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i really hate to do this.....


willie the wimp

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i know we get alot of people around here that have a very similar problem. the problem being they are having trouble writing songs. i too now have this problem. i haven't come up with anything useful in over a month. i'm dry of ideas. i have been making an effort to hum to myself alot and just think musically but it hasn't helped. it seems that every chord i play on a guitar doesn't express what i'm feeling or thinking. i just can't get it out. i feel very inspired at times but can't act on it. i just don't get it. i'm traped. i want to create and have a need to make new stuff but can't seem to get it to sound right at all. i don't know what i can do. guys, please help me out here. i'm worried. it seems that nothing i play or sing or clap sounds right to me and it's not saying what i want to say.

WHAT DO I DO??? :cry:

encouragement, advice, sympathy, words of wisodome and anything else helpful are very welcome and appriciated.

thank you

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Try knowing what kind of song you're writing before you start writing. Sort of close your eyes and imagine yourself listening to this amazing song that you wrote. How does it start out? What does the guitar sound like? What the tone of the lyrics? What are they about? How long is it? How does it end?, etc.

 

The next part is just writing the thing. :lol:

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yea i know what you mean... my problem is i can visualize and hear the song in my head, the notes and everything, but my musical skill isnt often enough to work out how to play it on guitar or piano which is frustrating, but more practise and im sure itll happen :p

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don't be worried, man. You need to have faith that your knack for writing songs comes back. Because it will, it will go away for a bit and it will come back. you just need to wait a little bit. Basically what Eclepto Funk said.

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Two ways to go about it --

 

Don't write until the dry spell passes. In my experience, this can work ... but there can be dangers (getting out of the habit, programming an "avoid" response to creative challenges, etc).

 

Keep writing until the dry spell passes. Sometimes, even in the middle of what you think is a dry spell, you'll write something pretty good. I've gone back through tunes written (or half-written, or just a chorus) during a dry spell and realized that something was still happening -- even though I was distraught about my own creative process.

 

One technique I've used for crawling out of dry spells is to attempt to write the stupidest song possible. It flips the internal critic around.

 

Usually my internal critic says something like, "Oh no, not good enough. Too simple. Wrong word. :blah:" But once I try to write a stupid song, the internal critic flips out -- "No! No! You can write better than that! Change that word!" I know, strange inner dialogue. But it helps sometimes.

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i know we get alot of people around here that have a very similar problem. the problem being they are having trouble writing songs. i too now have this problem. i haven't come up with anything useful in over a month. i'm dry of ideas. i have been making an effort to hum to myself alot and just think musically but it hasn't helped. it seems that every chord i play on a guitar doesn't express what i'm feeling or thinking. i just can't get it out. i feel very inspired at times but can't act on it. i just don't get it. i'm traped. i want to create and have a need to make new stuff but can't seem to get it to sound right at all. i don't know what i can do. guys, please help me out here. i'm worried. it seems that nothing i play or sing or clap sounds right to me and it's not saying what i want to say.

WHAT DO I DO???
:cry:
encouragement, advice, sympathy, words of wisodome and anything else helpful are very welcome and appriciated.

thank you

 

 

You should write songs because you have something to say in a unique or powerful way, not because "I'm a songwriter in a band and I need material."

 

I have written songs for 30 years, and it has always come in waves. Sometimes I'll have a dry spell for months, or even years, then all of a sudeen go through a period where I'll write for days, weeks, months, pouring out 2 or 5 or 12 songs. Sometimes I'll get ideas for several and make one song out of them.

 

Right now, I'm in a dry spell where I've written two songs in 3 and a half years. It happens, but I'm not going to try to force it.

 

I've found the best policy to be that when I have nothing to say, it's best to stop trying to say it.

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You should write songs because you have something to say in a unique or powerful way, not because "I'm a songwriter in a band and I need material."


I have written songs for 30 years, and it has always come in waves. Sometimes I'll have a dry spell for months, or even years, then all of a sudeen go through a period where I'll write for days, weeks, months, pouring out 2 or 5 or 12 songs. Sometimes I'll get ideas for several and make one song out of them.


Right now, I'm in a dry spell where I've written two songs in 3 and a half years. It happens, but I'm not going to try to force it.


