Composers Block

[Kevin]

Anyone experienced it? Did you find a way out of it and back to writing?

Like to share in your soulution?

Then post here!

[fundrazor]

Do exercises (such as canons, fugues, orchestrating Beethoven piano sonatas or piano reductions of the Rite of Spring). The creative part of the brain soon kicks back in again and screams for something original to do.

[barrystronge]

Don't struggle to be creative. Relax and be receptive, no matter how long it takes. I mean, the music comes from somewhere other than the conscious mind. Too much thinking impedes things.

[David Stowell]

I use that age-old writers trick - write (compose) something every day, even if it is not up to your usual standards. You are keeping the engine ticking over, and you can always throw away the stuff that doesn't work.

I usually have 5 or more projects on the go at any one time. If I get stuck on one, I move over to one of the others. There's bound to be one of them in which I can add (or improve upon) a few bars.

I also tend to think of composing as a bit like an archeological dig - the piece exists in full somewhere in my subconscious and what I am doing is carefully removing all the crap to get at it. It may just be a mental-trick (or delusion?) but it stops me from staring at a blank page (or screen in the case of Sibelius) hoping that Inspiration will wave some magic wand.

[fundrazor]

Rather like Michaelangelo always saying the sculpture was already in the marble, he just cut away the excess stone.

[juan]

When I don't have any new ideas for a composition, it usually concurs with a loss of interest or urge in composition, which is my normal self, i.e. I'm not a composer that sometimes get blocked, but a non-composer that sometimes feels "inspired" to compose something, therefore a "composer's block" does not worry me...

My composers blocks, therefore, are not related to a blank page, but they might happen in the midst of a composition. If stuck, I tend not to force things. Juggling between a couple of projects usually works, but I have seldom more than one project at a given time. I compose at the piano, so I improvise a lot, and since I fall into the same gestures over and over, I play random works, normally new scores that are very difficult, well beyond my pianistic skills; by sight-reading at the wrong tempo and with many wrong notes I'm bound to pick up something interesting, that I can incorporate into the current project or store for later use; but that only applies if I'm already in "composer mode", otherwise, I would always be exposed to music, play scores and improvise, it is not a deliberate attempt to start creativity, but undoubtely it accounts for my occasional creative bouts, for I don't believe that "inspiration" happens by magic, but by hard and disciplined work and study.

Whatever, a creative block is not something to worry about, as there are many tricks and routines to overcome it. For me, the paralyzing factor happens when I'm not in "composing mode" and I'm exposed to music by the greats I realize that what I "compose" is rather meaningless and pointless. I feel somewhat sad for a couple of days and I set myself not to compose anything again, but eventually the cycle repeats itself...

[Deleted]

Well, it helps to play the piano daily to keep my mind musically active. But my biggest problem is the opposite of block. Too many ideas, difficult to focus and sort them out, and getting sketches written before I lose them.

Richard

[Kevin]

If only I could play the piano!!

[wizzarts]

sounds strange but sometimes I wish I would have one. ;-) It would give me a little rest.

What I do when I cannot focus on only one piece is to start programming some 3D-Annimations (kind of a hobby).

That keeps me in a creative process (on another playground)

[Kevin]

I am sure most of us wish we had your problem as well!

[Deleted]

I agree with all of the suggestions, my personal top 3:

1. Improvise daily.

2. Do written harmony exercises, including voice leading and simple diatonicism.

3. Have at least two projects on the go at any one time.