Stuck in a Slump

[Taylor Barclay]

*

[dbfs]

if i find myself in a slump or feeling blocked i find the best way to deal with it is to accept it for what it is - an 'enforced' break - and don't fight it.
take advantage of the time to do other things.
most of all try not to get stressed about it. i used to and it made it worse for me but i came to the realization that i can't be creative all of the time,
and breaks are good - they recharge your creative,um, battery.

That sums it up nicely.

[distaudio]

I think this happens to everybody.

For one thing you need to get on top of your new gear via trial and error and experimentation -- think less about "final product" material and more about using the tools just to get to know the tools.

Also when I'm "not feeling it" with composing songs, I just spend a few sessions working solely on patch design or sampling and focus on adding new material to my library, to utilize later when i'm feeling songwriting-inclined again. There are lots of ways to be productive that don't necessarily involve churning out a whole new track.

-M

+1

Start building samples/beat etc. Build up your sample library for use in projects later on.

Sometimes, out of that you will get inspired.

[The Carpet Cleaner]

if you are in a slump, you can think about running for a remix contest. There's ton of them, it's fun, you might win if you're a bit lucky, you can create new contacts, try different production technics or aim for a different genre than what you do usually.

[JES]

Think of it this way: you do need to take time to learn your tools. I've had Live since 1.3 but really only started using it as my main DAW a year ago, and even though its interface is simpler than a lot of other DAWs, it is still a deep and powerful program. FL Studio is, I am told, easier to learn than Live and it is also different. And Live's MIDI editing options are not as good (again, from what I am told). So you probably have a lot to learn.

When I am not feeling inspired--or even when I am--I practice. I started on a regular "instrument" (bass guitar) and when learning the bass, I would regularly run through scales, then modes, then chords, then grooves with a metronome, then odd time signatures with a drum machine, then cello etudes, etc. Almost 30 years later, I don't bother anymore. I just pick up and play. But it took a long time to get there. Even though Live replaces a DAW, I think of it more like an instrument (which is why I prefer it to something like ProTools).

There's plenty to do in Live that fits this model. For instance, I'm not a DJ or remixer, and so I have found myself just now starting to work with BPM detection, which I'm still not all that good at. I just start pulling things in from my iTunes library and blocking out little parts of songs and seeing what I can do.

The same goes for effects. Most effects have lots of different settings that interact. Set up a loop and start running through the effect systematically.

I would say 85% of the music I have made in the last year is of the "practice" variety, where there was a particular goal in mind -- edit a MIDI loop to create different drum parts, automate certain softsynth settings, get to know Absynth as an effect, etc. Once a piece is finished, I have a new skill. Although probably only a few friends will ever hear that kind of work, since it's more "proof of concept" than "I made a song" but even there sometimes I get good results.

Yesterday, in fact, I worked on beat-matching in a song that was not recorded to a click. That was pretty challenging. Oh, and playing with the wiper in Audio Ease Riverrun in real time to turn a guitar riff into something that sounds like a cello solo. Now that, I might use for something.

Other than that, I recommend inventing limits and rules and following them for the duration of a piece. There's always Oblique Strategies -- http://www.rtqe.net/ObliqueStrategies/ and http://www.joshharrison.net/oblique-strategies/

[macmurphy]

if you are in a slump, you can think about running for a remix contest. There's ton of them, it's fun, you might win if you're a bit lucky, you can create new contacts, try different production technics or aim for a different genre than what you do usually.

this is a good idea. i did a sample remix a while ago that i didn't win. i got a good tune out of it though - sro canyos
i was in a creative vacuum at the time and it really helped.

[Rupert Brown]

Some good ideas so far, I also think tutorials are a great way to inspire and learn about your equipment at the same time.

For me personally nothing gets me going more then an awesome drumloop, sample a sweet funk break loop it up and the idea start flowing (for me anyways).

Another suggestion is try to make a tune in another style you have never tried before, even if you dont like the style see how your version comes out.

Or try make a track with NO percussion at all.

Or try make a 40bpm tune

or try and make a tune without listening to it! pick samples by name, sequence by eye. Try lay down a full track and then have a listen to the terrible shit you just made, cool eh?

If you try all this and still cant get rev'd up smoke some weed and shave your scrotum.

[Taylor Barclay]

I have to thank you guys (and girls?) again for all the responses, all of these suggestions will be put into use.

As for the tutorial tip, I don't think I have to worry about that now. I filled out a survey for the IMSTA a long while back... and I won! http://www.imsta.org/members/survey_con ... _2009.html

I won 3 DVD titles from ASK Video!! I got the Ableton Live 8 tutorials and two other packages. Today has been amazing.

[macmurphy]

nice one Taylor!

[Guff Tong]

[squelcht]

if that doesn't work...
...shave your balls.

there's nothing like a shorn scrotum to give a man a different outlook on life.

[squelcht]

if that doesn't work...
...shave your balls.

there's nothing like a shorn scrotum to give a man a different outlook on life.

[jsn]

It happens to me from time to time. Usually what I do is unplug everything from my laptop except the charger, take it into another room, open up Live and just do random stuff like sound design or making a beat or something.

I also do this but I have a small midi controller and external audio interface i take with the laptop. Sometimes I will take this to a table near the forest behind our house and work until i get a low battery warning. It is a good time to rest the ears anyway, so one can recharge and do something else. But I believe I've sat in every room of the house at some time or another 'trying to catch waves of inspiration', including at our kitchen bar. It is amazing what mental energy a small thing such as relocating your 'sketch pad' can provide. It is not always a conscious thing that sitting always in your decided 'studio' space can be uninspiring by itself so do try this (if you haven't already)

[VduchnWJ]

Why not use boot camp on your mac to install a windows partition and then you can boot up windows for fruityloops etc. and make loops/sections to use in ableton on the mac side. It may help with the transition to Live and is good to know your old tools are there when you want to mess about with them.

You could also try a program called Parallels so that you can run windows without re-booting. I haven't tried it but there should be lots of info about.

The music theory is a great idea to learn as long as you get a good teacher who does not overcomplicate.

[Taylor Barclay]

For awhile there, I even began to regret my purchase of Komplete 6. I felt in over my head for a bit is all.

I'll be delving into it all a little at a time, once I get Komplete figured out it's a beautiful downhill slope. Of course tutorials about Ableton are fun to watch and easy to follow, so that will come too.