Seven steps to write a rock hit.

Daron nous conseille sur la manière de créer notre musique ! enjoy :


The genius behind the success of bands System of a Down and Scars On Broadway tells us about his reliable methods of writing hits. So take your guitar and start composing!

For most of us Malakian is the brain of System of a Down and an author of original riffs. He has invented one of the most crazy, fast and heavy riffs that have ever been created. His riffs are so extended, that it looks like they're living their own life!
Daron Malakian after SOAD has gone on a hiatus made a band with John Dolmayan named Scars On Broadway. He concentrated at simple tones, melody and at climatic solos. This month you can learn Malakian's methods on writing catchy melodies. Here they are:

• 1. Discover new territories and don't be afraid of challenges.

The best riffs are made when we leave the zone in which we feel safe. In System of a Down I wrote riffs in odd metrum, because that was a big challenge for me. Truth is, I'm not good at math and I don't know too such about music from the technical side. I made a lot of strange melodies, which expanded in unexpected ways. After some time it wasn't hard for me anymore. When we started to record the Scars on Broadway album I wanted to use the proper atmosphere and melody for each song. Really, that simplicity was hard.

• 2. Don't search for an inspiration if you don't have to.

Allow the song to breathe. If you will try too hard you can make it go bad. In 99,9% of my time I can't make anything good, but I have moments that when I take a guitar and I can make a great melody easily. It's looks like I don't have any influence on this and before I notice I finish making a new song. It's spontaneous. On the Scars On Broadway CD there are songs that I even don't understand yet. I just wrote them. Well, that's my style.

• 3. Think about the whole song.

Imagine the whole song built around the riff you wrote. In my opinion there aren't any recipies on how to make a song. The riff, drums, vox and other elements come to me at the same time. Sometimes I know at the beginning how will the keyboard part look. I have the whole thing in my head. I will never show a song to the guys in the band until it's complete.

• 4. Forget about principles!

Your song must have character. Don't be scared of experimenting. Invent
new things. I composed the music to the SOB album for the guitar and the
keyboard. I don't use principles. I make things that I like to do. For me a riff must have an atmosphere. It doesn't have to be complicated. For example - look at the riff of Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones. It has an atmosphere, but it's so easy. The same is with the They Say riff - simple, with three or four notes, but perfect. Doesn't need anything else.

• 5. Don't repeat yourself.

Imagine your song on the radio. Would you like it? When I was playing in System of a Down I wanted to make every album different. I don't want to repeat myself. I look for a song that I'd want to hear on the radio. I don't want to make another Aerials.

• 6. Don't play solos if it's not necessary.

Don't make solos only because of the principle. For me a song is like a kid. If he wants a solo, he will get it. Don't create a solo only if because you want to do it. I love solos and I could make them all the time, but it doesn't have to be in every song. My solos are usually improvised. I like to make solos that I can hum. The crazy solo from They Say - I first recorded it on the keyboard. In the background I heard the drum machine and the bass line and I just played to it on the keyboard.

• 7. Play it with your band.

You like what you wrote? It will sound better when you will play it with your band. I usually write my songs at home from 3 to 6 AM. That's when I make the best music.I recorded the demos for Scars On Broadway at home with a drum machine. They sounded so electronic. They Say sounded like a Sisters of Mercy song. It had a dark and gothic character, but when I played it with the band, it changed a lot. So you can record demos at home, but remember that when you will play it with the band it will be a completely different song.