Members guitarbilly74 Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 I am having one now... can't come up with any new musical ideas that are worthwhile. I am normally a very prolific writer and come up with great riffs and ideas easily. But for the last month or so, I haven't had any good ideas. I know the usual remedies... listen to a different style, buy some sheet music for a different instrument and learn it on guitar etc... but I don't feel like doing any of that {censored} right now. Well, a friend of mine let me borrow a huge Ray Charles piano songbook the other day and I have been adapting some of his piano licks for guitar, that's cool. but still, as far as new ideas for the band, I got nothing. We are recording the 12 songs we have at the moment and talking about working on new material soon, which invariably starts with me writing new riffs and song structures, but I can't come up with anything worth keeping at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NinjaRaf Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Ive found that when Im happy, I have a hard time writing music...the last year or so has been rough for my musical creativity lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Goop Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Do you have a collection of riffs that you can go back and reference? I still have an old cassette recorder that I keep nearby to record riffs, lol. I always have tapes lying around with riffs if I can't think of anything new and/or am searching for a bit to complete a song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarbilly74 Posted October 16, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Do you have a collection of riffs that you can go back and reference? I still have an old cassette recorder that I keep nearby to record riffs, lol. I always have tapes lying around with riffs if I can't think of anything new and/or am searching for a bit to complete a song. yeah I do have a lot of {censored} recorded. I need to start revisiting my old files, I am sure that are some ideas there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nightflameauto Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Ive found that when Im happy, I have a hard time writing music...the last year or so has been rough for my musical creativity lol. This is a depressing reality. Happy me = muzak fail. I've been way too happy for way too long. Maybe I need to drama-llama my life up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SnowStorm Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Pot. If not, just keep playing. Keep playing until your not thinking about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SnowStorm Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Ive found that when Im happy, I have a hard time writing music...the last year or so has been rough for my musical creativity lol. This is the difference between great writers and average writers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike LX-R Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 You need a little heartache lol. I'm most creative when I'm hurting inside and everything about my playing becomes lyrical, chord progressions and arrangements start flowing out of me. Aside from that, if music alone can't inspire more music from you than some type of life experience or new venture should. I find that taking a hike along the coast and cliffs, or some type of living life in the moment helps get my creativity going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sleewell Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 my gardening helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cibyl Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Stepping away from playing for a while helps me,...also listening to some new music or older stuff I've not listened to in awhile and spark the creative juices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SnowStorm Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Either play so much that your not thinking about or just take a break. Do other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yourguitarhero Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 I masturbate. A lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Goop Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Do other things. Like a good douching or maybe some personal lubricant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kardula Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Ripping off of someone else helps me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zeppelin Rules Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 More deposits in the spank bank than usual Oh, those kind of dry spells Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members peavey_impact Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 I've been in a dry spell for like two years now I can come up with endless riffs, but as far as actually crafting entire songs, it rarely happens these days. I'm not playing as much as I used to either, though. I have no advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ruppert240 Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 I masturbate edit: wait this thread isnt about sex. well music dry spells... hmm, yeah I masturbate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarbilly74 Posted October 16, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Ive found that when Im happy, I have a hard time writing music...the last year or so has been rough for my musical creativity lol. I hear you, I now a lot of guys that are like that, but I'm not of them. And I don't think anything have changed in that regard, I am really happy right now, but that's how I am most of the time, to be honest. Other than major tragedies, I don't let things affect my mood too much, because I do have a lot of blessings to count, just at the most basic level (my son is happy and healthy, my parents are healthy, my home is a month away from being paid off, good job, good relationship, great friends, good health and the list goes on and on), so I don't really have any major changes when it comes to that, yet I am normally able to write {censored} just fine, but right now, I have no good riff ideas. I think new gear would help though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zeppelin Rules Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Try taking a break from the guitar. If you play another instrument, maybe focus on that for a while. Learn some new cover tunes, especially those in a genre you don't usually play. All these things will help you approach the instrument with a fresher perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zeppelin Rules Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Try taking a break from the guitar. If you play another instrument, maybe focus on that for a while. Learn some new cover tunes, especially those in a genre you don't usually play. All these things will help you approach the instrument with a fresher perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thefyn Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 I drop the electric and pick up my 12 string and play riffs on that. It's kinda cool/percussive when I mute strings etc and I come up with some ok stuff (rather than go through the same pattern every time I pick up the electric) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ruppert240 Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 I just take a break and listen to music I haven't been listening to . for example recently I've been listening to 80's stuff I never got into as a kid (duran duran, etc) and it inspires me to write new stuff (even though it sounds nothing like duran duran, lol). It gives me a new approach to song writing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike LX-R Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Other than major tragedies, I don't let things affect my mood too much, because I do have a lot of blessings to count, just at the most basic level (my son is happy and healthy, my parents are healthy, my home is a month away from being paid off, good job, good relationship, great friends, good health and the list goes on and on) Here here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr. Brady Posted October 16, 2012 Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 I hear you, I now a lot of guys that are like that, but I'm not of them. And I don't think anything have changed in that regard, I am really happy right now, but that's how I am most of the time, to be honest. Other than major tragedies, I don't let things affect my mood too much, because I do have a lot of blessings to count, just at the most basic level (my son is happy and healthy, my parents are healthy, my home is a month away from being paid off, good job, good relationship, great friends, good health and the list goes on and on), so I don't really have any major changes when it comes to that, yet I am normally able to write {censored} just fine, but right now, I have no good riff ideas. I think new gear would help though You need some heart ache to stir the creative juices. You know like all the country songs, lose the dog, truck, get forclosed on, have your girlfriend offer only handshakes, that sorta thing. You can only play white lawyer blues now. (not wishing anything bad on you of course) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarbilly74 Posted October 16, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 16, 2012 Try taking a break from the guitar. If you play another instrument, maybe focus on that for a while. Learn some new cover tunes, especially those in a genre you don't usually play. All these things will help you approach the instrument with a fresher perspective. yeah I can play the piano/keyboard, not too good at it but I can do it.. but unfortunately I don't own a keyboard at the moment. I've been working on a Ray Charles songbook and learning it on guitar, but that's more of an exercise for sight reading and transposing. Some of his licks sound great on guitar though, so I will use that for some solos ideas But before I do that, I have to write a freaking song I can solo over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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