When Inspiration Doesn't Strike (#firstworldproblems)

[ghostwhistler]

Clearly an issue far more serious than the rise of a horrific billioniare led science denying hateful oligarchy.

Much as I love electronic music, and making it, electronic music has a certain quality that can make it sour very quickly. That's because it's everywhere, predominantly in forms that, for me, are less appealing or kinda boring. I'm not anti dance/techno/house etc by any means (though not really my cup of tea), the ubiquity of such music and it's inherent simplicity lends itself to stagnancy and a lack of ideas.

That of course makes me sound like a pretentious arse, which I do not dispute. I'm certainly not a fluid music/instrument playing superstar either. I like simplicity in music. But right now I'm finding that my ideas aren't inspiring me as much as I'd like. Objectively (as far as I can be objective) I think they have merit. But they don't gut punch me the way good ideas do.

I like to make music that has a concept. Even if it's something dopey or silly like Lord of the Rings or something. A random selection of songs is fine, and I like plenty of such albums. But as a writer that's what I want to make. In that respect I'm like a film composer, except lacking in film or of course the genius of a Godlsmith, Zimmer, or Vangelis.

NOt sure what it is really. THe piece I'm working on right now sounds fine, but at the same time it doesn't really go anywhere. It has some weird harmonies, it's not just happy clappy 1 3 5 chords. But at the same time, and partly because of that, it doesn't gut punch me.

TLDR What do you do when You have a piece that you know is good, but just doesn't grab you.

[funky lime]

In that respect I'm like a film composer,

they don't all have to be bangers. a lot of what media composers do is "underscore" where the entire purpose of it is to add a musical bed that specifically doesn't grab you or become too distracting. sometimes music has to get out of the way. knowing how to make that kind of music is a valuable skill to have in that field.

but at the same time it doesn't really go anywhere

they don't all have to be a journey. sometimes music just hangs out somewhere, because that's where it wants to be. lots of famous songs will hang out on the same two or three or four chords. america's "Horse with No Name" is literally just the same two chords over and over, for the entire song, yet that song is pretty cool. aretha franklin's "Chain of Fools" is basically one chord the entire time, and was a chart topper. there are many such examples. sometimes the "go somewhere" part doesn't have to mean harmonic development; the changes could be timbral, lyrical, arrangement, or something else.

i'm certainly not a fluid music/instrument playing superstar

trying a new approach can be productive. sometimes i write a song on a guitar, and don't know what to do with it. but as soon as i try that same song on the keys, suddenly a new path appears. similarly, sometimes i get stuck on keys, but i'll go for a walk and hum/whistle it to myself a capella (or just "audiate" purely in my head), and suddenly it goes from a bundle of chords to a story with purpose. just the act of playing instruments can be really helpful, because it often encourages "play," and play is conducive to creativity (e.g. taking chances, getting my head out of my own ass, not stressing) for me. i find that working in a DAW can sometimes be the opposite of play.

You have a piece that you know is good, but just doesn't grab you.

sometimes i have to just walk away and let it be, and kick it around my head. often, if i'm stuck on an 8 bar loop or whatever, listening to it over and over is the worst thing to do. with each repetition, it begins to establish itself as a complete thing, whether i want it to be or not. i find that when i give my ears a break from it, and instead let it kick around in my head for a few days/weeks, it begins to evolve on its own. often, i am served by developing and refining the idea in my head before i ever touch a DAW or even, sometimes, an instrument at all. and sometimes, i have to just let go of it completely and do something else.

and sometimes, you gotta just make some bad music. like, lean into the badness. it can be a good exercise, and surprisingly fun; like above, being playful can be great for creativity. if i take myself super seriously, i don't get much of anything done because nothing is ever good enough.

[martinjuenke]

Clearly an issue far more serious than the rise of a horrific billioniare led science denying hateful oligarchy.

There will be no real unique inspiration for anybody with this childish mindset, sorry, forget it.

[VOODOO U]

I like to make music that has a concept.

I like to make music that grabs me.

[ghostwhistler]

I like to make music that has a concept.

I like to make music that grabs me.

Yes, that's what grabs me. Same difference

[ghostwhistler]

Clearly an issue far more serious than the rise of a horrific billioniare led science denying hateful oligarchy.

There will be no real unique inspiration for anybody with this childish mindset, sorry, forget it.

I don't think it's childish to correctly contextualise my feelings regarding music with the tangible consequences of a presidential election. The opposite, actually. Perhaps you misunderstood?

[ghostwhistler]

In that respect I'm like a film composer,

they don't all have to be bangers. a lot of what media composers do is "underscore" where the entire purpose of it is to add a musical bed that specifically doesn't grab you or become too distracting. sometimes music has to get out of the way. knowing how to make that kind of music is a valuable skill to have in that field.

but at the same time it doesn't really go anywhere

they don't all have to be a journey. sometimes music just hangs out somewhere, because that's where it wants to be. lots of famous songs will hang out on the same two or three or four chords. america's "Horse with No Name" is literally just the same two chords over and over, for the entire song, yet that song is pretty cool. aretha franklin's "Chain of Fools" is basically one chord the entire time, and was a chart topper. there are many such examples. sometimes the "go somewhere" part doesn't have to mean harmonic development; the changes could be timbral, lyrical, arrangement, or something else.

i'm certainly not a fluid music/instrument playing superstar

trying a new approach can be productive. sometimes i write a song on a guitar, and don't know what to do with it. but as soon as i try that same song on the keys, suddenly a new path appears. similarly, sometimes i get stuck on keys, but i'll go for a walk and hum/whistle it to myself a capella (or just "audiate" purely in my head), and suddenly it goes from a bundle of chords to a story with purpose. just the act of playing instruments can be really helpful, because it often encourages "play," and play is conducive to creativity (e.g. taking chances, getting my head out of my own ass, not stressing) for me. i find that working in a DAW can sometimes be the opposite of play.

