SugarpillProductions

If you ever feel stuck after writing a chord progression and thinking, “what next?” - in most cases, you already have everything you need hidden inside the chords themselves.

A huge amount of lead guitar writing is really just about pulling apart and reusing notes from the progression in different ways. Once you understand how to deconstruct chords properly, you can turn a simple progression into melodies, octaves, arpeggios, harmonies and more.

Once you learn this approach, writer’s block becomes way less of an issue - because ideas are already sitting right there in front of you.

Watch the full video below 👇

2 hours ago | [YT] | 1

SugarpillProductions

The Emo MIDI Drum Pack - inspired by the iconic grooves of legendary bands like Jawbreaker, American Football, The Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World, Rites of Spring, and more!

🥁www.sugarpillproductions.com/product-page/emo-drum…

This pack features over 180 dynamic grooves and fills, meticulously crafted to capture the unique feel of each subgenre.

It includes 7 folders organised by style: Emo Pop, Emocore, Midwest Emo, Post-Hardcore and Screamo - plus 2 bonus folders packed with intricate hi-hat work, odd time signature patterns, and punchy fills.

2 days ago | [YT] | 16

SugarpillProductions

🤔⁉️ NO STUPID QUESTIONS! 🤔⁉️

I haven't done one of these in awhile - my bad! I've been quite busy recently. Anyway, I'm sure most of you know the idea by now...

Got something you’ve been too afraid to ask about guitar, production, recording, or mixing? Drop it in the comments below, and either myself or others from my audience will help you out!

3 days ago | [YT] | 17

SugarpillProductions

Analysing your favourite songs in detail can reveal loads of hidden tricks and ideas you might never have noticed before - especially when the live version differs from the original recording.

That's exactly the case with this blink-182 song. Over the years, parts have been changed, simplified, or forgotten entirely, leaving out a lot of the nuance that made the original so unique.

If you want a deep dive into one of blink's best songs and all the little details that make it work, check out the video below 👇

5 days ago | [YT] | 15

SugarpillProductions

🥁 Pop-punk beats, minus the hours of programming. Ready-to-use MIDI grooves inspired by Travis Barker www.sugarpillproductions.com/product-page/travis-b…

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1 week ago | [YT] | 19

SugarpillProductions

There are a number of studio tricks used to make bands sound bigger, heavier, or tighter on recordings. One of my favourites is a technique that a number of 3-piece bands use to make more rhythm-focused songs sound huge, even when the band only has one guitarist. If you've ever wondered why bands like blink-182 have such an expansive sound in the studio, this is a big part of the reason 👇

1 week ago | [YT] | 18

SugarpillProductions

Drop tunings are great any time you want to add an extra layer of heaviness to your songs. However, you can actually still do this in standard tuning. All you need is a little bit of basic music theory, and you’ll be able to create chords that give you the thickness of a drop tuning - all without having to retune a single string. To find out how, watch this video 👇

1 week ago | [YT] | 18

SugarpillProductions

Most people have heard of double tracking, but it tends to be framed as simply "play the same part twice". While that's technically correct, it leaves out many of the creative possibilities that come from layering guitar parts.

One of those is the LCR method, which builds on the idea of double tracking by adding a third guitar track. That extra track opens up some surprisingly useful production techniques that can make your guitars sound bigger, fuller and more impactful.

To find out how it works - and why it might improve your next production - watch this video 👇

1 week ago | [YT] | 21

SugarpillProductions

The Emo MIDI Drum Pack - inspired by the iconic grooves of legendary bands like Jawbreaker, American Football, The Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World, Rites of Spring, and more!

🥁www.sugarpillproductions.com/product-page/emo-drum…

This pack features over 180 dynamic grooves and fills, meticulously crafted to capture the unique feel of each subgenre.

It includes 7 folders organised by style: Emo Pop, Emocore, Midwest Emo, Post-Hardcore and Screamo - plus 2 bonus folders packed with intricate hi-hat work, odd time signature patterns, and punchy fills.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 33

SugarpillProductions

Everyone knows how synonymous power chords are with punk, but it's an oversight to think the genre starts and ends there. There are a ton of other, lesser-talked-about chords used throughout punk and its many subgenres that are just as worth knowing - from simple dyads through to much more complex voicings that can give you new flavours to add to, or even replace, your basic power chord progressions.

To find out what they are, watch this video 👇

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 23