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GMC Forum _ Ben Higgins _ The Writers Block

Posted by: Zezima940 Nov 5 2011, 06:25 PM

Hey! I am getting really lost into the writers block. It have been this way since the summer vacation which is 2,5 months. For 2,5 months I sat down and tried to write riffs I could use in a song, but I am thinking too much about the characteristics of a genre that everything I write becomes generic. Even when I try mixing things I can only think of things that have been done before!

I want to play Melodic Death metal without playing Melodic death metal. I mean that every melodic death metal riff I make is TOO MUCH like IN FLAMES, so I want to do something new within the subgenre... problem is I don't have a clue what to do... If I try changing a chord progression or harmonize or something it switches to another already-invented-subgenre.

It's easy to play in another band's "style", and everything I do is too In Flames-ish and I feel like a copycat even if it have a different structure.

If you maybe have any tips that could help me out of my writers-block I'd be grateful! smile.gif

Posted by: Ben Higgins Nov 5 2011, 07:13 PM

Hey, I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with this annoying problem.. we all get this from time to time. This topic has appeared a few times lately, most recently here..

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=41430

Most of the time, pressure itself is preventing us from just walking through that doorway into inspiration. Being able to create actually requires us to be able to let go, almost care a bit less.. and then the ideas can flow because we're not blocking them with frustration and other emotions that hinder our ability to receive ideas.

I find that I get inspired a lot from movies and books.. a great story that I identify with can often make me sit down and come up with 50% (sometimes more) of a song on the spot. It doesn't happen frequently but when it does it usually happens in waves.

I guess I've never realised until now but I actually don't set out with the intention to write a song.. I'll go for months just living my life and then when an idea comes to me, then I use it and go on a writing spree. The rest of the time, I'm not actually persuing the art of writing songs, I just let it come to me when it wants to.

When we get stuck in a rut with our routine, then it's no wonder that we can't come up with anything new. There's a great quote from Einstein that says something like 'Insanity is doing the same thing every day and expecting different results'. Basically he means, if we keep putting in the same ingredients, how can we expect different recipes to emerge ?

I find that trying to learn some music which is completely different than something I would normally pick can inspire me. Try something totally out of your comfort zone, maybe a classical piece or country licks.. something that isn't your normal style but which would make you feel a sense of achievement if you could play it.

Another approach is this (and this works for lead guitar playing too). Whenever you sit down and play something, if you find yourself going to a familiar chord change or lick, stop yourself and make a conscious desicion to play a different chord or note. Prevent yourself from taking a familiar chord change. Instead of sailing on autopilot, cast your hand in a completely unplanned direction, as if you were entering a labyrinth and you can't see where you're going. When we're familiar and comfortable, then so is our music.. be uncomfortable and unfamiliar, that's where new discoveries and ideas lurk ! cool.gif

Posted by: Zezima940 Nov 5 2011, 07:56 PM

QUOTE (Ben Higgins @ Nov 5 2011, 06:13 PM) *
Hey, I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with this annoying problem.. we all get this from time to time. This topic has appeared a few times lately, most recently here..

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=41430

Most of the time, pressure itself is preventing us from just walking through that doorway into inspiration. Being able to create actually requires us to be able to let go, almost care a bit less.. and then the ideas can flow because we're not blocking them with frustration and other emotions that hinder our ability to receive ideas.

I find that I get inspired a lot from movies and books.. a great story that I identify with can often make me sit down and come up with 50% (sometimes more) of a song on the spot. It doesn't happen frequently but when it does it usually happens in waves.

I guess I've never realised until now but I actually don't set out with the intention to write a song.. I'll go for months just living my life and then when an idea comes to me, then I use it and go on a writing spree. The rest of the time, I'm not actually persuing the art of writing songs, I just let it come to me when it wants to.

When we get stuck in a rut with our routine, then it's no wonder that we can't come up with anything new. There's a great quote from Einstein that says something like 'Insanity is doing the same thing every day and expecting different results'. Basically he means, if we keep putting in the same ingredients, how can we expect different recipes to emerge ?

I find that trying to learn some music which is completely different than something I would normally pick can inspire me. Try something totally out of your comfort zone, maybe a classical piece or country licks.. something that isn't your normal style but which would make you feel a sense of achievement if you could play it.

Another approach is this (and this works for lead guitar playing too). Whenever you sit down and play something, if you find yourself going to a familiar chord change or lick, stop yourself and make a conscious desicion to play a different chord or note. Prevent yourself from taking a familiar chord change. Instead of sailing on autopilot, cast your hand in a completely unplanned direction, as if you were entering a labyrinth and you can't see where you're going. When we're familiar and comfortable, then so is our music.. be uncomfortable and unfamiliar, that's where new discoveries and ideas lurk ! cool.gif



Thanks for answering! I think my mindset are in my way ... After I create a riff I think "oh no! this riff sounds very generic and now I can't use it" I think I have to just create things and then go through it and see if it's actually too generic or not... and I'm going to try what you just told me and try playing something I wouldn't normally do, and stop myself when I hear I use a familliar chord progression or something tongue.gif Thanks again!

PS: I probably posted in the wrong forum x)

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Nov 12 2011, 06:16 PM

I hope you don't mind me participating on this one too smile.gif Do you write full songs? You know, riffs are important, but vocals are much more important, perhaps the problem is there? Main riff for the song, like an intro riff, should be catchy, but everything else is just simple, simple, simple, leaving room for the vocals..

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