As a guitarist, what should I know about writing drum tracks for my songs?

[BFMVGitarista]

This can't be left empty.

[harugrugrug]

It's all based on your listening experience sa bands na pinapakinggan mo,there is no right or wrong

[peeves24]

wag kang gagawa ng lick or groove na sabay sabay yung 4 limbsin one beat. wala yata gumagawa nun

[harugrugrug]

wag kang gagawa ng lick or groove na sabay sabay yung 4 limbsin one beat. wala yata gumagawa nun

hahaha! meron ako naexperience na ganyan tapos nakasulat pa sa guitar pro,sakit sa ulo.hehe

[IncX]

time signatures  and well, the difference between a quarter beat, an 8th beat and a 16 beat - and their respective effects

[BFMVGitarista]

wag kang gagawa ng lick or groove na sabay sabay yung 4 limbsin one beat. wala yata gumagawa nun

Four limbs, as in two bass drums, snare and hi-hat? I think I have one song where the last beat of the last bar requires three limbs at once (bass + two cymbals, splash & crash IIRC). Is that acceptable? Lol

[BFMVGitarista]

time signatures  and well, the difference between a quarter beat, an 8th beat and a 16 beat - and their respective effects

Well, I already know about timings and time signatures because I write all tracks for our songs (Insetwarlord doesn't help me. If you see this thread, hi). I usually fill bars (100-160 bpm) with 16th bass drums because it sounds kinda "thrashy". The problem is, they usually sound alike. How do I add variety?

[inigo]

Try varying the timing of snare hits, because they help contribute to mood of song sections.

Some examples:
- Having them hit 2s and 4s consistently make for a continuous beat feel.
- Having them hit additionally on 1s and 3s makes the beat more urgent.
- Spreading 5 beats over 2 bars makes for a slowed down feel but accented.
- Not hitting a snare over 1-2 bars brings some restraint to the section or accentuates some other instrument.
Etc.

[yekoz]

Break it down: for example

Intro: 160bpm
Verse: 140bpm
Chorus: 150bpm
Bridge: 130bpm

actually maraming variations, dagdag mo rin rest then bagsakan. probably post a link of your songs so we can analyze further.

Keep up writing... and rolling...

[IncX]

Well, I already know about timings and time signatures because I write all tracks for our songs (Insetwarlord doesn't help me. If you see this thread, hi). I usually fill bars (100-160 bpm) with 16th bass drums because it sounds kinda "thrashy". The problem is, they usually sound alike. How do I add variety?

your problem aren't the drum tracks, it is the song writing.

do not stop writing music. listen to more music apart from metal. metal influenced by metal is usually boring, generic metal. and oh, do not listen to the drum tracks alone... they are bound to sound generic, because you are working along with a structure/genre. if you make the drums too unique, you end up sacrificing the song.

-*-

just to add: the best drummers i have worked with are the ones who hit the "typical" bass drum on 1 and 3 and the snare on 2 and 4, while keeping a really steady hi-hat 8th note groove (in metal, its the ones who can keep a consistent 16note double kick, i dont care about the speed as long as its consistent). the worse drummers who stresses and piss me off all the time are ones who do something "unique" ... stuff that is technical that no one cares.

[sonicassault]

KISS is actually a nice rule to follow when writing drum tracks. While drums that follow the guitar riff sound really nice, it can and will get tiring if used on the whole song. Find a groove that will fit well with your verses and stick to that, then use the flamboyant patterns on fills and hooks.

Another thing to note is texture, for example, choosing if the ride pattern will be done on the hats, ride, or china; or the choice between the kick or snare on the accents. Depending on your guitar's rhythm/tone you'll want to pick the right texture. As usual, there are no straight rules, but there are always better choices. FWIW I always found the snare to be a "release" and the kick to be an "explosion" if that ever makes a distinction to you. Personally I also pick the ride if I want to take the guitars up front, or give chords more "flow." Try some closed hats on choruses, if you can make them work especially in rock and metal, they do sound tight yet have lots of push.

As for the 16th kick groove, how about taking some notes off, in effect making 8ths with 16th "accents." or switch it up with the snare. or straight 16ths on kicks with a weird ride pattern. or triplets.