I haven't come up with anything new in months. The amount of time I spend sitting with a guitar is ridiculous, but my writing is not improved at all. Anytime I try to create something, my hands begin to play scales, which is not what I want at all. Any tips on combating the block?

The only thing that has worked for me so far is playing left handed. I'm taking it as an opportunity to completely wipe away all muscle memory and start over. Only problem is, it's coming along very slowly... It's like learning guitar all over again. It's also taking my crutch away, as I'm stuck with no side markers. It really is strange and a weird approach to songwriting, and I'm certainly open to easier solutions, but it works for now.

I'm sure this topic has been discussed before, but I couldn't find a thread... My apologies if this is a recurring post.

IMO.

Do what the Beatles did; pick apart a song you really like and basically rewrite it the way you'd like to hear it. Try and take the elements that resonate with you and use them as a springboard and try and better it.
Notice how the Beatles did this on 'Love me Do', they took their favorite parts of Bruce Channel's 'Hey Baby' particularly the harmonica part, and produced their first hit. Another example is how they used Bobby Parker's 'Watch Your Step' as the basis for "I feel Fine'
Or how the Sex Pistols used the Doors' 'Hello I love you' as a starting point for "Submission", which I actually think is a better song.

It's a valid technique that's yeilded countless songs. Just think of how many songs were written around the 'You Can't Hurry Love' bassline

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Last edited: Aug 31, 2013 12:28:35

Here's where different guitars or pedals can help some. Sometimes it's just a matter of finding a different sound to experiment with. I play Strats mostly, but I find that I play a Tele differently. My latest acquisition is a Les Paul replica. Just a change to spark a little inspiration. Last resort, Take a couple weeks off playing completely. Don't even listen to the stuff you historically like. You might be surprised when you go back to it.

What I have done is stop playing the guitar for a week or two. I think it gives my mind a break from trying to force out a song.

Listening to a lot of non surf music can also trigger new ideas.

The songs will come, just try to not fret about writer's block.

Rev

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

surfer wrote:

My best ideas come when I don't have a guitar in my hand. I think the guitar leads you into playing things your comfortable with. Keep a digital recorder handy, when you get an idea, humm, sing, whistle the idea, then rework it on guitar.

+1. Exactly what I do.

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Plenty of good advice in here! I agree that keeping away from the guitar can be really important - if you try to come up with songs with a guitar in your hand you're only going to throw up shapes that you know, and your melodies will be limited by your hands. And definitely don't try to force it. Forced songs always come out crappy.

I also think what Victor said is really important: make a particular note of songs or specific details within songs that really grab your attention, and try to build off those moments. This kinda touches on Richard's problem with losing your inspiration by the time you come back to the guitar (I've had that problem tons of times!)If you actually write down the musical highlights that inspire you, you can refer back to them and try to recreate that inspiration when you sit down with the guitar again.

I've only written a select handful of songs, but I've already used this strategy tons. Early on when I started writing and trying to find my way through it, I kept a list in a notebook of the precise moments in songs that I found cool and why. For example, at 1:14 and 2:19 in the Surf Coasters' "Surf Attack," I really dig the start-and-stop chords that really hammer out the end of the verse (people will have to check their cd's for this one, unfortunately there's no youtube link to this song online!). I made a note of that back in the day, tried to recreate that moment, and that translated into the end of the verse in the Deadbeats song "Gooch in Space" (1:19 and 2:54 in this video). The rest of that song is totally different, but shares at least that one (I thought) inspiring moment. It's definitely not the focus of the song, but sometimes that one little detail can be all you need to flesh out the rest of the chorus, the bridge that feels like it should come after, etc.