You have a piece that you know is good, but just doesn't grab you.

sometimes i have to just walk away and let it be, and kick it around my head. often, if i'm stuck on an 8 bar loop or whatever, listening to it over and over is the worst thing to do. with each repetition, it begins to establish itself as a complete thing, whether i want it to be or not. i find that when i give my ears a break from it, and instead let it kick around in my head for a few days/weeks, it begins to evolve on its own. often, i am served by developing and refining the idea in my head before i ever touch a DAW or even, sometimes, an instrument at all. and sometimes, i have to just let go of it completely and do something else.

and sometimes, you gotta just make some bad music. like, lean into the badness. it can be a good exercise, and surprisingly fun; like above, being playful can be great for creativity. if i take myself super seriously, i don't get much of anything done because nothing is ever good enough.

I agree with that. I try to see an idea through before I decide if I like it. I might even finish it entirely. Whether I inflict it on the world is another matter entirely.

[VOODOO U]

I like to make music that has a concept.

I like to make music that grabs me.

Yes, that's what grabs me. Same difference

No, it doesn't grab you. That's why you made this thread. Your ideas fail to "punch you in the gut" and focusing on writing "songs with a concept" comes from your ideas.
Focus less on writing music with a concept and focus more on letting loose until whatever comes out grabs you. After that you can add "concepts".
Drink, smoke weed, dance around a satanic pentagram.....do whatever it takes to let loose. Write in this state and keep.going until something grabs you. Take that and shape it into a concept.
Heck you can turn a catchy acoustic romp into some electronic instrumental if you wanted to.

[FranklyFlawless]

TLDR What do you do when You have a piece that you know is good, but just doesn't grab you.

I take a break from music, invest in other interests, than go back to music once I am ready.

[BONES]

Much as I love electronic music, and making it, electronic music has a certain quality that can make it sour very quickly. That's because it's everywhere, predominantly in forms that, for me, are less appealing or kinda boring. I'm not anti dance/techno/house etc by any means (though not really my cup of tea), the ubiquity of such music and it's inherent simplicity lends itself to stagnancy and a lack of ideas.

You could say that about any kind of music - orchestral, jazz, rock, pop, it's all ubiquitous and 99% of it is all complete krap. So what? That doesn't mean yours has to be the same.

I like to make music that has a concept. Even if it's something dopey or silly like Lord of the Rings or something. A random selection of songs is fine, and I like plenty of such albums. But as a writer that's what I want to make.

It sounds to me like it's the concepts that lack punch. Your concepts should be things that get you fired up, not just name-out-of-a-hat stuff. Start writing about those kinds of things and see how it improves your music.

Listening to some of your stuff on BC, I see you don't write about your concepts at all, your music is all instrumental. One thing you might want to try is spending more than a day producing a piece. It takes me anywhere from three to six months to get a song to a point where I am happy enough with it. Of course, I usually have several on the go at once but, even with covers, it takes a lot of time, a lot of repeat listens, to get them right. You seem to be pumping stuff out every week. And maybe try and do something a little less derivative. Nightmare Club has a nice feel to it and doesn't sound quite so much like a B Side that escaped from the 70s.

Drink, smoke weed, dance around a satanic pentagram.....do whatever it takes to let loose. Write in this state and keep.going until something grabs you.

Seriously? You can't find inspiration from within yourself without chemical assistance? How very f**king sad.

[Uncle E]

TLDR What do you do when You have a piece that you know is good, but just doesn't grab you.

Keep adding parts. Then, since you said you like simplicity, strip it back down again. Hopefully some of the new parts will stay and some of the old parts will go, and maybe you can use the extra parts for variations or to add dynamics.

[crimsonwarlock]

What do you do when You have a piece that you know is good, but just doesn't grab you.

I'd say that is a contradiction in terms.

If a song grabs me, then I think it is good (in some way). Otherwise, it wouldn't "grab" me. If a song doesn't grab me after, say, three listens, it is a bad song to me or outside my musical interest, which on a personal note is basically the same

[VOODOO U]

Drink, smoke weed, dance around a satanic pentagram.....do whatever it takes to let loose. Write in this state and keep.going until something grabs you.

Seriously? You can't find inspiration from within yourself without chemical assistance? How very f**king sad.

So how is that A.I. software you use to write coming along? Great tool to use when you lack inspiration. Right BONES?

[BONES]

Great! My bandmate is currently collaborating with Gemini 2 on his first novel. I've only been allowed to read the first page so far but, I have to say, the prose is quite nice, well above most of the novels I read, and the plan looks really solid. Collaboration is an incredible f**king thing, I can't believe it took me 15 years to work that out. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm as stupid as the rest of you. (But only sometimes.)

[foosnark]

Clearly an issue far more serious than the rise of a horrific billioniare led science denying hateful oligarchy.

Those executive orders are exactly what killed my inspiration last week. Instead of making music, I spent my time doomscrolling, making sure my brother isn't going to kill himself, wondering what the hell is happening with my passport application, throwing money at various mental health hotlines and trans rights orgs, trying to take naps because of depression, etc. I need to work out some coping mechanisms, and music is one of them but I feel like I have to be in a more or less okay place emotionally before I can even start that. I couldn't even go for a walk because the trails are still icy and it's been freezing.