Inspiration...

[DrewMusic007]

So now that I have all my toys set-up I can't think of a thing to play...

All this gear and no juices flowing.

Anyone else experienced this?

damn...

[Meezy]

All the time!

One way I like to get insperation is to listen to songs and jam with it in my head, then use my jamming to create grooves and riffs for a new track.

[David]

You're definitely not alone: http://www.logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=9190

[reeloy]

whenever i pass this point, i produce some weird samples...
make new sounds and map them ready to go...
you don´t find the idea...the idea is finding you...

[el-bo]

my last tune came from using a chordfinder type widget ( i forget which one but there are loads)

either use a guitar or keyboard chordfinder and choose from a list of chords....
the widget allows you to hear the chords and shows you the map to the particular instrument

i just went for the more obscure chords.....chords that my lack of theory would never have offered up to me had i just been sitting with my guitar and this gave me a great chord pattern to build around

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another thing that's good for me is to make use of effects,especially at the insert stage

a lot of people try to compose with their instrument of choice (say piano) and try to write a piece and then process later to enhance the sound of an already complete passage/piece...the thing is the piano always sounds like a piano and it's hard to imagine the effects of some good old mangling while your writing like this

so start with the processing at first

set up your piano,add effects...delays are always good...sync to tempo...i always love the space dub delay setting on the tape delay...also camelspace works a treat.....add reverb (even un-conservative levels), the aim of all of this is to produce some very different type sounds

now, playing normally may not work here..things can get cluttered, banging out full chords with all these rhythmic repeats....but there lies the beauty....it allows you to experiment with very simple one or two note melodies that can cascade and blend into some very fine textured and trippy loops..ride the feedback levels to really trip it up......as i said these one note melodies would not be inspiring to play with on a dry sound....have fun


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don't be constrained by your autoload.....

you may have certain default softsynths that load up presets when you start up your projects...things you think you will always use.....but if you do always use them....things start to become a bit dry.....

go for something different


also the default song loads with a 120 bpm, 4/4....setting.......break free of these shackles

try setting your sync'd delays, as above, but set the tempo to 85 bpm or 220 bpm.....craaazee!

change the time signature...i play so much with different signatures now, that 4/4 feels a bit laboured....try 7/8, 6/8, 5/4....anything you like

the aim is to get so far 'out the box' that you can barely see it.......this, to me, is where the inspiration comes from

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one last thing


change your compositional instrument.....

i am a guitarist and have been for may years.....i still write a lot of guitar pieces....however i mainly write on keyboard

without any knowledge of keyboard theory i have total freedom to experiment without being dragged into 'known' patterns/inversions

just throw some shapes...i just lay my hands down on a piano...usually the first chord i hit sounds crap....but place a few fingers differently and...voila !

so if you play keyboard...get your hands on a guitar...even a simple melody line composed on a different instrument can be all the inspiration needed

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and remember...simple can be good....don't always go for complex, sprawling compositions

[TSV]

I agree with el-bo here that simple can be the best some times.. At least at the writing stage, you shouldn't think about how advanced and crazy this composition will be. That will most likely make you think it's a lot of work, and can put you off some times.
I have also gone through the same thing, and I think we all have at some point.
When it comes to gear, I've found out that I usually get more inspiration the less gear I use. That's why I now use two different studios, one project studio and one big recording/production/mixing studio.
If you sit in a room popped of smooth gear, it might kill your inspiration quite fast, as you will think about all the gear instead of how the music should sound like. I honestly think this is a trap most producers go into.
Of course, some things that have been mentioned several times before, such as going somewhere completely different, listening to your favourite music, talk with other producers, and don't think that you HAVE TO make something awesome. That stuff usually just comes by itself.

Good luck with your inspiration!

[el-bo]

one 'last' thing

i have a friend who says (quite innocently) that he's gonna do some 'work' in the studio

this word 'work' has negative connotations for me.....

work is bad, having fun is good

even if you have the luxury of being paid for your music or productions skills, the minute it becomes work, sub-consciously it becomes harder

so, just go have fun in your studio...it will come

[DrewMusic007]

Man! - thank you everyone!

This has been a real eye opener.