I need help with implementing electronic guitar sounds into a DAW

[mikhal5569]

I'm a simple aspiring singer, songwriter trying to learn the ropes with musical DAWS. So that I can turn my lyrics and riff ideas into actual songs. I've been in a couple of Metal bands when I was younger and consider myself to be an above average songwriter, but hey I'm obviously biased. It's been a long time since I decided to chance  my dreams, but now that I'm starting to get a little older and I have some spare time on my hands I want to see what I can do.

 

I have a lot of half finished song ideas from my days back with my old bands. I want to create music for these songs, but don't have a guitarist buddy who I can grab when I want to play music for me since I can't play any instrument and can only sing.

 

My question is. Is there a way (or the simplest way) to create guitar riffs on a DAW such as Ableton or Presonus? Would I use a key board? Is there another program or plug in required? I don't need anything that sounds fantastic, I'm just trying to get some of my ideas down so that I can approach another musician with what I am trying to do as a songwriter. Also, I don't have the time or desire to learn the guitar. What advice can you friendly people give me?

 

Michael

[john]

Knowing guitar chord voicing helps if you are looking for something reasonable, the notion of up and down strokes etc, but a lot is in the core sound and effects. There are a whole range of great guitar synth/sampler packs, but as I am a guitarist I am not best placed to guide you, and I don’t get a load of time in the studio just now.

 

one of these guys should be able to help:

 

@Steve Mueske @starise @Richard Tracey

 

Steve is an awesome metal guitarist, but is also a very talented electronics musician. He also reviews VST synths for Songstuff. 

 

Starise (Tim) can can play a few instruments but I don’t know his experience level with guitar specifically.

 

Richard can”t play guitar and I am pretty sure he experimented a lot trying to find a good solution to this.

[ImKeN]

Maybe these videos will help.

 

 

 

[Ed Driscoll]

Studying what guitarists can and cannot do on their instruments will go far in making guitar patches on synths sound realistic. From the mid-1970s onward, including his mid-'80s Miami Vice soundtrack days, Jan Hammer has made a very good living as a keyboard player by using a Minimoog through a guitar amp to sound exactly like a rock lead guitarist (Jeff Beck has called Hammer his favorite "electric guitarist") by very carefully emulating the licks that guitarists do on their instruments. It's a very different technique than say, playing grand piano (which Hammer can also do extremely well), and involves a completely different mindset and finger skills. Even if "all" you want to do is play low-note riffs and power chords, a bit of study of the actual instrument will help immensely.

[starise]

In addition to what has been mentioned,  You could also consider guitar loops. Quite a few loops come along with Ableton . Once upon a time it was more difficult to make some loops fit a song. Nowadays loops can easily be tuned to different keys and stretched with little loss in fidelity. 

[Roland Vega]

Native Instrumenst has some amazing guitar sound you can play on keyboards. Check them out.