Breaking the songwriting rut.

[Pfl?yd]

So, when you fellow musicians hit a sort of "writer's block" what do you do to snap out of it.

Less than half of the songs I do with my bands are collaborations, but a good chunk are also pretty much just me presenting the idea and fleshing out the kinks with the others. Lately I've been listening to different kinds of music to draw inspiration for, especially since my main band is pretty much unlimited in terms of content or stylistic leanings.

Today, I figured I'd write a song backwards from how I usually do. So I put down the drum track first. Since there is no other instrument to play off of, the arrangement is a little more complex and rhythmically diverse. So then I load the drum track into MP3 and walk around listening to it with no instrument in my hands. Suddenly I have a whole new slew of ideas. I'm going to have to do this more often.

Anyhoo, give me your ideas, techniques, and whatnot on how you approach writing songs.

[Hunter/Killer]

if nothing comes to me, i don't force it. i just work on the stuff i already wrote.
and i'll probably learn a song or 2 from a new band, that usually gets something going

[Aeon]

I don't sit down and tell myself that I am going to come up with riffs or melodies, because that's sort of frustrating. Most of it is completely off the cuff if you will.

[BaptizedBurning]

i usually end up just messing around on the guitar, a few good riffs pop out here and there over a couple days. then i figure out which riffs go good together and just build off that.

[Lando Griffin]

I basically just learn some new songs on guitar because it takes my focus away from songwriting and helps clear my head, then I try writing again and see what comes out.

[Metallash]

stop playing for a week or two usually helps.

[Pfl?yd]

I don't sit down and tell myself that I am going to come up with riffs or melodies, because that's sort of frustrating. Most of it is completely off the cuff if you will.

Well, I don't have the luxury of just following my muse when it strikes. I have to actually set aside time for writing.

[dead forever]

To me, i need to lock myself away and stop listening to CDs, that way after a while it gets to the point where i actually need to come up with something interesting or I drive myself mad. It works trust me.

[SuicideNote]

When beginning to write a new song, I'll conceptualize a feel and flow for the song. Sometimes, I'll write it down (no. of bars for each section, key, etc.) so I don't forget it. Then I'll try to write riffs to fill in the pieces. Sometimes when my mood is right, the stuff just flows and I can get in a nice groove. Othertimes, when I'm stressed, I can't force even the crappiest of riffage.

I find that I write the best material when I'm free from stress and obligations. Weekend mornings are best for me. But, there are weeks when I have very little time to get in rehearsal, much less trying to write new music.

[PABassPlayer]

writing a song is like getting laid, it only happens when your not trying.

[Pfl?yd]

writing a song is like getting laid, it only happens when your not trying.

Naw, I disagree. I'm usually a wellspring of ideas. You can "try" as easily as you can just shit an idea out.

[PABassPlayer]

writing a song is like getting laid, it only happens when your not trying.

Naw, I disagree. I'm usually a wellspring of ideas. You can "try" as easily as you can just shit an idea out.

that might explain why I'm a shitty song writer

[Pfl?yd]

Well, I do "songwriting exercises". Stuff like jam on a certain scale, tap out rhythms in odd times, or put chords together without root notes. Weird shit like that.

[warhead dime]

When beginning to write a new song, I'll conceptualize a feel and flow for the song. Sometimes, I'll write it down (no. of bars for each section, key, etc.) so I don't forget it. Then I'll try to write riffs to fill in the pieces. Sometimes when my mood is right, the stuff just flows and I can get in a nice groove. Othertimes, when I'm stressed, I can't force even the crappiest of riffage.

I find that I write the best material when I'm free from stress and obligations. Weekend mornings are best for me. But, there are weeks when I have very little time to get in rehearsal, much less trying to write new music.

I agree with all of that. But I also am the type to jam out and and a first version of a riff will come out. I'll sit around with it and mess with it until I like it.

[croninburg]

Practice something that you don't normally practice like a certain scale, time sig or technique.

[stoic]

old rap and kraftwerk, floyd. twilight 22, afrika bambatta. air. art of noise. there's plenty of evil melodies out there you can gank. all yours for freeninetynine. i do it all the time and rockify stuff up from back then. i booked a ton of gigs around detroit at cool bars to play this stuff live and impress chicks but then i remembered i don't have a band so i cancelled them all.

[Wrona]

old rap and kraftwerk, floyd. twilight 22, afrika bambatta. air. art of noise. there's plenty of evil melodies out there you can gank. all yours for freeninetynine. i do it all the time and rockify stuff up from back then. i booked a ton of gigs around detroit at cool bars to play this stuff live and impress chicks but then i remembered i don't have a band so i cancelled them all.

What city are you from man?

[Chris]

stop playing for a week or two usually helps.

if that was true you'd be shitting out songs everytime you got your guitar back.

[Metallash]

stop playing for a week or two usually helps.

if that was true you'd be shitting out songs everytime you got your guitar back.

instruments all together, ive still got my bass, buy your own guitar cunt.

[Chris]

stop playing for a week or two usually helps.

if that was true you'd be shitting out songs everytime you got your guitar back.

instruments all together, ive still got my bass, buy your own guitar cunt.

yeah youve got your bass you still dont write anything on it though.

[7Dime7MetalMassacre]

I ususally try to focus on a Fucking deep feeling of Anger, Hatred, Sorrow i feel or have seen someone feel and i try to transform that into music somehow. Kind of like how Jimi Hendrix made up some music by thinking of it as colors, i use emotions or experiences.....I am usually at least drunk when i do this....helps let out the creativity

[Aeon]

I ususally try to focus on a Fucking deep feeling of Anger, Hatred, Sorrow i feel or have seen someone feel and i try to transform that into music somehow. Kind of like how Jimi Hendrix made up some music by thinking of it as colors, i use emotions or experiences.....I am usually at least drunk when i do this....helps let out the creativity

Fag.

