how to find right chords for a riff

Question

Right now I'm playing guitar fine and I'm coming up with various riffs and I'm quite enjoying them however simplistic they may be. But when I'm trying to get some chords to fit for my riff (well I record the riff and play it aloud while I try to figure out the chords), I'm finding it difficult to find the right set of chords or I think the technical term would be family. So,

I want to know is there anyway or technique that I could use to find the best set of chords for my riff

and thus ultimately make a good song?

Answer 1

I would start by determining what scale your riff is based on. You can do this by writing down (or making a mental note of) the notes that are used in the riff to see what key or scale those notes belong to.

Once you know what scale your riff is based on, you can probably narrow down your chord choices to the chords that are commonly used with the key that the scale is derived from. So if your riff is based on a G minor pentatonic scale, the key is G minor and your most likely chords would be as seen below from guitar-chords.org.uk/.

For each section of your riff, choose a chord that contains as many notes for that section as possible. You can start with the chord that has a root note (G for a G minor, D for D minor, F for F major, etc.) common to the first note played in the section where a new chord is indicated. That may not be the best chord, but it's a starting point. Your best chord is probably going to be one that contains the most of the notes that appear in that section of your riff. The notes that are in a chord are called "chord tones". Each section of your riff will contain certain chord tones which will suggest the chord that goes best with that section.

For more information related to how notes and chords fit together see this:

How Notes and Chords Relate to one another

Or This: How Notes and Chords Fit Together

Answer 2

Generally speaking, a riff will start with the root note of the key/chord. From establishing that, it's straightforward to find the other chords to fit that family - loads of questions here have answers to that part.

Answer 3

Example:

Lets take a riff. For example:

D------------------------------------------5--7~

A---7--8--7---7---7---7--8--7--5--7---------

E-5---------8---7---5--------------------------

The notes are: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Lets search those notes in a scale identifier, such as http://www.scales-chords.com/scalefinder.php

The possible scales are C major (and its modes). The riff starts and ends with the note A, and the note A is sustained at the end (vibrato), so the riff is probably in A minor natural (=A aeolian).

Now we have to see what chords belong to A minor (A,B,C,D,E,F,G):

I(min)= Am, II(dim)= Bdim, III(maj)= C, IV(min)= Dm, V(min)= Em, VI(maj)= F, VII(maj)= G

If you are writing rock riffs, you should consider using power chords instead. All of those, except for the diminished, can be translated to power chords. The diminished cannot translate to a power chord because its 5th degree is half a step down. But if you're writing metal, which is what the riff sounds like, you can use an evil little chord called a diminished power chord, a tritone or a "chord of the devil".

You get a diminished power chord by taking a powerchord and moving the 2nd note a fret to the left:

A-8

E-7

Answer 4

The simplest way would be to simply use chords with the notes of the scale you are using. This will ensure that the chords have a natural sounding togetherness.

Seeing as everyone is playing the notes of the same scale it would be a natural fit.

You could also try and change the scale with the chords but that is a bit more tricky.

So for instance if you are riffing in G major the rhythm guy just play chords that fit into the scale that is to say

Gmaj (G-B-D)

Amin (A-C-E)

Bmin (B-D-F#)

CMaj (C-E-G)

DMaj (D-F#-A)

Emin (E-G-B)

F#dim (F#-A-C)

Answer 5

Yorik, while your riff is going, you can identify the sounding of notes and where your left hand fingers are going. I mean notes in chord patterns. You MUST have an idea what are the chords going with your scale. (if it is natural major, (1-Major 2-Minor 3-Minor 4-Major 5- Major 6-Minor 7-Dim) First Give priority to House-Key, Husband-Fifth and Wife Forth. after familiarising with the sound, just try minor chords too. it gives more feeling to your riff. Basically, Your riff is melodic, your chords are harmonic, HARMONIES MUST GO WITH MELODIC NOTES.

Bandu J