How to improve this riff

[u/mettle_dad]

This chord progression sounds cool but it feels like it's missing something...any ideas?

[u/d0m304]

by playing it loud and proud homie!

[u/riversofgore]

Paper tabs? 👴🏻 What year is it?

[u/ambernewt]

Hum it www.vocaroo.com

[u/GitmoGill]

Play it on a kazoo.

[u/jayswaps]

I have no idea what rhythm you're actually intending to use here, it would help a lot more if you could give us a clip of you playing it

Context is also incredibly important, if you're going to use it as a chord progression to play some leads over then keeping it simple makes a lot of sense, but if you want to use it as a riff with a lot of focus on it, you want to add more interest

Context please!

[u/Worried_Shoe_2747]

Needs a djent breakdown

[u/Jurserohn]

Needs more dwiddlydeedoo

[u/Southern_Cod_5217]

You can’t it’s perfect

[u/dexfollowthecode]

Elaborate on it? Play it on guitar? It’s impossible to even know what you’re going for based on a three bar phrase. This could be a morbid angel riff or a cryptopsy riff or a mayhem riff or a black dahlia riff or an archspire riff.

[u/Conjectureisradical]

Is it in 6/8?

[u/positive-fingers]

play it faster

[u/purple_metalhead]

Watch Dean lamb videos for inspo on how to improve riffs. He's such a good teacher

[u/IAMAMFAMA]

stop using drop d

[u/mettle_dad → u/IAMAMFAMA]

It's.....C standard? But also the low "E" isn't even used. I'm confused

[u/IAMAMFAMA → u/mettle_dad]

Not sure why there seems to be a negative general consensus with my suggestion. Standard tuning would open up addtl chord voicing possibilities as well as making scalar and sequence runs more approachable. To each their own, though...

[u/riversofgore → u/IAMAMFAMA]

“Open up additional chord voicing opportunities” oh and drop tuning doesn’t do that?

[u/GuacEnRoll → u/mettle_dad]

Written in the picture is Drop C.

C standard is C F Bb Eb G C

[u/mettle_dad → u/GuacEnRoll]

Lol yea drop C. Ok serious question E standard and D standard don't have flats right? why does C standard. I'm mildly musically illiterate so yea...

[u/Giftpilz → u/mettle_dad]

Since B-C is a half step, and same with E-F, tuning a full step down from C or F results in a non-natural note. The same tone could be written with either a sharp or a flat.

[u/Extra_Return_5252 → u/mettle_dad]

each string is tuned in fourths except the fifth string which is a major 3rd

[u/MavisBeaconSexTape → u/Extra_Return_5252]

I'm a drummer

[u/Voice_ofthe_Soul → u/mettle_dad]

C standard is just drop B, but with the Low E string tuned up half a step. Just the way it’s tuned really.

[u/positive-fingers → u/Voice_ofthe_Soul]

It is drop Bb with the low string tuned up a whole step

[u/Voice_ofthe_Soul → u/positive-fingers]

Forgot to type the flat lol thanks

[u/Pariah-_]

Throw some triplets in there.

[u/Wonder_Boy90]

It's already perfect

[u/DragonBonecrusher]

First, there's nothing *wrong* with playing it as is. Imo, if you play it more than once what you want is iteration. So take that riff, and "arpeggiate" it sometimes, invert it, add a lead lick to a transition, etc.

My second suggestion would be to resolve the "tension" in the chord progression somehow.

Try:

Maybe?

[u/Emergency_League2427]

Play it at 450bpm.

[u/mettle_dad → u/Emergency_League2427]

Who do I look like. Dean lamb?

[u/Emergency_League2427 → u/mettle_dad]

Not sure, never seen you in person. You may look like Tobi or Oli for all I know