I've found the best policy to be that when I have nothing to say, it's best to stop trying to say it.

 

 

 

 

Its hard to disagree with that statement, but I don't know if it is a helpful way to look at things for someone feeling inspired but trapped.

 

Gershwin wrote a song a day, whether or not he felt inspired.

 

I would suggest learning songs from bands that you like and maybe learning new stuff on the instrument. This will give you a new set of tools and it may coax your creative instincts.

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Just write anyway. Get used to the concept that you're allowed to write complete crap in order to get to the gold. If you're serious about being a writer, you have to come to terms with this.

 

Write, write, write, write, write.

 

Who cares if it's {censored}ty? You're going to throw it away any way unless it's great. Waiting for the heavens to open is... waiting. Not writing!

 

The funny thing is, whenever I remind myself of this and let myself write complete crap... it turns out good. So the irony is that by allowing yourself the room to be {censored}ty, you usually aren't. By telling yourself you've got to create something of worth, you can't.

 

Fear of sucking breeds sucking. Acceptance of suck brings magic.

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Yeah... I lean to the balancing act. Don't force it -- but... at the point where I'm only writing a song a year or so (and it was precious close to that), I think it's time for drastic measure.

 

And if that means forcing it a little... well, it's a danger I'll face.

 

There's no shame in writing a crummy song (unless you make everyone listen to it, of course!)

 

I just shove them away and occasionally cannibalize them.

 

But I feel like it helps to keep in the practice of writing and playing.

 

 

I also like the idea of learning some new songs by other folks.

 

Even if it doesn't end up inspiring you on some level, at least you've learned a couple new songs. ;)

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i really believe that if the songs don't come, don't try to write


learn a few new songs, play with those, do what you enjoy


and wait to see if anything pops up

 

 

 

If he'd just set to learning a few new ones (or ten) then his well would be full enough to draw up a few new tunes from the bones of the ones he just learned.

 

Just learn new music. Seems too simple huh?

Your well is empty cause you have'nt filled it with new ideas and chords and arrangrements and lyrics, oh my.

fill your well by learning new songs in new genres.

Works every time.

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I think dry spells are elongated sometimes subconsciously by a panic that sort of sets in when we aren't getting new ideas. So first of all DON'T PANIC! Relax a bit and have a beer, just keep the stress away.

 

So yes, your two options now are to wait it out, or work it out. If you wait it out, I'd recommend trying just walking around and thinking. Not about songs or material but just about life, and the things you see. This will get your brain working in a more active/creative way.

 

If you want to work it out, try using the left side of your brain to start a song. Don't ask if a chord doesn't feel right in that place, but if you know it to sound good or not. I know a lot of people think that is sacrilege, but writing with your brain is just as important as writing with your heart. Hopefully, when you get some solid structure down for the song it will multiply your ideas and you can go from there. also, try adding the bells and whistles to the song first instead of last... they are usually easy to get sounding good, and they might sprout other ideas.

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I think dry spells are elongated sometimes subconsciously by a panic that sort of sets in when we aren't getting new ideas. So first of all DON'T PANIC! Relax a bit and have a beer, just keep the stress away.


So yes, your two options now are to wait it out, or work it out. If you wait it out, I'd recommend trying just walking around and thinking. Not about songs or material but just about life, and the things you see. This will get your brain working in a more active/creative way.


If you want to work it out, try using the left side of your brain to start a song. Don't ask if a chord doesn't feel right in that place, but if you know it to sound good or not. I know a lot of people think that is sacrilege, but writing with your brain is just as important as writing with your heart. Hopefully, when you get some solid structure down for the song it will multiply your ideas and you can go from there. also, try adding the bells and whistles to the song first instead of last... they are usually easy to get sounding good, and they might sprout other ideas.

 

 

Those are good ideas. A lot of people talk of walking around, taking a drive, etc. That works, but I don't think you have to go that far even. I share your mentality of trying to shake it up.

 

 

Write a chord sequence

 

Make up stupid titles

 

Make up angry or sad titles

 

Create a funk riff if you don't like funk music

 

Describe your lyric idea of the cliche heavy metal, country, folk, rap song then write it in your preferred style

 

Write entirely in your head without an instrument

 

 

Shake it up. Then be prepared to find yourself inspired all of a sudden and jump on it.

