How to DrO)))ne

[aen]

This thread kicks ass! That is some great advice skip.

Personally I have been feeling in a dry spell, a deep dark rut in terms of writing for my doom band. I'm struggling - everything seems forced. But that idea of writing a story and translating it into a song is super unique. I must try it. I can't keep bumbling around the same old patterns. My fingers need to stop drifting to the same spots. I gotta let the chords breath. Be more patient - it will come.

Take a feeling and let a song convey that feeling. Ideas/emotions before riffs.

This is just what I needed!! Droooone away the days.

Urgh, Been having a rough time of that myself. My main band died in my arms, and my drummer and I kind of whipped up a new act to fill a spot on a bill, and have been trying to flesh it out. We've had some time apart recently, and I'm really looking forward to just plugging in (after i fix my pedal board ) and riffing on the energy. I think the most important part of drone music, and to a lesser extent doom is to tap into a certain spiritual side of yourself, and surrender to sound. I don't know. Sorry if that's touchy-feely. I list "musician" as my religion when I'm asked to fill out forms.

[Bassboar]

This thread kicks ass.
I'm going to try and get some guys together and drone out like all hell.
Maybe something will come of it.

[Ancient Astronaught]

All posts + <9000!!! Thanks for the tips everyone, this is all very helpful!!! I was hoping youd make a reply Skip!!!


I actually just bought two 412 PA towers today, so I think my rig is all set, 3x18s and 8x12s, will post pictures of the full rig in the showoff thread later tonight. Effect wise, I could really use a digital delay and a looper per your advice, DD5 and Ditto maybe? Got the volume, overdrive(Correct Sounds Eclipse), fuzz (Wumbo Muff/modded MT-2), analog delay (cc), and verb (love the spring verb in my Peavey PA200, but if I need more the Tone Americana has always peaked my interest, that can get some crazy big cavernous reverb), even got a Digitech synth that can do some really massive sounding octave stuff. That and I need a guitar, thinking an SG tuned to C, I dont want to go too low that I cant use that guitar for anything else, and If I want to go lower I would use a bass then


The write a story thing or play a movie might be worth experimenting with...I actually have a movie in mind, Duel, been wanting to write a heavy soundtrack to it for a while and this drone project could be perfect for that. Just something about that big old Peterbilt screams DOOM!

3x18 and 8x12's should definitely get you set in the right direction! As far as the delay and looper the DD-5 is exactly what Stephen O'Malley used for the longest time (he now uses a SIB echodrive or a Fulltone Tube echo, and sometimes both [thats $2k forth of delay]) and from what I understand the ditto has been very well received and is very easy to use. I'm thinking of picking up an old friends boomerang 1 on the cheap to use as a standalone looper. The rest of your board seems to be set! As far as tuning thats completely up to you, if you will be playing with a bass player at all then C will be fine. If not you might not have notes low enough to fill out the 120-250hz spectrum which is where most of the room shaking tone comes from. Thats why Sunn tunes to A, the root harmonic is right in that spectrum.

Dude, great movie to soundscape too!!!! You should sample some of the truck sounds from the movie and use it in your songs!

[D.o.S.]

All posts + <9000!!! Thanks for the tips everyone, this is all very helpful!!! I was hoping youd make a reply Skip!!!


I actually just bought two 412 PA towers today, so I think my rig is all set, 3x18s and 8x12s, will post pictures of the full rig in the showoff thread later tonight. Effect wise, I could really use a digital delay and a looper per your advice, DD5 and Ditto maybe? Got the volume, overdrive(Correct Sounds Eclipse), fuzz (Wumbo Muff/modded MT-2), analog delay (cc), and verb (love the spring verb in my Peavey PA200, but if I need more the Tone Americana has always peaked my interest, that can get some crazy big cavernous reverb), even got a Digitech synth that can do some really massive sounding octave stuff. That and I need a guitar, thinking an SG tuned to C, I dont want to go too low that I cant use that guitar for anything else, and If I want to go lower I would use a bass then


The write a story thing or play a movie might be worth experimenting with...I actually have a movie in mind, Duel, been wanting to write a heavy soundtrack to it for a while and this drone project could be perfect for that. Just something about that big old Peterbilt screams DOOM!

3x18 and 8x12's should definitely get you set in the right direction! As far as the delay and looper the DD-5 is exactly what Stephen O'Malley used for the longest time (he now uses a SIB echodrive or a Fulltone Tube echo, and sometimes both [thats $2k forth of delay]) and from what I understand the ditto has been very well received and is very easy to use. I'm thinking of picking up an old friends boomerang 1 on the cheap to use as a standalone looper. The rest of your board seems to be set! As far as tuning thats completely up to you, if you will be playing with a bass player at all then C will be fine. If not you might not have notes low enough to fill out the 120-250hz spectrum which is where most of the room shaking tone comes from. Thats why Sunn tunes to A, the root harmonic is right in that spectrum.

Dude, great movie to soundscape too!!!! You should sample some of the truck sounds from the movie and use it in your songs!

Most clubs mic your shit anyway.

[dase]

First and only step to good drone: Feel it.

this x1,000. WAY too many bands at the moment get caught up on acquiring the right gear or working on the right concept or whatever. I've seen Aidan Baker destroy most people with a delay, a flanger and a PA. Work within the limits of what you've got first, then worry about acquiring more stuff.

