Composing Inspiration

Guys what are your inspirations when writing music?

A year ago, I feel like i lost inspiration writing songs and it affected me at school and other places. Now when i write a song they don't sound the same as before, and I can't expand the themes.

I'm not asking for a therapy :) but just how do you write songs and what makes you want to write songs and what keeps you going.

Thank you

I gather inspiration from a lot of things. Whether it's something I come across in my day to day walk through life, other music, literature, historical figures, or just certain things I hear in my head that really resonate with me. As I've gotten older I've gotten over the whole "writers block" thing.

Guys what are your inspirations when writing music?

A year ago, I feel like i lost inspiration writing songs and it affected me at school and other places. Now when i write a song they don't sound the same as before, and I can't expand the themes.

I'm not asking for a therapy :) but just how do you write songs and what makes you want to write songs and what keeps you going.

Thank you

Are we talking about literally songs in here, or is that just the generic pop word you use to refere to pieces? :huh:

like piano pieces, clissical ish... Sorry i did not make it too clear. Thanks for pointing out

I gather inspiration from a lot of things. Whether it's something I come across in my day to day walk through life, other music, literature, historical figures, or just certain things I hear in my head that really resonate with me. As I've gotten older I've gotten over the whole "writers block" thing.

Whoa I think that's exactly what i have right now. Can you please please explain it? I have 2 years until college and i have to start writing big pieces

Experience. Like everyone.

Start by writing ambient music. Go somewhere busy, like Starbucks in the biggest city you can find nearby. Morning usually works best, 8-9ish when people are rushing to get to work on time. Take it all in, freely come up with some theme music for people, dont worry about remembering it, this is just to get the juices flowing. Only write something down if its absolutely brilliant.

Other places work fine too, using the same concept. Whether in the woods, or your own backyard. Use whatever works for you, I've just found the city usually has more to write about than other places. Good luck!

Thanks man. maybe that's exactly what I need!

Lots of things. Nature. Buildings. Human forms. Human movement. Other musics.

Listening to favourite composers, reading a book or watching a movie with story that resonate with you can lead to inspiration and burst of musical ideas (or make such a story). Meditation and deep dive in your imagination as well as looking at nature, especially trees, sky, clouds, are useful, too. Thinking about big and important questions. Even knowledge and understanding.

another thing i have is some of my songs turn out to sound like other people's work, should i keep that song since i came up with it or should i abandon it?

Lots of things. Nature. Buildings. Human forms. Human movement. Other musics.

Same here :thumbsup:

Love?

nature...divine inspiration

When i feel bad (sadness, anger...) the ideas come to me very easy and quickly, and i compouse with no effort...but when i am happy i can not write, i am blocked i feel like i never compouse before. I simply don't know how to express happiness...On the other hand, i also write easy when i whant to express some kind of mystic, hope, gloryness etc.

There's no straight answer for that, so I'll give you my subjective, personal thoughts.

Inspiration (to me) is very abstract and can derive from just about anything, from a piece of music I heard, a movie or play I saw, or even something every day-ish like a conversation, or the view form my car in a short drive etc...

I think you need to find *your* inspiration.

And know that you can never just "lose it", but you may missplace it from time to time :)

Just figure out what "does it" for you.

Good luck,

Omri.

"Sometimes you get it from chicken. Sometimes from coffee."

~Frank Zappa (on how he gets inspiration) :whistling:

Lol and how do I "find" my inspiration.

The last 4 months have been terrible for me. I haven't been able to find anything which really got me composing for a reason other than I need something for assessment.

I mean, I might listen to a piece of music and be like "wow, I want to write something like that!" and I'll start writing it and after about 20 seconds worth of stuff I'll be like "This is crap."

Everything has become very intellectual and I'm not feeling the same passion I used to and everything I write is laboured.

So whatever my inspiration is, I have definitely 'misplaced' it because it certainly isn't helping me at the moment... And this frustrates me which stops me from writing which makes me stressed because I need to be, but stress also stops me from being able to compose. It is a frustrating loop.

I'm not complaining or winging, just wondering if any one can relate and help me get out of this creative rut?

Thanks!

Chris :-)

another thing i have is some of my songs turn out to sound like other people's work, should i keep that song since i came up with it or should i abandon it?

If it sounds too similar, I don't think it would be a good idea to keep using it. If there are minor similarities that are blatant, all it takes is some minor tweaking to vary it slightly. Don't know for sure; it depends on the length that you'd have to make adjustments.

Lol and how do I "find" my inspiration.

The last 4 months have been terrible for me. I haven't been able to find anything which really got me composing for a reason other than I need something for assessment.

I mean, I might listen to a piece of music and be like "wow, I want to write something like that!" and I'll start writing it and after about 20 seconds worth of stuff I'll be like "This is crap."

Everything has become very intellectual and I'm not feeling the same passion I used to and everything I write is laboured.

So whatever my inspiration is, I have definitely 'misplaced' it because it certainly isn't helping me at the moment... And this frustrates me which stops me from writing which makes me stressed because I need to be, but stress also stops me from being able to compose. It is a frustrating loop.

I'm not complaining or winging, just wondering if any one can relate and help me get out of this creative rut?

Thanks!

Chris :-)

I understand what you're saying.

As a composer for theater I sometimes find myself needing to compose 20 full length songs within a week, and that's stress...

So how do we get over it?

Well, what I do is the exact opposite of the logical thing to do-

I forget about the assignment, just let it rest for two days.

Then I come back to it, and though I should be more stressed- I tend to be relaxed and I always make the mark.

Because once I let it rest I'm not approaching it from a "work-to-a-dead-line" point of view, but from a musical one, which allows me to work.

Also helps to not think about "I need to compose", because... it's art, there's no material "need" to do it, only a will.

So let it come to you, don't stress it, because that never works.

Good luck,

Omri.

Usually,

I will look for topics or think of ideas for the concepts of my compositions and then build melodies based on whatever I come up with.

It's science.

Peace,

C. Winston:toothygrin:

Love?

Finally someone pointed it out. Love can definitely inspire you.

Also writing music when you're high might yield interesting results but I've never tried drugs.

Agreed. My music has been described as inspiring feelings of sexness (no need for an i), and that's just how I like it.

Also writing music when you're high might yield interesting results but I've never tried drugs.

Fortunately we had people like the Beetles and Rap singers to test this theory for us upper-class composers. :P

My inspiration usually comes randomly, after I take a good break from any kind of writing. Granted, this makes it harder to stick to a deadline, but it works for me. :)

Fortunately we had people like the Beetles and Rap singers to test this theory for us upper-class composers. :P

Did you just call the Beatles lower-class?! :O

Did you just call the Beatles lower-class?! :O

Well why do you think they are called "Songwriters" and we "Composers?" :P

If that's insulting, keep in mind how many rap fans I have also dissed with this comment. ;)