I am going through a bad period lately where my muse is MIA. I can write some nice riffs and at times a good progression, but I am having trouble getting over the hump with melodies and hooks. I feel like my process is broken. What do you suggest? How do you get through the times when the magic won't come?
That's a tough call since we all have our own things. As far as getting "inspiration" I can't help you there. We each are inspired by different things. But, as far as technique is concerned, when I am blocked, I just chill. Since I don't do it for a living, it's all cool. I will usually still think about songs I am working on when driving or at work, so I like to keep a little recorder with me. (I actually use my cell phone's voice recorder!) I will just hum out what little bits and peices come to me, and leave some sort of verbal description of what I was thinking that little bit would be for. Then, if I have time, I will also write it out note for note. I find that having a "verbal" and a "visual" pairing helps me pull it all together. At some point, when I listen to it all and look at it all, it starts to come together. I guess it's like there is enough stuff milling around that a spark comes out of it.
Sorry I can't be of more help, but I'm no pro. But like I said, I don't worry about it too much since I don't feed my family with my music. Good luck!
Chords - I'll be more intellectual with the process of harmony. "Oh, 'E' in the melody...how about an Fmajor 7 chord...or D minor 9 chord...or a Bb major 7 #11...this kind fo thing just to shake my ear up and help get it out of a harmonic rut.
Other times, I'll force myself to put my fingers in a shape on the fingerboard that I've never done before
Other times, I'll take simple 'Open position' shapes and slide them up and down the fret until i hear something I like. Play a C major chord with the lowest note at the 8th fret. pretty, huh? Alex Lifeson of Rush thought so too when he recorded 'Tears' off of 2112. Anyway, that's a great way to get out of harmonic ruts and find new colors
Melodies - Again get intellectual and shift notes around. Land on colorful ones rather than roots or fifth. Choose my notes on purpose rather than just singing on the fly (which will tend to produce only familiar things mye ar is used to)
Other times, I'll force myself to play melodies sticking to a repetitive rhythmic pattern such as a group of 8 divided (1,2,3..1,2,3..1,2 or in group of 7 (1,2,3..1,2..1,2)
Other times, I'll make a melody with an ostinato tone I always return to. I tremolo an open guitar string for instance 'G' then hit other notes in between the tremolo. Those other notes become the melody or the melodic riff (i.e. on the third open string GGGAGGGBGGGDCA)
Other times, I force myself to be chromatic in my melodies and not always pentatonic or diatonic.
Otehr times, i stick to regular old predictable melodies but I force myself to harmonize it with chords (see above 'Chords') that place that predictable melody in a colorful part of the harmony. I'm singing cccc ee c g. I'd normally grab a 'C' chord. But instead I grab an A minor 7 or a Gsus or an F major 7 or just a plain F major. Suddenly that plain melody doesn't sound so plain
Rhythmic - Force myself to play in 3 or 7 or 9 instead of always 4/4
If I play in 4/4 then I think about how to divide it up so accents hit parts I'm not used to. For example, I love playing eighth note rhythmic patterns like 3+2+2+3+2+2+2 (it's like thinking 7+9=16) So now throwing in some mind and less heart, I try to divide the 9 into 3+3+3. Now I get 3+2+2+3+3+3. I've forced myself to hear something different which makes this particular song I'm working on different (for me).
Other times, I'll fire up the software Stylus RMX and jam to it. That's a great way to get inspired
form I'll throw random interludes in places. Instead of ABAB, I'll do ABACBAD...Most radio songs don't have 'D' sections, but who made radio the boss!
Instrumentation Instead of thinking guitar all the time, I reach for electric piano.. I get tired of that, I reach for woodwind quintet. Tired of that, I reach for bass clarinet, flute and classical guitar. Tired of that, i reach 6-string electric bass and play chords in the upper register.
Buy convincing sample libraries or hook up with people who play instruments. Great sounding sample libraries can inspire different ideas. Great players will always make your music sound differetn because your composition isn't only limited to your input. This can be a huge plus.
Lastly, hook up with other writers and play a game of section writing. Let me write the 'A' section, you write the 'B' section, I write the first 8 bars of the C section and you, the last eight bars.
from that i see how you harmonize the melody and you see how I do it. And suddenly one isn't so stuck any more.
Steve that was a well thought out answer. I can't imagine you getting writers block! For me, I'll listen to musical styles that I normally wouldn't listen to: bluegrass, obscure jazz, creole, funk, whatever. As long as it's music I haven't heard before. Hearing new sounds gets my juices flowing every time. Musically, learn a new chord or a new riff, play around with a capo on different frets, try alternate tuning. These are really easy ways to get out of a rut. Personally, waiting it out has never worked for me-- I really have to climb my way out.
I'm with you guys. Whenever I'm stuck with music, trying a random new chord (even if it's a terrible one) will usually help me find my direction. Same with listening to new stuff; that's key.
Now my question is... have you ever had a chord progression that you felt was pretty good, but couldn't come up with words of equal caliber? This has happened to me several times, where I love the rhythm and the changes of the music, but I have no words; and when I try to write words, they're never as good as the music.
Steve Hanlon sounds like the most gifted musician ever. If only we could hear more of his music...
Seriously, this thread is no friend to beginning songwriters like me who are defined by writing such crap that they don't know how to get writer's block. Perhaps I will start a new thread for for newbies so they won't be so intimidated by the information overload.
..have you ever had a chord progression that you felt was pretty good, but couldn't come up with words of equal caliber? This has happened to me several times, where I love the rhythm and the changes of the music, but I have no words; and when I try to write words, they're never as good as the music. What do you do??
I read any book I can get my hands on. Good literature inspires my lyrics like good music does for my ...well, music. I'd suggest Hemmingway, or Willy S.-- Shakespere has gotten me out of more ruts than I can count.
I've never had writers block in my life. Sometimes the arrangement or lyrical phrasing may take a year or three to develop, but I don't get blocked. 'Course I smoke pot and drink!
WM wrote: Steve Hanlon sounds like the most gifted musician ever. If only we could hear more of his music... Seriously, this thread is no friend to beginning songwriters like me who are defined by writing such crap that they don't know how to get writer's block. Perhaps I will start a new thread for for newbies so they won't be so intimidated by the information overload. See you guys in 20 years!
WM, I think in general my post was just trying to say, if we can't do it, let's learn how to do it. If my songs are stuck at the same 3 chords, then it's time for me to learn more chords on the (fill-in instrument).
If I can't write riffs, then it's time to learn how to play my instrument and learn how to improvise so that riffs can even happen.
If I'm stuck at the same riffs because my fingers keep going to the same shapes and sounds on my instrument, then it's time to learn more about my instrument and music in general.
Learning happens by listening intently and analyzing what we're hearing (even if we come up with our own non-academic language to describe it). Learning happens by a balance of repetition of what we already know and a willingness to learn things we don't.
Beginner, intermediate advanced doesn't matter it's the same balancing act. It's only when the scale starts to tip too much in one direction that creativity suffers. Too much repetition and we don't go anywhere new. Too much new territory and we never learn how to master our craft so that we can be creative AND convincing.
At least that's how I see it. So don't get discouraged. ROCK ON DUDE!!
Try listening to something new, something you would not even dream of listening. Read a new book, or watch a cool new movie even if its a kid movie. Some of the weirdst inspiration ive found come from kids movies. Think about it, their all about loosing your self in a new wonderful world, and that how I feel music should be. That just what I do. Hope it helped.
