Creativity Booster

NFX

NFX

Bomb Droppa
Here's something I do occasionally when I'm not in a groove creatively..

Set your tempo for whatever.. I like to go around 100

Create a simple kick snare pattern kick-snare-kick-snare (maybe hats on the 8ths) or if you have a metronome use it instead.

Decide on a key to play in. Cmaj or Am are good if you just wanna do all white keys on a keyboard.

next pick a sound that you like any sound and start recording 8 bars or so of it with just the simple drums or metronome.

stop recording.. mute the track you just recorded... find a new sound that you like don't worry if it fits with the previous sound or not

..record 8 bars or so of whatever in the chosen key...

repeat this process until you have 8 different sounds and 8 different parts recorded. do try to get a variety bass, synth, pads, strings, chromatic, guitar etc.. mix it up like gumbo

now go back and start trying to fit the pieces together... build a bassline and fill in your drums.. find that slow pad and place just under everything, get that fill on the lead synth and use just that part etc...

I find that often my subconcious seems to help me make parts that fit well this way. I think it's becuase I'm not pre-occupied with a previous section I've done.

I know some people can hear music in their heads and its just a matter of translating it into their sequencer but my brain is not wired that way. I know what sounds good to me but I rarely hear a melody or anything until the moment it's ready to be born, and even then I must have some spark of inspiration to urge it on.

The method I described doesn't always work, but it may be helpful when you're in a dull period.
 
some good tips, very workable im thinking.



i find myself feeling repetitive when making music sometimes. i think this will definitely play a role the next time i feel that way.
 
^ lol. so do i - but thats another story

yeh sometimes i jus mess about.. i usually come up wit melodies/ideas while im on the train, or anywhere really.. and thanx for the voice recorder feature in my Nokia 8310 i record it and put it down in fl when i get home..

or jus do things u normally wouldnt - say u produce mainly house. then try listen to sum jazz or summin for inspiration..

i hav a keyboARD in my room so i jus press play and i shoose sum standard drum pattern and make up stuff as i go along..but its a bit harder puttin dat onto fruity as i dont kno AMYTHING bout notes, chords etc
 
Nice post NFX.

I like Lots of Coffee, or lots of Alcohol. Usually the Alcohol is sufficient.

With making music, its like anything else IMO. Yes, some people have that natural talent for it...and for the rest of us, we have to practice, practice, practice. It is a Developed SKILL, and once you've found, and dialed in on how you work (not what inspires you), amongst other things in the creative process, you can, and will achieve better, and better results.

JM2C's
 
i agree with the jazz comment in full.



i started getting it into it a couple months ago and a lot of the timing experimentations and style of instrumentation are freakin amazing..


i particularly am intrigued by Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" album.
 
Interesting idea NFX. Maybe that'll help me outta this writers block slump im in.

As for getting drunk... lol makes it a lil hard for me to even find the right sound, so I just end up lookin at porn.
 
The thing I've found about getting drunk, and throwin ideas around is its a lot of fun, and you can have some really good stuff come from it. Although usually your next session you have a lot of cleaning up to do...most of the levels sound like sh!t, they're just too loud.
 
anytime i need a creative boost i smoke a blunt, then like a robot i turn on the equipment and make music without thinking.

one thing about being high while making music is, when i get stuck, I GET STUCK. usually never happen though
 
whenever i make a track i turn on cartoons and mute them so i can only see and not hear. i never ever ever get stumped.
 
when creativTaY, slows down for me, I take a break and play some video games, usually Tony Hawk ProSkater...

After about 20 minutes or so, I'm fresh, and ready to hit the map again.
 
See, it's Tony Hawk Underground for me...which is a problem, since I love the soundtrack and always end up with Deltron 3030 stuck in my head :|

I always give up on trying to compose when I'm stuck...I'll have a smoke, load up some slightly older tracks, and start trying to perform over the top, just sit back and groove along with it rather than directing it. I'm really keen to experiment more with Live to see if it helps out with this.
 
You are now tuned into da mutha ****** greatest!

What I do is start on any of the 12 notes and syncopate a half step up at any tempo marking. It always works.

Underneath that, have a pedal tone(low note) on dark strings or brass. Then build my drums around that.

But this happens once in a blue moon because all day I come up with beats in my head.
 
sometimes it's fun to grab a sample loop off one of yr fav CDs...
start a new track with this loop, just as an idea booster.
once you've made up some of your own melodies/beats/etc...

remove the loop and now you have a new (legal) track to start working with.

:)
 
When I'm in a creative slump which hasn't happened lately I just listen to a lot of music and play a lot of basketball. I find that doing other stuff aside from music helps me get on track.

Peace
 
i tend to write notes down on a piece of paper or even dictaphone ideas into my mobilephone!

it's difficult for me because i write experimental-hardcore so i can't just start with "standard" stuff because there is no place for it in my music
 
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