absolutely the worst writing funk ever

[guitarron]

I got nothing-for many months now-tried retreading old stuff, cover songs.
i've had a lot on my plate with my health and work this last year (excuse #1)
Been out of a band for a long time now, so i have no external input presently(excuse #2)
I cant seem to finish anything

i'm ready to take a bunch of f@#k'n loops and throw em together to jumpstart this dead battery

been lurking  here-that's about it

i know something will break soon-i can feel it
sorry to use this forum to whine about this writers block-but i'm so damn frustrated right now

any suggestions for what works for you people are appreciated
(go f myself doesn't count-tried that too)
Sorry about the whining

[Tony]

Take it slow and simple.  Take a simple eight bar progression G-D-C-C-G-D-G-D, play it on an acoustic, on an electric, on  a mandolin, on a uke, whatever you have.  Explore it.  You are not writing a song.  Just listen to the movement, play with the pitches.  See what comes up around the time that this simple progression is becoming second nature.  That might be the time it starts throwing up melodies. Don't use a 12-bar because it is too difficult to get outside the clichés.

Sorry if this doesn't help but it helps me.

[Super 8]

Hey Dude, don't be so heavy on yerself!!  You can't 'force' the magic - it comes to you.  Sometimes we try too hard and end up getting musically frustrated.  Excuse me while I get down off my Soap Box but I am talking from direct experience here amigo.  Up until very recently I felt pretty much the same as you and was on the verge of selling all my gear and finding summat else to fill my time.  In fact I had begun the big sell-off.  Then for Xmas '08 my long-suffering partner gave me this little silver gadget out of the blue.  It set me reeling & I've not looked back!  

I no longer have to worry about 'all the technical shite!' anymore ie: leads everywhere, expensive mics, external pre's and all the other associated crap that, up until very recently, I used to get SO bogged down and pre-occupied with.  Leave that to the engineers and sound producers of this world - you're a musician, get on with what you do best.  Now I just 'plug and play' and this leaves a hell of a lot more time for concentrating on what really matters ie: MUZAK!  For whatever reasons (and technical gadges were mine!) us muso's all lose sight of where we're coming from or going too at times eg: you only need to listen to certain sections of Bowie's back catalogue to realise this - give me Ziggy anyday!

Instead of beating yourself up I suggest you use this non-compositional down time to revisit the music that made you wanna take up playing in the first place.  Just immerse yourself listening to stuff, not just old classics but new stuff too.  Be like a sponge - soak it all up!  FALL IN LOVE WITH MUSIC AGAIN!  It's like a relationship, it really is.  You gotta keep working at it - don't give up.  The sub-conscious is an amazing thing - you can find inspiration in the most unusual of places.  Leave yourself wide open and don't rule anything out just go with the flow and see where you end up.  Once I read an interview with singer-songwriter Fran Healy of the band 'Travis'.  He said that for every one GOOD song he wrote he had to write 99 crap ones to get there.  (Personally I think he needed to keep on going past the 100 mark eg: "Why does it always rain on me?  Is it because I lied when I was 17?"  I'm no Shakespeare but in my humble opinion I still think that needs a hell of a lot of work myself.  That said, it was a MASSIVE UK hit nonetheless!)  Anyway, before too long I guarantee you'll be once again inspired and will slowly begin to come up with stuff you really dig!  Remember, if you don't dig what you're doing how can you expect anyne else too?  Good luck with it all, hope ya get yer Mojo working again soon!  

[Bluesberry]

i feel for you man, nothing worse than not getting enjoyment out of playing music.  It is what keeps me getting out of bed in the morning.  Here is what I do, I try to mix it up.  I find myself playing a same guitar in the same way for a while, for example playing blues stuff with my Strat, and it starts to get stale,  I switch to acoustic for a while, and switch styles, play folk songs, work on your singing, learn country lead stuff, etc.  Anything to get out of the rut.  Now this will become a rut after a while, so change again.  Set up a guitar in Open G and get a slide and learn blues slide (acoustic or electric, it doesn't matter).  Try to write a song in a style that is very different than what you play.  I wrote a song recently that sounded very country, just for the hell of it and also for something different ( I am usually more of a blues rock kind of guy).  Learn a new scale and play with it for a while.  The last song I wrote I used all Major 7 chords and I had to figure out what scales to play over it (not the usual blues rock stuff for sure).  It turned out pretty good, I learned something, and I got out of a rut I was in (plus the added bonus is that the good folks on here liked it which lifted my spirits, not bad for just trying to get out of a rut).  That is my advice, do something outside of your comfort zone, spend the time to get it real good, and post it on here.  It will feel good for you if you can do it (even if it is not in your usual musical style).  I can't wait to hear it.