Like heaps of bong rattling amps are awesome and everything but yeah...the best way to do this music is to keep it really, really simple and really get inside every piece of equipment you have and work with what it can give you. Try getting something you like, then stripping away half the effects or layers and slowing it down even more, see where that takes you.

[The Wood Wizard]

try putting your guitar on the stand and giging it one solid strum and walk away. From there you can feel/hear what the audience would be experiencing (smae goes for making a loop) then go back and tweak your stuff.

I feel like while im playing I enjoy it all because I have an idea of what I WANT it to sound like in my head, but if you step away you may find that its a little different. LIke when a buddy plays through your rig and you think, aw god that tone sucks, and have to change all your knobs.

[The Wood Wizard]

[soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/tj-pazar/drone-1[/soundcloud]






Try non traditional playing as well. in here i did a lot of percussive things like hitting the guitar, playing behind the bridge and nut etc. I also like to slide the string off the board and let it hit a harmonic on its own kind of, also dissonant chords rule and fatten shit up hardcore with tons of feedback. THeres still some normal riffs in there too to spice it up along with the noise. all improvised stuff. Just jam and FEEL THE DRONE FLOW THROUGH YOU.


also gear isnt super important. That track was an ENGL fireball 100 with a maxxon OD808 with all knobs maxed and no other effect all at bedroom volume. basically the djentiest metal setup ever but Made it happen. lol

[kbit]

Only 5 minutes in but I'm really digging this track.

[The Wood Wizard]

^thanks! I may have went a little long, but thats just the name of the game when your droning out.

[louderthangod]

Drone for me has always been a high volume, warm tone, musical meditation. When I first saw Sunn in 2000 and everyone was laying on the floor that was all I needed to have my mind blown. Now I require a bit more. I need my brain stimulated before I let it take flight and zone out. I like that some of the last few Sunn shows I've seen were a bit more diverse. Now I want stuff like this but with fuzz and black holes of reverb:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChsJ2pZyhew[/youtube]

[The Wood Wizard]

^ dude I like that, check this out.

when that kicks back in at around 4:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30xXE9Hm5HM[/youtube]

[gunslinger_burrito]

First and only step to good drone: Feel it.

this x1,000. WAY too many bands at the moment get caught up on acquiring the right gear or working on the right concept or whatever. I've seen Aidan Baker destroy most people with a delay, a flanger and a PA. Work within the limits of what you've got first, then worry about acquiring more stuff.

Like heaps of bong rattling amps are awesome and everything but yeah...the best way to do this music is to keep it really, really simple and really get inside every piece of equipment you have and work with what it can give you. Try getting something you like, then stripping away half the effects or layers and slowing it down even more, see where that takes you.

As someone who's played a decent amount of noise/drone/doom shows, including one on Devil's night wearing a grim robe.... Let me second this idea. IMO, the wrong way to play drone/doom is to copy SunnO))). My Friend and I wore the robes because a:devil's night! b:it's the day before Halloween, c: the most important factor, we had ritualistic elements to our show, including an Enochian chant. I like what Dase is saying because if you look at people who are doing something mind blowing, they're usually doing it from the perspective of "how can I make my idea come to life?" instead of "what gear and props do I need?" Thus, Aidan Baker makes really awesome, massive-sounding music using gear that most people on this forum probably don't think highly of. Even Sunn O))) talk about how when they started using those amps, it was because they were cheap. They're good amps, too, but the craze happened after the fact, I think.

My advice would be to record a few tracks and then wait a day or two and listen to them with headphones or just really loud. If you don't "drone out" to it, then you're probably going to bore people with it. In my opinion, when you repeat a phrase too long, no matter how cool, it will bore the audience. Even listening to SunnO))) you can tell that they're changing things in the songs; there are still dynamics. The trick is to slowly change what you're doing to take the listener and yourself somewhere else. Listen to the latest Swans record. It's not drone-doom by any means, but having seen them play twice in the last year, I can say it was the most mystical experience I've had in the last decade.

So: ehh, food for thought. Just what you love and hope that you're not straight-up ripping off 1000 other drone bands. OR just do it because you love it and not give a fuck about what anyone has to say.

For a little reference, here's a track of mine (this a thread about drone, so no apologies here about the length of the track. It's about half of set length):
[soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/hyle/frozen-flame-i[/soundcloud]

[conky]

^ That track is badass!

[gunslinger_burrito]

Drone for me has always been a high volume, warm tone, musical meditation. When I first saw Sunn in 2000 and everyone was laying on the floor that was all I needed to have my mind blown. Now I require a bit more. I need my brain stimulated before I let it take flight and zone out. I like that some of the last few Sunn shows I've seen were a bit more diverse. Now I want stuff like this but with fuzz and black holes of reverb:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChsJ2pZyhew[/youtube]

I finally had a spare minute to listen to this. Love it.

^ That track is badass!

thanks!

[Blackened Soul]

Drone is about droning. Volume and effects don't matter, they just help you get the sound you want but you can drone on acoustic instruments. A big part is you have to want to play music that is of a drone nature.