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Everyone is different. The novelist John Cheevers used to write 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, whether it was journaling, or working on a book, or whatever, just to keep sharp. Ernest Hemingway, on the other hand, would go for weeks or months without typing a word, and would instead live life to gain some new insights or experiences to write about.

 

Try writing every day. If it unplugs the clog, then great. It works for some folks. I tried it, and it didn't work for me, and only served to discourage me by the utter forced crap I was producing. But it might work for you.

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thanks alot guys. great feeback.

i'll make my way through these ideas and see where i get. see, i have something that i want to say and express but it just seems that every possible way i try to say it feels wrong. i really like the idea of writing crappy songs. that sounds like it could work well.

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Fear of sucking breeds sucking. Acceptance of suck brings magic.

 

 

What if your plumber said, "I can't work on your sink today, I have to wait until I'm inspired."?

 

If you are a writer, then write. As others have said, so what if it's terrible? Most stuff that I write is terrible. Writing even lousy songs will increase your ability and knowlege of your craft. Then when the Muse does come around you'll be up to speed and ready to take down her dictation to the best of your ability.

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What if your plumber said, "I can't work on your sink today, I have to wait until I'm inspired."?

 

 

That's a great point.

 

While I agree that trying to force music if you're really stuck can be a bad idea - I also think that trying to "wait it out" can be a bad idea if taken to extremes. I think it's great that BlueStrat can be totally happy with his system of yearlong breaks but for those of us who are less well-established and are trying to forge a name and reputation for ourselves, new material is sometimes a necessity.

 

That being said, Willie, one of the tricks I use is to pull up tabs for a song that I don't know, and try to craft a new melody over the chord changes. Dylan is great for that, incidentally. Go to a site like Dylan Chords , find an album or a song you're not familiar with (I don't know a lot of his 80s stuff) and just try singing the words over the chords pattern. You'll be forced to create a new melody, and that can be a great starting point.

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i know we get alot of people around here that have a very similar problem. the problem being they are having trouble writing songs. i too now have this problem. i haven't come up with anything useful in over a month. i'm dry of ideas. i have been making an effort to hum to myself alot and just think musically but it hasn't helped. it seems that every chord i play on a guitar doesn't express what i'm feeling or thinking. i just can't get it out. i feel very inspired at times but can't act on it. i just don't get it. i'm traped. i want to create and have a need to make new stuff but can't seem to get it to sound right at all. i don't know what i can do. guys, please help me out here. i'm worried. it seems that nothing i play or sing or clap sounds right to me and it's not saying what i want to say.

WHAT DO I DO???
:cry:
encouragement, advice, sympathy, words of wisodome and anything else helpful are very welcome and appriciated.

thank you

 

There's a lot of great advice already in this thread but I'll add my two cents anyway...

 

First, a month is not really that long a dry spell but songwriting is kind of like the stock market. A small downturn can make you freak out and think you'll never write again. That's when it's time to walk away from it for a while IMO. Not too long - just a few days.

 

But it sounds to me like you aren't allowing the muse to do its job. The muse's job is not to write a great song every single time - rarely does such a thing occur. The muse's job is to provide you the inspiration and in return, you write it down like you're supposed to. After you've written everything your muse told you to write, you can go back over it with the "editor" and make it more musical, fresher, whatever it is you're looking for. Your editor may tell you to scrap the whole thing and wait for the next inspiration or your editor may find something in it worth keeping. It doesn't matter...

 

What matters is that you DON'T LISTEN TO THE EDITOR until the muse is finished writing...

 

Also, I think you are on the right track with trying to hum melodies without using your instrument. Either that, or try a different instrument, even if all you can do is pluck at it one finger at a time. But if you don't feel like writing a couple of days here and there, don't unless your job depends on it. The main thing to do is make it fun and embrace the joy you get from your creativity - even when you create crap. By definition, nothing you write is going to be as good as your best song. But it doesn't have to be and unless you have completely given up learning anything new, your best song is almost always somewhere in your future. You just have to let the muse flow then let the editor sort it out later.

 

Best of luck.

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