[wooperman]

Play some cover songs with your acoustic, that always snaps me out of it. I'll go to e-chords.com start with some beatles, move on to some pop group from the 80's. I always end up learning a new chord, or structure. Then one day, you just magically have something, usually three days after doing the cover thing. But don't forget, it takes work too, inspiration/persperation.  Your brain may get the idea, but your body (hands, vocal chords, etc.) have to make the most of it.

[Greeny]

This happens to everyone from time to time, and I think there are lots of different ways to 'break on through to the other side' (...apart from listening to The Doors!).

The single most inspiring thing for me - as pointed out by wooperman - is to learn a new chord. For me, chords are the building blocks of a song - everything else can be filled in afterwards, IMO. Every time I've learned a new chord (or made a new chord shape up myself) it's given me fresh inspiration - like opening a window with a totally different view outside. When you put that chord amongst the ones you already know, it gives totally new progressions you never had before. i.e. something new and exciting. This is how I write my solo stuff, and ALWAYS on an acoustic guitar.

I also go down the riff-writing route sometimes... literally just playing around with chord shapes to see if there's a new riff in there. For this, I tend to take regular chord shapes and drop or add notes to give them a new flavour (i.e. removing fingers / hammer ons / pull offs, and plenty of pinky action). If I get a good riff going, it's pretty easy to keep it going as an intro / verse, then throw some power chords into a chorus. This is how I've been writing the Jemima's Kite stuff - a big contrast to my regular way of writing.

Just a couple of ideas that work for me. I think everyone is different in the way they write though, so what works for one person won't necessarily translate for others.

And don't forget that you're a great guitar player! That alone is a major advantage!!!! 

[Oldrottenhead]

hey ron go to hear from you again, missed your input,

i have had a bit of a block musically but luckily i have found an outlet via writing lyrics and trying to sing,

but every now and then a tune comes.(tho my biggest problem is i can have a tune in my head but am damned if i can work out how to play it)

 what can some time spur me on is a new piece of kit, when i got my mbr. well it got a bit mental, ive slowed down now, maybe writing a song on my own once a month. obviously collaborating all over the place with lyrics et al.

but im thinking of buy a stylophone lol, had one back in the late 60s early 70s, so thats what im gonna try, but a long time back i asked if you fancied having a go at some of the really old bunkbeds songs, the offer is still there, would be nice to hear them done by a better musician than myself maybe even get them to sound like they do in my head,

hey that would be cool, boss coming up with something that plugs into your head and recording the music how you imagine it.

[guitarron]

i appreciate the incitely suggestions and encouragement.
i making some changes in the basement studio as starters(rest of the house as well)
#1 thing done-got rid of the freakin' tv set out the basement-which immediate unbusied my mind. (Playoffs coming soon-oh no)
#2 went to local music store under the idea of buying a mobile cube or street cube-cause i like the portible swiss army knife monitor idea.
While i was there i realized that buying gear has always brought out inspiration in me.
That's when i said f@&K it what i really want to do right now while, reading the box in hand, is just go home and play .
Which I did.
 oddly enough i was  awakened on my day off with dream of recording and i playing back sonething i realized was new and got up even though it was 7:00 am on my off day and immediately recorded it with my BR600 which luckily was there next to me on my night stand and hummed the tune in so get the main idea at least.
2 ideas came to me right there
one was  rework on something i close to finishing and hopefully post soon.
Thanks for the kind words
GR
divine intervention anyone?

[Greeny]

im thinking of buy a stylophone lol, had one back in the late 60s early 70s, so thats what im gonna try

I got one about a year ago for a tenner - a re-issue, but seems exactly like the original (except no sign of Rolf Harris...). I'm waiting for the right song to put it on though. Funny - I played  Bowie's 'Space Oddity' to my son for the first time on Saturday, and told him it had a stylophone on it.

[guitarron]

stylophone
i like that popcorn song they use to use in the ads for it-i remember always wanting one as a kid
what a blast