Violinist and amateur composer here.
[quote=Samoht]Copy other peoples' music.[/quote]
This actually works. In Ysaye's Sonata No. 2 for Solo Vln., Ysaye copied the beginning of a Bach violin solo to start his piece. (And then all hell and brimstone breaks loose)
Here's 2 other ways I fix inspiration-deprivation when composing:
Browsing the [url=http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Anonymous]Anonymous section of IMSLP[/url]. (Or any section for that matter)
Or
Listening to obscure composers and pieces you (or anyone else) have never even heard of before.
(Messiaen, Lyapunov, Alkan, Vierne all help me)
Always remember that inspiration-deprivation is never a permanent state.
[img]http://filesmelt.com/dl/y_u_no.jpg[/img]
Just do a couple of arrangements. Maybe compose some kinda jazz quartet arrangement of one of your favourite bands?
Make a piece of shit and start improving on it.
that's how I deal with stuff usually.
[editline]4:44[/editline]
not literal shit that would be disgusting.
It sounds like you're burned out, or something.
Take a break from it and after awhile try again.
[QUOTE=Dr. Strangelove;29299197]Dear Facepunch and fellow musicians
All my life I have composed and made music. I compose all kind of music but lately I have noticed that my head is completely empty. In other words, I have lost my inspiration. Whenever its trance, classical or jazz, Im just completely out of ideas. Its a strange feeling and i dont like it.
When I sit infront of my piano and stare at the empty sheets... Nothing... Not a single idea or melody comes in my head like it used to.
Facepunch. How do I get my inspiration back?
[img_thumb]http://beanoriginal.net/img/frustration.jpg[/img_thumb][/QUOTE]
It's funny you used a picture of a child sitting as a school desk, because there's a theory about how education dulls people. Especially creative people (which is every kid at first).
there's a couple TED talks on the subject.
That being said, watch some inspirational movies or something. Like The Fall for example.
I always get great ideas when I sit on the toilet.
Listen to music you never listen to otherwise, go outside and find places you never been at before and explore, run somewhere spontaneously, just generally try doing new things.
That's things I do when I run out of inspiration.
Another thing you can try that I though doubt is going to help you much with music is to take a paper and a pen then just go mad and scribble or write anything you think of just like that.
Those things works for me when I'm trying to paint something.
It's been said a lot in this thread, and it might look like a typical stoner comment, but seriously, smoking weed stimulates your creativity I can attest to that as a musician
Well obviously you just need to find some of this...
[img]http://www.aftenbladet.no/archive/00258/Mojo_258683a.jpg[/img]
Perhaps the problem is you're limiting yourself to a melody? When I first started composition I would never do anything without first coming up with a melody, but eventually I began to experiment with tone clusters and synthetic chords.
Perhaps try dabbling in a bit of 12-tone technique? It has been a huge help for me in finding inspiration.
[editline]20th April 2011[/editline]
Here's a tone row chart, it requires a bit of theory understanding but I'm sure if you have composed before you know plenty:
[url]http://www.musictheory.net/calculators/matrix[/url]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgSiU7-QyVQ[/media]
Yes it's more of a comedy video, but he actually has some really good points about why inspiration doesn't actually exist.
Deploying smooth jazz.
[QUOTE=Jo The Shmo;29320520][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgSiU7-QyVQ[/media]
Yes it's more of a comedy video, but he actually has some really good points about why inspiration doesn't actually exist.[/QUOTE]
That video really helped me. Seriously, it was quite refreshing and gave me something to think. I thank you for that.
[QUOTE=Jo The Shmo;29320520][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgSiU7-QyVQ[/media]
Yes it's more of a comedy video, but he actually has some really good points about why inspiration doesn't actually exist.[/QUOTE]
Half true. You can get inspired to make something.
Go for a walk fool.
Be a swede, go on 2 weeks holiday and get the inspiration to make ladders.
Go to the gym to work out. I often get inspiration when I work out.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yapk7PTNDw&feature=related[/media]
Try making something like this.
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