How do you incorporate different riffs into songs without sounding choppy?

So what you're asking is why two riffs of different tempos and different keys don't work together. Shouldn't that be kind of obvious?

First, keep the same tempo throughout a song (ie bpm). Don't have one part faster, one part slower.... that tends to sound horrible. Instead, try playing "cut time", or incorporate different time signatures. Often you can get the same effect simply by playing less busy lines... where cut time is more or less like playing at half of the speed that you were, less busy lines can simply mean playing half-notes or whole-notes instead of quarter or eighth notes, laying off the cymbals, that kind of thing.

Second, play in the same key. It's the easiest way to keep a song "together"... changing the key signature every few riffs is a great way to come across as sloppy or unfocused, and thus lose the energy or power of the music.

Let me give you an example.

d ---------------------- ------------------- ----------------------- -----------------

a -------7-~----6-~-- ------------------- -----------6--------- -6---------------

e --0-0-------0------- -0-0-0---0-0-0- ---3-3-3---3-4-~- ---3-3-3-4-~--

I split it up into sections because Y!A has a tendency to chop up long lines. The first two blocks are one riff, the second two are another. I tried to show the basic rhythm, with all notes palm-muted, except the ones with tilde (~), by which I mean hold the note out, and put a little vibrato or 1/4 bend in it if desired.

The first riff is clearly in E, right? And the second riff is pretty clearly in G, right? But they go together.... play it, feel it out. Use the same basic rhythm, more or less, use many of the same notes, and riffs will match up.

For bands like Slayer and Metallica, the practice is to write a crap-ton of riffs, then jam on them until they find ones that "go together". I think in many cases the case can be made that consecutive riffs share common rhythmic elements or variations, which helps tie them together.

One way to think about a lot of "thrash" music, at least in early Metallica's case, is that a lot of it is based on the harmonic minor with some accidentals thrown in here and there. That might not mean a lot to you at this point, but it's something that I've noticed.

Something that Tool has done a lot of is take one riff and play variations of it, over and over, until they find ones that go together. So in one part of the song maybe they're playing D F A A B, in another they may be playing FhD F A GhApG B (where h is hammer-on, p is pull-off). So melodic variations in a riff can be somewhat subtle, but really add to the feeling of complexity in a song.

Never underestimate the power of changing a time signature... on one hand, it can be really tough to play correctly, but it can add SUCH a contrast and feel to a song.... even the same basic riff squeezed/stretched into a different time signature can totally change the feel of a riff or song... try this... take the same riff and play it one time through normal, then the second time add another beat at the end. In other words

A5 A5 A5 A5 G5 G5 G5 G5

A5 A5 A5 A5 G5 G5 G5 G5 G5

It totally throws off the listener and makes your music that much more... well, intricate/complex.

Don't underestimate the power of silence.... taking a riff and leaving out some notes or chords can change the feel.

Without going into more complex topics like modulation properly, I can say that one way of switching a song up is to simply move the riff up a half-step. It's used in showtunes sometimes as a way to add 'excitement'. I don't recommend doing it a whole lot, but throwing it in there can provide a bit of difference as well.... even doing it in the middle of a riff or breakdown? Hmmm....

So there are a few ideas. Hope it helped!

Saul

ok your getting into music theory now yes it will sound choppy for exactly the reasons you have said. Ok to make it work you need to do it by playing in the right key or a key that matches the one your in ok if your in a major key then the key to go into would be it's natural minor ok that's the simplest way to explain it now hopefully someone with more musical theory knowledge will come along and explain the other variations but as i say the easiest way to do it without sounding choppy is major to natural minor

The guitar part in Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers sounds similar to the guitar part in Mary Jane's Last Dance by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers.

A good melody will lend itself to many changes

( i'm not sure if your music has melody sorry...)