Inspiration!!

Not quite gear-related...

What suggestions can you all give me to get over this little writing block i'm having.

I have a bunch of riffs i keep playing and a song in my head which sounds very much like Alter Bridge....but i can't get it out. i can't seem to pull it out of my head and i keep playing to the same songs on my itunes which is really starting to irritate me. I want to write music again but can't find the inspiration.

what do you all do to get over this if it's ever happened to you?

(the reason for posting in this section is mainly because i have a roadster and a lot of the things i write tend to sound based along the Rectifier sound)

Take this as you will, but when I have a block going on--I do everything but write music. Since I'm heavily into outdoors, I find inspiration in nature, hiking, backpacking, taking scenic drives,etc. I might add a little background music on my drives that's 'outside of my element.' That's mostly where my inspiration comes from--and has in the past 20 years. Alot of folks work differently but you should find out what works best for you. I think (imho) the key is to step back and do something out of the norm, whether it's music,driving,other leisure activities,etc, so when you come back to writing you feel completely freshed and inspired. Good Luck!

~Nep~

+ 1,000......I put the guitar down and do something else I really enjoy. I hang with friends for a night with some beers, go to the movies or go bowling. I also go to the shooting range when the weather is nicer. I purposely get away from it, and when I return everything seems fresh and I feel alot better. :mrgreen:

Hey harem_theatre!

A mate from OZ. We've communicated before on Melband. Didn't I buy something from you once? Can't remember.

Yeah, get away for a while to freshen your ears. Go do other activities.

Also, listen to other styles of music that you don't normally listen to. Search youtube for: Rock fusion, jazz, backing tracks, bands that your mates are interested in but you're not, classical and old blues numbers. It's merely to have a listen to the rhythms, drumming, chord progressions, harmonies, etc. It's good for the ear. If you find 10% inspiration or ideas from all this, it's better than nothing.

I like listening to most genres of music, not that I play them. I like my hard rock, some metal, love rock fusion (wish I could play it -learning) but every now and then I need to play some cool stuff; Larry Carlton, BB King, Eagles (now here's a band that know their stuff), Santana, Earl Klugh, Fleetwood Mac, Lynard Skynard, Stanley Jordan, Jeff Beck and so many more..... Sh_t, the list is endless, really.

Try your hand at Rock Fusion. It's bloody amazing although I'm pretty crap at it. Still, I'm learning. You'll develop a new appreciation of your guitar playing. I was in the exact same position as you; same ol' same ol' playing. Maybe you remember a post of mine on Melband asking for a guitar teacher that played/understood rock fusion. I found him but haven't been, simply because I've been out of work for 6mths last year.

Hope this helps you get over this slump. Rock on, chin up.

Blaklynx said:

Also, listen to other styles of music that you don't normally listen to.

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I was going to recommend this, but someone beat me to it. I agree that breaking your current cycle will help. You can't force creativity.

Another thing - I think most people are familiar this this website by now, but go to Pandora.com and create a radio station based on a band or song that you like. It will then play songs that are similar to what your choice was. I've been introduced to a lot of bands by this site that I wouldn't have heard of otherwise.

Get a porno star! Now serious, try a different approuch on music, like listen to other kind of music you're not used to (already been said), dont persist too mutch, read a book and talk to another musician/friend to get ideas, his opinion or work together.

Start cooking, take up ballet, go for long walks, listen to music, go skiing, hit the gym, read a book.

Studying composition in school, I work in an idiom where I micro-manage material and write very extended works. As you can imagine, I hit writers block on occasion, especially when a piece can take upwards of two months to complete. In my experience, taking the time to 'step away' is great because often the solution will just come to me when I least expect it.

Another thing that will help immensely is music theory. I know that most rock guys swear at it--I was in a band and I heard "theory is theory and not fact" over and over again--but I think if used correctly, it is a powerful tool. It isn't so much about learning right and wrong, or what you 'should' do while writing. Instead, Music theory is actually very akin to the grammar of language. It explains why we hear what we hear e.g. why Alter Bridge sounds like Alter Bridge.
As a compositional tool, theory makes a songwriter or composer aware of many more options which are available at any given point in a work in progress. If something is boring or not working right, music theory is an intellectual tool which can help a songwriter to identify potential solutions.
Lets look at cooking as an example. If you have a good palette you can put various ingredients together and make great food. Theory is like a recipe book. If you are trying to make an epic spaghetti, you can check out 10 - 20 recipes and experiment to see what makes each one work well and what can be done to improve them. If you are a chef, at the end of the day, you'll cook your way. It just helps to have knowledge of other approaches because it will improve your spaghetti.