Don’t let anything stop you from writing that song! I’ve gathered my best and most practical processes to break down the walls of songwriter’s block, and get making sweet music once more!
We’ve all been there. You’ve made a solid start, but just can’t flesh it out into a full-on song.
Frustrating is it not?
Well, I’ve been making music for most of my life, and royalty free music for a solid seven years. So I’ve got a bunch of tips that have helped me break through the blockage and get on with making sweet, sweet music.
Most songwriting articles focus on nebulous and wishy-washy techniques like – read a book, think about an emotion, etc.
They try to make creativity sound unobtainable.
Not here.
These are actual practical techniques you can do right in front of your instrument, right now to bust through the mental wall that’s stopping your music getting out into the world!
‘Kay let’s get cracking!
You can hear this frequently in music by MUSE, and it’s useful and quick way to generate all sorts of weird and wonderful chords and inversions. If you’re stuck getting a cool chord sequence together, this can be an amazing technique.
It’s easy to get started:
Example (in GIF form):
C | Caug | Fm | F
Pro Tip: Don’t just limit yourself to one note, the main thing with this technique is that at least one note is the same in the previous chord so that there’s a solid relationship with the transition.
Pro Tip 2: Most DAWs will tell you the name of a chord if you play it on a midi keyboard. Super handy for finding out what the chord is on guitar for example.
Yeah, this one sounds nebulous, but bear with me. This time you’re not just walking to clear your head.
This time you’re become your own human drum-machine!
So get your shoes on and follow these steps (see what I did there?):
Pro Tip: Once you get good at this, you can apply it to any activity with a steady rhythm – chewing your food, mashing potatoes, etc. For the truly musically obsessed you can incorporate tonal noises you encounter in everyday life and harmonise with them.
Pro Tip 2: To mix things up, try a polyrhythm. This is easiest with a three against two – i.e. three beats for every two of your steps.
Every so often you hear some amazing music with exquisitely moulded instruments and sounds. By listing out all the instruments and sounds, you’ve got a ready-made toolkit to craft your own piece of goodness.
Get started by:
Pro Tip: Identifying that particular synth sound can be tricky. Presets can often be your friend here. Just try cycling through a load to find something that’s close and then refine it to make it exact.
This is like tip number 3. Great music always has a great structure, and there’s nothing stopping you from taking it, and creating your own piece that takes the same sonic journey.
Make sure you have a song in mind and then:
Pro Tip: If you’re already closely following another song’s structure, don’t take too much else from it as you don’t want to stray into the realms of plagiarism. These are dangerous times we live in, where you can get sued for creating a song with a similar “feel” to an existing piece.
Pro Tip 2: Try adding a recording of the song to your DAW. You can split up each of the sections and label them up so you can see the structure.
This is an oft-mentioned technique, but it’s amazing, so I thought I should definitely mention it. By changing instruments, you force your brain to use different pathways. The different physical characteristics and limitations of an instrument can reveal new ideas.
There isn’t a specific step-by-step technique here, just pluck, press, blow, and strike your way to success!
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a second instrument, use your imagination and make one! You can tap tables, boing rulers, use a coat zipper, etc. I’m serious, this can yield some excellent ideas!
Motown was a true music-making machine, and so we can learn a lot from them. They knew that familiarity within music was key, and so extolled the virtues of the “KISS principle” (keep it simple, stupid).
Sometimes the path of least resistance leads to magic, so you should totally follow it!
Pro Tip: Simplicity is relative. Being too concerned about whether or not something is simple, is not keeping it simple.
Branching off from the tip above, here’s a good way you can keep it simple. Sometimes chords can be overwhelming, so instead of struggling and over-complicating things, why not try a one-note ‘chord’?
This is simply a single note that works well with the preceding chord or section.
Have a go now by:
Pro Tip: This also works well when you’re trying to work out the chords to a piece. The specific chords might be difficult to identify, but one individual note that fits is often easy. This way you can go back to the more difficult chords later and work them out instead of getting frequently stuck.
So you’ve got a chord sequence that’s kinda ‘meh’… You’re trying to substitute different things but it. Just. Ain’t. Working…
If this is the case, fear not! For you can take what you have, or grab another sequence from a song you like and mangle it to make something new.
So have the chords handy and then:
Pro Tip: If things sound a little dissonant, you could try quantising the notes to a specific scale to keep them sounding sweet. In fact, changing the scales might change your seed notes into many nice (and very different) sounds.
The brain is a powerful thing. Given enough time, it can work out pretty much anything you might want – so let’s give it some time! By slowing down what you already have, you can often anticipate what might happen next.
Good music is all about tension and relief, and so what you’re trying to do here is add some resolution to the tension you feel as you wait for an expected change. You want to sort of will your brain into relieving the tension
All you need to do is get your music and then:
Pro Tip: Opposites time! If you have something you’re not happy with, also try speeding it up. This can sometimes turn a boring song around. It can change the entire feel instantly, so it’s worth a try!
You never know when inspiration may strike. Fortunately, most of us now carry devices capable of recording our ideas.
So grab your phone and:
Pro Tip: If you’re in a public place and worried about looking like a total weirdo, the microphones on most phones are super sensitive so you can just whisper. This should be enough to jog your memory later on when you get somewhere quiet. The other thing you can do is just not give a crap about looking odd – works for me! =D
BOOM! There we have it. If you’re not furiously writing music in this very instant, there’s no hope for you…
Seriously though, you can do any of these tips so why not pick one and try it out right now?
If you know someone who’s struggling at the moment, be a legend and share it with them.
Also, if you have any other cool techniques for banishing the block, please share them with me in the comments below.
As always, shine on!
I think we can all agree that music enhances a game or film. Music gives meaning, mood, continuity, memorability, and absorption.
What if I told you that you can get professional quality music, that is created from scratch, is formulated to fit your project perfectly, and can even feature a real full orchestral score, for less than you think?
Your very own unique musical masterpiece to match your exacting vision. Tell your story the way you want it to be told…
Wow, you made it here? It seems that you like what you hear! Fancy receiving some musical goodness directly into your mailbox?
Wow, you made it here? It seems that you like what you hear! Fancy receiving some musical goodness directly into your mailbox?
⭐ Quick Donation
Even $1 helps keep the music flowing. (No account needed)
🎵 Get More Music
Join Patreon for perks like unlimited Pro Licenses
📧 Never Miss a Track
Get new music in your inbox every time I release new music
