General Music Chat

I just wanted to see, which I'm sure I'm not alone, if any other songwriters/musicians get severe writers block. Or, if you write a song that you just think, "Good God, this is the cheesiest piece of crap ever, what the hell is spewing from my brain?" What helps you in situations like that? I think I've wrote a few good songs, but here lately I feel cursed, and not because I've been overdoing it or not writing enough. I just like to write stuff relevant to what's going on with me personally and even when things suck, or are really good lately, I just can't get the right lyrics to form, or good hooks. Any suggestions?

Take a break occasionally to defragment your brain. I know I get all kinds of tunes running through my head and I need to wipe the slate clean and start over fresh sometimes. We just had a band rehearsal break of a few months and we got together last week for the first time and I couldn't believe how good we sounded. Do someting other than music for a week or two and then jump back into it, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results. And when you get back to it concentrate on ONE song. Get it sounding as good as you can and then go into another song putting the first one to rest. Concentrate on ONE song at a time, if you can't get it sounding good DUMP IT and move on to the next one...

I get what you're saying. I do that with my instrumental playing. But I don't exactly sit down everyday, or week for that matter and write. It just seems like it's escaping me. I guess I can just try to do something else and see if inspiration strikes. Thanks for the reply.

First of all, I never dismiss cheese. Some of my more popular songs have been ones that I thought about throwing away. I think they are lame, but they appeal to a common denominator. Go figure. Recently, to come up with fresh ideas, I've been carrying a notebook and writing down any odd word or phrase that catches my attention. Stretch your brain a little. As an example, write a song using "Eucalyptus"...DO IT, DAMMIT! (j/k). My point is, try thinking outside the box.

No block. I ether get music through the airwaves or I don't.
I don't try to write or create. It just comes to me.
Not even my tinfoil hat will stop it.

I write a lot I mean I write a whole lot.
Writers block is my old friend. He and I have battled many
times through the years. Just know that he interjects
but he doesn't control. What I do is remove myself
from normal surroundings maybe a walk in the woods
or go to a public place and sit. As I observe whats around me
I write in my head. I incorporate what I am observing
into the music in my head. I'm not sure about other
people but I can create an entire song in my head
and find myself rushing back home to record the
framework and finalize the lyrics.

I think my point is, break the mold you are in and
find unfirmiliar input for your eyes, ears and
soul. For real writers this will trigger your
natural talent and you will not be able to stop
yourself from grabbing a pencil and papper
and picking up your acoustic.

Another thing, when you do this , KNOW it will work.
Use it like a tool for writers block.

Good Luck

First I post music here and when everyone tells me how god awful it is I get inspired to submit myself to greater retribution,
YOU SHOULD TRY IT SOMETIME.

First I post music here and when everyone tells me how god awful it is I get inspired to submit myself to greater retribution,
YOU SHOULD TRY IT SOMETIME.

That is painfully funny, Glen. I understand completely.

When I get an idea for a song I follow through to the point where it begins to stall. Most get written all the way through, then the modifications come when I sing it and find a line where the cadence is stressed, and I re word it at that point.

The other group of songs seem like a really great idea at the time. I write a verse and if it doesn't flow beyond that point, I put it in a New Incomplete Songs folder. Then I go back and review them from time to time.
Some come out of there, others remain as bad ideas, and move to a crappy songs folder. I still won't delete them because they were a good idea at the time, and perhaps the creative juices will come back to complete them. You just don't know where inspiration will lead. Sometimes the idea is good, but the wording sucks.

I may be wrong but I have noticed that
when submitting a song here for comment.
Mostly what you get is comments about sound.
Vocals should be more up front, guitar sound
is this or that, the bass line is not active enough
or something about the mix.

For me I am looking for comments about the song
as it is written. The story line, the hook, the verse,
chorus, bridge arrangement. Even the message of the song
if there is one. Comments about the way a particular
phrase within the song worked or didn't.

As a writer this is what I am interested in.
I realize that I am diving into a pool of musicians here
and sound is the dominate force here. But the water is
cool here and the experience deep. So I take what I get.

Would be difficult for me to critique a song that way. I pay little attention to structure other than if in my hearing it accents the song or not.

If we could sit down over a cold one and discuss the "meaning" of the lyrical content as well we would discover that what I though it means is a long way from another interpretation.

Not being a professional musician I guess I see it thus.

Production & presentation ?
Does the song feel like it "works"?
Does it move me emotionally or stimulate though?
Or perhaps is it's just fun / entertains?

I try to keep whether I "like" the particular genre' or not out of the equation.
But there are some noises I just cant tolerate.

Thanks for the response. I get what alot of you are saying. I too sometimes get ideas that are great (what I call great) out of nowhere, and I can't stop. I've got the notebook and recorder. But sometimes I'm like a well coming up dry. And that is unusual for me because I've never had a time where I can't come up with something, whether it be good or bad. But I'm just blank. I guess I'll just go back to my old works, tweek them, then try to move on. But really, thanks for the tips.

Sorry Chris that word gets used all the time , you just misspelled it. EXAMPLE, " My cat just had kittens would you like one? ,, it was a big LITTER REALLY.

Or , thats a great beer are you sure it's a lite,really

Write everything down.

Nothing is too stupid to write.

I had some block of late, but I slept really well and ended up hearing the rest of the tune I was working on in a dream. (does that make sense?)

I ended up combining 2 tunes I was working on into 1 piece and I think it's something better than my usual.

I did, however, write down both incomplete parts a few times in my 'lil musical diary and when I went to combine them, it was as easy as reading 2 entries.