If you are a music producer, you have probably found yourself in a seemingly hopeless situation many times before. There are days when creativity bursts like a fountain. On the other hand, there are days when everything seems rather desperate. Sometimes you feel stuck at a certain point, and it seems you won’t go over it no matter what you do. You might think that creativity cannot be forced and that you should forget about the song you are working on. However, there are certain tricks you could utilize to get the creative juices flowing. The worst thing you could do is to sit in front of your DAW while waiting for the magic to happen.
Eliminate obstacles
In many cases, we tend to hide behind excuses, or we are too critical of ourselves. Comparing your song too much with the track from your favorite artist won’t get you anywhere as well. It’s ok to take a track you like and use it as a reference, but to continually listen to it in an A/B comparison way will confuse you and slow you down. Keep this in mind: Your favorite artist is probably someone whose music is unique. Therefore, you should strive towards being unique and use your reference as inspiration only.
Experiment with your starting point
No formula will always apply to great song creation. Sometimes you can start with drums, but if that’s not working, try to delete those drums and begin with a fresh chord progression. That chord progression will also contain the specific rhythmical structure, and it might give you an idea of how to bind it with the drum groove afterward.
Nobody knows everything
Let’s face it; most of us out there are not professional mastering or mixing engineers. Therefore, for example, when you get stuck to a certain point in your mixing process, you might go ahead and search for a solution on the internet. There are numerous tutorials out there (be sure to check more of the Soundbridge`s music production tutorials here: https://soundbridge.io/blog/) Try to narrow down your search and find exactly what you need. Then, go back to work. If some other technique which seems interesting pops up, avoid it. You will apply it to your mix, and it might not be necessary, so you could easily ruin what you made so far. In other words, don’t fix what’s not broken.
Do not be shy to ask for advice.
Try to send a message to your favorite artists on social media. Going to workshops and being generally open for advice also helps. Ask them how did they make something specific in their song, how did they feel when they made that track you love so much. Workshops are particularly useful because you can meet a lot of people who probably know something you don’t. Exchanging information is crucial.
Pay attention to the state of your mind and body.
In my opinion, this is a crucial point. Sitting in front of your computer for countless hours can be hazardous. Not only will it result in a lack of inspiration, but you can also experience serious health problems. So, whenever you can, you should take breaks, stand up, stretch, go outside and get some fresh air, maintain a healthy diet, and try to exercise daily. New ideas may also come while you’re reading a book or doing anything else that sets your mind in a calm state.
Recycling
We all probably have a large number of unfinished projects containing numerous ideas. They were left behind at a certain point of creation. Every once in awhile browse through these project, and I am sure you will find plenty of interesting material which can be useful for the track you are currently working on. Take a track you previously made, and maybe even released, that got positive feedback. Try to remember the story of that track. How did you feel when you were working on it? In what emotional state have you been? Try to apply the same approach, and it might lead you to create an even better song.
In the end
Try to take the advice mentioned above as a starting point. Also, tend to embrace every situation in life and convey it to your music. Great music comes from deep feelings, and if you succeed to reflect these feelings in your music, you surely won’t go unnoticed.
