spiritdave

When I started my band, I slammed out 8 or 9 pretty kick ass songs ...

For the last two or so years, I've literally not been happy with a SINGLE idea!!!

What do I dooooooo?!?!!?

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longfxukxnhair

I would put the piece down and walk away when I had a block. Forcing it never yields good results. Getting drunk often helped too. I got to where I just wrote down lines as they came to me. Then later I would pieece something together and fill in the blanks.

spiritdave

Yeah, maybe I need some intoxicants ... Might try something. lol

gunboatstudio

+1 on substance abuse in the name of creative output. It's been working for our heroes for decades.

Also, try to write something on a different instrument. Switch from electric to acoustic. Or start with the bass. Get collaborative, and ask your drummer to drop the beat first. Then just try to play what you hear in your head.

Also, keep in mind that when you write something and you decide you don't like it... you are your own worst critic. Throw it at some people who will give you the truth. Their posative feedback might breath life into it.

Unless you're talking about lyrics, here. I've got no advice there. I used to write complete lyrics once a week. Now I write a verse or a chorus once every few months... and it's an epic battle to finish the rest of it.

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spiritdave

I always start with music so these ideas are all cool. I tend to write at home and bring to the band to play. lol. It's never been collaborative as they're almost session players. It's worked so far but now I feel I may need to get them to inject some ideas. If I don't like them I can always turn them down. lol.

Might get high or something at the next rehearsal and see what flys! LOL!!!!

eljeffebrown

Dude you know what always has worked for me, go back to one of your fave albums of all time (doesn't matter who or what) and learn a cover just for yourself (or the band if ya want, covers are fun). First things first it'll remind you why you play and second it'll get the creative juices flowing again. dude seriously this works for me %90 of the time, it may take two or three songs but it'll work.

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Uncle Beef

I always do a few things. First walk away for a day or two. Next I go to my local music shop and pick a guitar and a amp that i havent played around with before and just start noodling around and having fun coming up with different rythyms and chord changes on the fly and just play for the sake of playing. I've found the new sounds and feel of different gear is enough to point me in a new direction musically and something will often come of it. I'll then record a 60 second snippet on my cell phone, bring it home and mess with it there. It helps when you're friendly with your local music store owner.

Another thing i like is to just jam around with your drummer. I'll just ask my drummer Choad to play me a beat and we just take off and see where it goes. Sometimes its blah but sometimes..... wow. We've written some kick ass tunes that way just came from playing around with a friend. I've found that 2 people in a situation like that though is perfect as long as theres good chemistry between the 2.

Good Luck man! you'll break through it eventually.

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rjohns1

I have found that when I expose myself to some new music, it usually inspires me to go in new directions. I was actually in a rut for over a year. I would play the same licks over and over. It was really rough. Another thing you can do, is to just finish mediocre songs, even if you don't like them. Just play something cheesy, and finish the thing, and set it aside. If you get your mindset to change, and not be afraid to fail, you usually will come up with things faster, and are willing to push the envelope a little. Also, if you have a catalog of finished stuff you don't use, sometimes when you need a part for something new you can draw on old stuff, that part that didn't work well in an old song just might be the perfect part for the big hit you wrote today. It doesn't work for everyone, but it seems to work for me, at least I'm happy with what I do most of the time.

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