What scales and chords ?

[deckstar_1]

Ive been learning alot of new scales and chords lately and I think I'm ready to write my first song. So I was wondering what scales and chords would I use to write Smashing Pumkins style music. Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum but this seemed like the right place.

Thanks

[Distance Distortion Factor]

Ive been learning alot of new scales and chords lately and I think I'm ready to write my first song. So I was wondering what scales and chords would I use to write Smashing Pumkins style music. Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum but this seemed like the right place.

Thanks

cant really say much about pumpkins, but when you say ready to write your first song entirely, you may wanna consider that even if you are "ready" when you sit down to do it your head will blank...all good songs are accidents that are later given purpose, dont try to write...feel it...being a guitar player for 10 years i find taht works best...

and i would try aeolian minor, that was common in there work...

[(un)reason]

Hmm. Having looked through most of their guitar tabs on the internet, I can see the following tendencies.

The keys of E, A and D are most commonly used, with quite a few in C and G as well. Since they often tune down a semitone, this may not sound right if you try and play along.

Quite a few of their songs are in drop D, particularly the heavier, more riff based ones. These tend to use a combination of power chords and single notes doubled up with their octave.

Chords are usualy pretty simple, power chords, majors and minors. When they do add additional notes, they tend towards major 6ths, minor 7ths, and add9ths/sus 2's. Cadd9 and Dsus4 seem particularly favored. Often, unusual notes will be an open string ones played in conjunction with a mostly standard chord higher up.

Muted notes and slideing are the most common tricks they do.

[ABulldog]

you may want to post this in the guitar forum... although those mentioned above would help. When I try to get a certain style of a band, I listen to the music a lot. I try and get a similar sound to the guitarist and maybe even jam around with their songs. That means not just pl;aying exactly what is being played, but adding in your own little pieces here and their.

[Skullder]

I remember reading a long artical on billy corgan in which he talked about how he would go to writing music. I even kept to a few of his techniques.. let me explain a few:

The Smashing pumpkins are all about the riff.. Listen to any pumpkins song and there will be a powerfull riff.. How to write such riffs:
Well really there is no key to doing it.. no garanty for succes.. like someone said earlier in this topic, you can't sit down and make yourself write a song..you have to have inspiration. Well say you feel inspired.. -like late at night for example, when it is know that most the most creative energy is present- and you write a crappy riff.. thats ok.. just tab it for yourself, in a few days, weeks or years, you could come back to the riff, and with it being fresh in the ears, you might know an improvement on it.. this is one of the things corgan does, he lets the riffs evolve.. works on them, and perfects them.. so don't throw any riff away, keep each schrap, for unknowingly it can be the key to that master riff.. the ultimate riff.. that is what we are all looking for, and this is what you have to think of when writing heavy metal. Forget the scales, and chords.. they come later when writing the rest of the song. Most corgan solos are just improvisions over a pentatonic. And one more tip for writing the master riff, of other riffs in the song.. start with the bass lines, and from there build the chords up.. can make things easier.. good luck!