played (film music, Bach, Beethoven etc) 4) Adding all the notes in or removing all the notes to create two different versions of the same riff (sub groove idea) 5) Playing your riffs in different octaves 7) Try the same riff in triplets 8) Write less music, use those ideas wisely Really great video I keep coming back to this. Thought I'd write it out to help me remember this time. Hope it helps someone else!
literally blew my mind. Like I've been playing for ages now and ive written many riffs, and struggled with many riffs, and I cant believe how much this clicked with me like "omg as if I haven't been doing this" or "as if I haven't figured this out sooner". I really think my riff writing is about to increase from such a subtle and simple tip!!
It still gives me the strong need to slap the crowd's faces one by one when he just asks questions, trying his best and you just can hear perfect SILENCE from them. Damn.
John’s use of motif or thematic song structuring is one of the most simple concepts that has had the biggest impact on my thinking about music and songwriting. Great class.
I can kind of relate. When I was younger and discovering this type of music, I was confused but also fascinated by it. If you've never been exposed to this type of playing, it can be overwhelming at first.
20:50 "You have to introduce the music before it actually fully happened" - your whole riff writing game could level up significantly if you got what he said just here alone
I'm gonna guess most of the dudes in the crowd only play the pentatonic scale on their les Paul through a Marshall half stack while drinking a bud light. Anything outside of that is scary and weird lmao.
@Connor Fox Imagine feeling superior because you play the 7 string and someone might be scared of it HAHAHAHA truly pathetic imagine not playing a 7 string bass and a 9 string guitar
@@NeilDjents lol John Browne actually told in an interview (coffe with Ola) that he loves 6 strings guitar more than 7 strings. Btw 6 strings downtuned feels better than a 7 strings imho. and it doesn't define the music genre you are playing.
i feel like they just weren't ready for the depth of music theory he's talking about. shit idk if i was ready "pffffffttt i know a fridgian vs an alien scale" *cries*
Hey John! You’re done great in this one, again! So many awesome insights. Attended your clinic in Stuttgart and bought this guitar, both were and are great! Thanks man ,keep it up. Richard from Paris
Ya thank god this was recorded and uploaded to that a audience could really enjoy it And cares. Cuz this crown here dont care about this man. But it is ok we love you and the internet loves you and respects your wisdom John!. You are the MAN!
The sad thing about all the demeaning comments about the crowd is that the commenters are the ignorant ones. While the Summit is far from NAMM size there are always several events going on at the same time. If the crowd weren't into metal they'd go to a different event. Grey hair or not, this is Germany, 2nd most metal area after Scandinavia. Many don't interact much because they know enough English to understand it, but they are not too keen on speaking it in a crowd.
If they didn't understand English, then clearly they wouldn't understand a word he is saying, therefore meaning his masterclass would be useless for them and they would leave instead of sitting listening to a man speaking gibberish...
I saw a bunch of gray hair in the crowd... probably your first issue. Then put John Browne up there and throw in futuristic guitar playing. They can't even wrap their brain around what they just saw!
@@bradhargis2261 I'm 40 and have grey hair too. All I really only listen to is the same bands you listed. So it's not generalizing but making an observation and making a humorous statement. Based on the facts presented (poor crowd response)... I think it's safe to draw a conclusion from the video the gray/grey hair in the crowd is from a much older audience. Not that they don't appreciate it but it's also not likely something they are bumping in their Cadillacs cruising down the road. Nuff said
I found this both very helpful but yet very complicated for my particular playing style. Totally out of my comfort zone...which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm more of, how can you say, a Death, Morbid Angel, Incantation type of writing material and playing guitar type of guy. So, regardless of that, I'll definitely keep at trying to give your suggestions a shot.
All the ageist pricks on here need to button it...I'm nearly 60 but can appreciate what John is playing and teaching here. We're not all fuckin pipe and slippers you know! Most of the youth of today are arrogant know it alls with delusions of grandeur imo. Youth =goat blowers!!!
@@Pete_Harris Unfortunately offense cannot be given, only taken. I'm glad you were able to be enriched by his insight. Not only is he a phenomenal musician but a ridiculous producer, I encourage you to check his channel out. Not all youth are goat blowers, just most of them 🤘
Audience were very poor in the main - age young or old shouldnt be an excuse for a lack of engagement or appreciation of a top quality musician .. I am old enough to have seen some of the recognised old school greats including Holdsworth but have not stopped wanting to progress and embrace new exciting styles and players ... unfortunately many young and old get caught up in a genre / style and cant appreciate the beauty of a Joey Landreth slide line , Jeff Beck whammy harmonics and Mark Holcomb chordal / delay to name only 0.1% of the amazing guitar players we are blessed with .. Golden age for great guitar music n education - soak it up no matter what your shoe size !!
I love the motifs concept. you can hear that same idea from pop music to classical. Unfortunately for the crowd it's not as easy to pick up on through his music and outside the context of what they normally listen to.
I don’t it’s that the crowd is not interested I think their minds are blown. I grew up listen to Metallica pantera Black Sabbath etc . When I first heard meshuggah it was very alien to me but sounded incredible i remember thinking how the heck to these guys write like this. I got the same feeling when I heard Dream theater . These new guys are on a whole other level these days. Periphery monuments animals as leader etc this is the next generation of pushing the envelope and it’s amazing and inspiring some time speechless I’m left like how is this possible lol.
That fucking right hand holy shit. Chimpspanner is amazing and that bit about the octaves may have just solved my writers block. Shame about the crowd but maybe the concepts was too advanced for them... Who knows.
Been playing like this since I picked up a guitar and I gotta say it feels really awkward watching someone else play the same way.....no wonder everyone used to look at me like I was weird....but its good to see I'm not the only oddball out..
All these people in the crowd don't even get what they're missing here, and none of them knew chimp spanner? that's totally lame. Still big props to John, he seemed kinda nervous at first but quickly started getting into the whole thing after playing a few riffs.
> has anybody tried playing the same rhythm with different melody as a song writing technique? Me, playing thrash with the same 16th note rhythm throughout the song: *bad poker face*
It is a clinic and not a concert…may be they were just soaking it in…u will see crowds in Japan go silent not because they are not into it but precisely because they are fully focused on the technical of the playing and will show the appreciation at the end of it
Old people: ugh distortion doesn't take talent / don't care about this music Me. someone with common sense: this is way more technical playing than anyone they look up to. get rekt
D3GKRyan What irks me is the asumption that this can’t be played with ”feel”. On the flipside, you’re not playing with ”feel” because you bend a note on a strat connected to a delay pedal.
@@fredriksvard2603 agreed even though that's me 100% because im not technical or skilled enough lmao. Jason Richardson is probably my biggest inspiration though, or cole rolland
I feel he is not comfortable with the way he is carrying the guitar, even though he is bc why not he is John browne. But the way he is lifting the guitar as if it the headstock is slowlu tilting.
I have a few 6 string Duvell's and the neck dive is kinda whack on a $3k+ guitar. They need to move the strap pin to the tip of the horn, it would solve the issue entirely.
Some of this is a lotta bullshit. It sounds like a bunch rhythm. Not saying I can come remotely close but damn I swear he repeated some bars like 15 times