Top Tips to get over a writer's block?

SteveR94

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Hi guys, so I've run into a little trouble recently.

Ever since my EP dropped in February (damn, already a month), I've had a really bad case of writer's block over this last month, haven't been able to finish much at all, and I feel like I'm losing any skill I had when listening to attempted masters of tracks that are half finished.

Now I've got a lot of projects to be getting on with, some collaboration EPs with friends, some remixes for people, while also doing some solo bits to send off to labels. So ideally I would like to get back in the flow and get my mojo back.

So I pass it over to you, what is everyone's best tip to get over a block like this? All answers welcome, cheers in advance.
 
Honestly, I think the best thing is to listen to other music, outside of DnB for awhile and then go back at it with a clear head.

Yoga, especially focused breathing.

Read a good book. Sometimes the mind needs to disengage from whatever it is preoccupied with. I'd recommend a good story. I love The Sandman by Neil Gaiman.
 
If you can't put songs together there's a few different things I do...

Try attempting completely different style (I keeep within 174 range but probably even better to beach out more)

Watch some tutorials and build a soundbank you can come back to when your tracks are coming together easier.

Either of those two or just stop trying for a 2 week period, come back and usually the juices are flowing again.

This is what I do anyway, my best stuff has come recently from
Going away from my usual style!
 
Honestly, I think the best thing is to listen to other music, outside of DnB for awhile and then go back at it with a clear head.

Yoga, especially focused breathing.

Read a good book. Sometimes the mind needs to disengage from whatever it is preoccupied with. I'd recommend a good story. I love The Sandman by Neil Gaiman.

This is something I never thought of, damn. My parents actually love their yoga, could maybe learn something. A book is a shout, could get something from the local library, cheers man.

If you can't put songs together there's a few different things I do...

Try attempting completely different style (I keeep within 174 range but probably even better to beach out more)

Watch some tutorials and build a soundbank you can come back to when your tracks are coming together easier.

Either of those two or just stop trying for a 2 week period, come back and usually the juices are flowing again.

This is what I do anyway, my best stuff has come recently from
Going away from my usual style!

Thanks for the advice bud, this does mean of course I might be a bit slower on that little project we talked about the other time so sorry about that. I do have some halftime bits and 160 bits and house bits I could look at, might try that and step away from standard DnB for a while. Stopping also sounds like a good idea, seems like there's lots of ways to go about it, cheers man.
 
don't worry man I'm going to be swamped pretty soon so may struggle to find the time for a bit :) the soundbank and tutorials one is the mose useful imo. As you're not really being creative as such, that can come when you start using the sounds in tunes!
 
How about going back to basics... Instead of trying to draw up a full track set yourself a task of writing so many drum loops. Then so many melody lines, basslines etc. Keep it all simple and stick to say 8 bars. Export them all out as audio... Keep this going and eventually you should inspire yourself! :rasta:
 
I've been in the same boat man, worked a lot on sound design first then I was getting writersblocks when arranging. What I find works well is making a solid bassline with a very simple patch first like just a saw wave, this way you can focus on the melody and the rhythm of the bassline first. Then when you're happy start modulating the filters and further work on the patch. Whatever you do during this stage, you'll know that at least the notes and rhythm are solid, from there it's just sound design you'll be working on. I find that this works pretty well for me.

Artfx wrote this to me when I had a block a few months back...
 
don't worry man I'm going to be swamped pretty soon so may struggle to find the time for a bit :) the soundbank and tutorials one is the mose useful imo. As you're not really being creative as such, that can come when you start using the sounds in tunes!

The more I think about it, this is my favourite idea here, feel like if I get the right sounds then that's it, I could leap out of the block.

How about going back to basics... Instead of trying to draw up a full track set yourself a task of writing so many drum loops. Then so many melody lines, basslines etc. Keep it all simple and stick to say 8 bars. Export them all out as audio... Keep this going and eventually you should inspire yourself! :rasta:

This is quite a cool idea, essentially fits in as a continuation of the above soundbank idea, make the sounds and then melodies and loops from the sounds, essentially a sample pack almost! Cheers bud.

Artfx wrote this to me when I had a block a few months back...

Also an interesting idea here, thanks for that, could do with more attempting to bass design!

Gotta say, thank you everyone! If anyone has any other tips, feel free to post them, we can build this thread up to be a good place for people to find advice.
 
