It can be daunting to sit down at the piano or guitar when the inspiration isn’t there. It’s even more frustrating when the inspiration is there, but you just can’t articulate it. We’ve all been there; it’s a familiar bend in the road for any serious songwriter. But next time you find yourself face to face with a blank staff, try one of these tips to help keep the creative juices flowing.
1) Write outside of your genre.
One of the biggest fears songwriters have is becoming stale — almost everyone reaches a plateau where they become too set in their ways and the creative process suffers. One remedy is to force yourself to write in an unfamiliar genre; nothing expands your harmonic vocabulary and breathes new life into your work like experimenting with new sounds. Examine new songs, analyzing for stylistic elements. What is the predominant meter? What is the compositional structure? What modes are most prominent, and what chord qualities? Is the genre more vertical (chord driven) or horizontal (mode driven)?
2) Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate
A good songwriting partner is one of the most important tools you can use when you’re in a slump. Exchanging ideas is essential for songwriters — it’s the way you develop your craft. Try to find a songwriting partner with different strengths and weaknesses than your own, so you can compensate for each other’s shortcomings. I often work with a songwriter who plays great jazz guitar; whenever I’m in a bind writing a jazz-influenced piece, I have someone to call for help.
3) Listen to music. A lot.
This should be an obvious one, but I’ve heard so many songwriters complain that they don’t have enough time to really study music. Notice I used the word “study”; there’s both an active form and a passive form of listening to music, and if you’re going to improve your writing, you need to do the former. Listen to music like you’re doing homework. Transcribe the melody and create a lead sheet. Study the changes — are there possibilities for chord substitutions? Where is the emotional high and low point of the song? What about the arrangement/production — can you identify every instrument and its place in the mix?
4) Rewrite an existing song.
Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Rewriting an existing song is a great way to get moving again, especially after a long dry spell. Try taking a simple song and creating a complex arrangement. Or take a complex song and try to simplify the harmony as much as you can while maintaining the basic mood. Switch a song’s genre; Alien Ant Farm reworked “Smooth Criminal” as a punk song; could you write “My Own Worst Enemy” as synth-pop?
5) Write every day.
The best way to beat writers block is to avoid it altogether. Songwriting is like creative exercise; the more you do it, the more effective you become and the easier it is to get going. Commit to an hour of writing a day and suddenly the empty staff paper in front of you won’t seem so intimidating after all.