[SuicideNote]

I ususally try to focus on a Fucking deep feeling of Anger, Hatred, Sorrow i feel or have seen someone feel and i try to transform that into music somehow. Kind of like how Jimi Hendrix made up some music by thinking of it as colors, i use emotions or experiences.....I am usually at least drunk when i do this....helps let out the creativity

Can I please hear some of your material?

[7Dime7MetalMassacre]

I ususally try to focus on a Fucking deep feeling of Anger, Hatred, Sorrow i feel or have seen someone feel and i try to transform that into music somehow. Kind of like how Jimi Hendrix made up some music by thinking of it as colors, i use emotions or experiences.....I am usually at least drunk when i do this....helps let out the creativity

Fag.

Your fucking cool. Grow up little bitch

[ATR v1.2]

[Pfl?yd]

I ususally try to focus on a Fucking deep feeling of Anger, Hatred, Sorrow i feel or have seen someone feel and i try to transform that into music somehow. Kind of like how Jimi Hendrix made up some music by thinking of it as colors, i use emotions or experiences.....I am usually at least drunk when i do this....helps let out the creativity

You sound pretty one-dimensional.

[Firestorm]

I ususally try to focus on a Fucking deep feeling of Anger, Hatred, Sorrow i feel or have seen someone feel and i try to transform that into music somehow. Kind of like how Jimi Hendrix made up some music by thinking of it as colors, i use emotions or experiences.....I am usually at least drunk when i do this....helps let out the creativity

Fag.

Your fucking cool. Grow up little bitch

TE HE TE HE

[MARDUK]

[Pfl?yd]

Of course you have no suggestions, you listen to music that doesn't actually require some modicum of talent.

[Lando Griffin]

I guess another thing I do sometimes is take a break from writing but try to do something else to stimulate my mind, like read a little bit, watch a movie/tv, listen to music, learn something else on guitar or whatever and then come back again. I find this tends to help.

[Wrona]

Pflöyd- That is a good idea, i'll have to try coming up with some riffs and ideas that way once i get myself an mp3 player.

When im in a rut i usually listen to some music i dont usually listen to as much as i usually do. I'll put on some old blues or fusion jazz. I've been getting into Funkadelic and Bootsy Collins lately, funk has a lot of heavy grooves and it's easy to get into. Death metalers might not like it but it is a good idea to open your ears up to everything.

Also watching live concert videos is always good inspiration. Every time i go to a show i pick some little ideas up.

[Kyle]

when i pick up a bass its a lot easier to come up with melodies

[Wrona]

when i pick up a bass its a lot easier to come up with melodies

I like to noodle around with the bass when there is one around, it is fun to play scince it is layed out like a guitar. I pissed off my first bass player scince he was really just a regular guitarist who wanted to play the same this as i would play, i would say "hey, why dont you play this behind me on this part" he would just get pissed that whatever i would came up with would make the whole peice of music sound better and by the fact that he did'nt come up with it would piss him off. So he was out of the band after this went on for 3 months.

[SuicideNote]

when i pick up a bass its a lot easier to come up with melodies

I like to noodle around with the bass when there is one around, it is fun to play scince it is layed out like a guitar. I pissed off my first bass player scince he was really just a regular guitarist who wanted to play the same this as i would play, i would say "hey, why dont you play this behind me on this part" he would just get pissed that whatever i would came up with would make the whole peice of music sound better and by the fact that he did'nt come up with it would piss him off. So he was out of the band after this went on for 3 months.

It does indeed blow when the members in your band have skill on their instruments but lack musical vision. Collaborating is overrated anyhow, I write out each note for each member of the band everytime I audition a new piece of music. Drums however are a different story. I do not know how to notate drums and if I did, I'm sure that it would take fucking infinity to write it out.

[PABassPlayer]

when i pick up a bass its a lot easier to come up with melodies

I like to noodle around with the bass when there is one around, it is fun to play scince it is layed out like a guitar. I pissed off my first bass player scince he was really just a regular guitarist who wanted to play the same this as i would play, i would say "hey, why dont you play this behind me on this part" he would just get pissed that whatever i would came up with would make the whole peice of music sound better and by the fact that he did'nt come up with it would piss him off. So he was out of the band after this went on for 3 months.

It does indeed blow when the members in your band have skill on their instruments but lack musical vision. Collaborating is overrated anyhow, I write out each note for each member of the band everytime I audition a new piece of music. Drums however are a different story. I do not know how to notate drums and if I did, I'm sure that it would take fucking infinity to write it out.

I can usually write a great line under something that someone has written, I just lack vision of writing "a song"

I 'll show my guitarists a riff I made up, and by thetime they are done with it, it's completely different and usually better.

[Pfl?yd]

I get rhythmic ideas at work too and usually write out drum patterns and bass line in relation to them while sitting here twiddling my thumbs. The only problem is the fact the bass parts end up sounding like Primus!

[Firestorm]

Primus!

[Pfl?yd]

Primus!

haha, while it's interesting as far as the "wow" factor from people, I don't want to sound like Claypool.

[Jefferino]

I think it all starts with a single riff or idea, and if the band members you have are talented enough to build off that foundation you can come up with something good....i think the key is organization and structure, how many times to play a certain riff etc..although you look at Walk and I think Dime played the main riff like 20 times or something, so.....i guess it all depends.