Hi... When I´m struggling with production of DnB tracks but I still want to something in DAW , I usually do one of the following :
- discard musical aspect and focus on mass production of sounds to widen my unique soundbank :
1)Breaks ( I use Addictive drum and Strike 2 for my own ). Then fooling around them with some effects and made sound banks of weird percussion-like FX sounds a fills.
2)I load Ommarun ( if you don´t know that, it´s crazy hugeass 6osc synth based on randomization of everything ) hit recording and fool around with modulation.... it can either crash your soundcard or produce really unique textures, risers, glitches etc...
3)I have quite large collection of modulated and moving bass sounds ( usually 8 or 16 bars of F, Fis, G, Gis... so I load sampler and try to get something useful to resample.

-focus on musical aspect only discarding style...
load piano plugin and spend some time just playing piano... More like classical ballads, pop or rock melodies... When I like something or it´s catchy enough I dump it to midi and save that. I can use it later with totally different sound from some synth, double the notes or move it on scale and sudenly I got something I can use in DnB.

-Or I just ragequit and go play Quake to release my hatred :D
 
Just start sampling stuff. Doesnt matter if its breaks or instrumental parts.
Start collecting some bits for ur own sample packs.
This way you still do useful stuff instead of wasting time behind ur DAW doing nothing :)
 
FYI every one @SteveR94 is too big now taking black n white cloud washed promo pics for his pedo manager to reply to this thread..

:rofl: Dammit Russ!

I was meant to get back and answer everything one by one but kept getting distracted, I will run through this in just a sec!
 
Right, let's get through this. Actually managed to get through this block quite recently and did some stuff I'm quite proud of, but I think building up this writer's block thread may help people in the future, so if we just build it up to be a whole thread full of tips.

Have you tried drugs? :teeth::teeth:

Personally ive found a combo of switching to a completely different style of music/digging through sample packs seems to get my mind working in new ways.

Sometimes though, you just gotta take the break.

No drugs here bud. :lol: Did take the break though, I was out of production commission for about 2 weeks, took time to actually try and learn how to master tracks instead!

Go back to basics:
Learn an instrument.
Learn about music theory.
Up your dj game.
Do sports, read, cook....take a step back.

Basically, take your time and have a break from it all.

Very helpful tips here, also very productive things to do tbh so it doesn't feel like time is being wasted. Think the take a step back one is best to be honest, if it's a big block. If it's a smaller block, the instrument and music theory would help.



^^ I actually did bookmark this when you posted it but didn't have as much energy to reply. Gotta say this is highly informative to be honest, keeping this to rewatch next time a block comes.

smoke some weed and just go where it takes you, might end out to be crap but with maybe one or two elements that you can work with...not a weed lover then get more cofterable then usual and try and get that relaxing mood in the area where you produce, move the coffee cup to the other side of the desk ahh genious.

I don't smoke weed or drink coffee, but I see what you mean here. I actually tried moving production area, seeing as I'm just on a laptop and headphones, this is obviously easier for me. Can help if you have another good place.
Hi... When I´m struggling with production of DnB tracks but I still want to something in DAW , I usually do one of the following :
- discard musical aspect and focus on mass production of sounds to widen my unique soundbank :
1)Breaks ( I use Addictive drum and Strike 2 for my own ). Then fooling around them with some effects and made sound banks of weird percussion-like FX sounds a fills.
2)I load Ommarun ( if you don´t know that, it´s crazy hugeass 6osc synth based on randomization of everything ) hit recording and fool around with modulation.... it can either crash your soundcard or produce really unique textures, risers, glitches etc...
3)I have quite large collection of modulated and moving bass sounds ( usually 8 or 16 bars of F, Fis, G, Gis... so I load sampler and try to get something useful to resample.

-focus on musical aspect only discarding style...
load piano plugin and spend some time just playing piano... More like classical ballads, pop or rock melodies... When I like something or it´s catchy enough I dump it to midi and save that. I can use it later with totally different sound from some synth, double the notes or move it on scale and sudenly I got something I can use in DnB.

-Or I just ragequit and go play Quake to release my hatred :D

Again top tips here, I like how a lot of people here have suggested doing other musical things rather than trying to make a song, very very clever, and something I will take on board!

Just start sampling stuff. Doesnt matter if its breaks or instrumental parts.
Start collecting some bits for ur own sample packs.
This way you still do useful stuff instead of wasting time behind ur DAW doing nothing :)

Gotta say the best sample packs are the non-DnB ones, feel like there's much more vibes in those (maybe it's just me not seeing enough packs), and I did put some notes with some samples to remind myself what to do between block times!
 
Really really really good tips guys. The ones I read while I had the block was really helpful so big ups to you, and for those I just read now, sorry it's late but I think (or well I really hope) the info collected in this thread helps someone in the same position.

It would be nice if when someone has a block in the future, they tell us a little log of what they did to try and fight it? :)
 
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