Avoiding Songwriting Ruts?

[brandondrury]

How do you guys avoid ruts in your songwriting? I've caught myself going to the same basic melody 3 songs in a row. I can't say that I like it. Even when I try to branch out and do weird things, I still end up going back to this.

Any thoughts?

Brandon

[DT Chris]

Learn a new song.

[Firedance]

I think a change in time signature often helps.

All too often we (or at least I do) fall into the 4/4 trap - and very often it is the most appropriate - but if you get an unusual time signature going on your drum machine and use that rhythm as your starting point you can end up playing very different things. Although unless you play funk or prog type stuff I wouldn't like to do this all the time. Probably the most common, and easiest to jam to "non-standard" signature is 5/4.

Just resist the temptation to play 'Four Sticks' or 'Money' !!

[Gitarted]

I think the best way to avoid the rut would be to not try to write a song.

Personally, I don't ever sit down and "write a song"
I usually end up building a song when something in my life requires a musical outlet.

But, this only applies to my solo stuff.
...but if it's a tune in say a band I'm working with, well...thats different.

I usually feed off what ever vibe I'm getting out of it.
It may be one long sustaining note, or ....who knows what!

D

[rokmusician]

When I'm in a rut I listen to other music for inspiration could be something old school or the latest thing happening on the music scene. I'll try co-writing with other song writers either by working on something completely new or bringing to the table the songs i've hit a dead end with. Sometimes I try to work with another style for a while putting away that rock or pop composition to go and continue sequencing that great trance anthem i've been composing for the last year. I might write a song on the synth or bass instead of guitar. The different styles that I play those instruments in always leads to new and interesting hooks and/or melody lines. Messing about with loops and samples is another way I look for inspiration. Chord comping sometimes helps with a song that is sounding lifeless and going nowhere. Once I changed all the major chords to Dom 7th chords. This changed the way I sang the melody and the song went down a totally new and creative path. If all else fails I'll go and see a live band. Usually that always gets me motivated to either do better or I get some interesting ideas from them. There is still nothing wrong at the end of the day in just stopping and taking time out. Just like I do when mixing my tracks and I've come to the point where i can't hear anything anymore. I power the computer down, invite my girlfriend over and don't think about anything to do with music until the next day when I have fresh ears and a fresh perspective.

[TAlderson]

I try listening to a different style of music. Say I'm writing a piece that I think will be a blues song, but it's stuck. I'll listen to some bluegrass, or some rock. A lot of times, the song just doesn't fit into the sound I'm trying to fit it into, and I eventually find the right sound for the song. So, maybe it's not a good blues, but sounds great with a banjo and mandolin.

-Tyler

[Spunky Munkey]

I'm not sure if there is any one secret, listen to a song, write a song based on that style, mess around with drum beats, throw in alternative chords, find your system. for example my system now anyways, is pick up a guitar, get a chord progression idea, save it, revisit it or write on the spot. I normally record the music and then write the words. Structured writing is good I think, good exercise, but in the end I still think it's wide open in the sense that many songs are similar but just a little bit different enough to be an individual song. These days I try to stay away from what I call the Nirvana syndrome, trying to make the most unrelated bunch of chords into a song. Another thing I don't always do is save and record the idea, sometimes I don't think I had the makings of a song but after I've forgotten how it went I realize it could have been a tune. Another thing I do is if I don't have a song idea shortly after picking up a guitar I just move on and play a bunch of covers, after that I might try again.

[brandondrury]

All good advice.

I think I'm going to take a different approach. I'm going to OD on this same melody I keep playing. I'm going to try to write 10 instrumental pieces in one day forcing myself to use the exact same melody. Then I'll be so sick of it, I'll never want to go there again.

Brandon

[DT Chris]

In my experience, if I'm in a songwriting rut, I'm usually in a rut in life... nothing special is happening and I need an emotional kick in the ass.

For me it depends what mood I'm in. If I get some kind of emotional charge from something, suddenly the music will flow again.
If I get really pissed off, the music flows. If I'm really happy the music flows.

Sometimes I just get up like I did and laid 3 new song ideas down.

Which is not what I need. I got enough songs to work on now, and I don't want any more until I complete what I have already