How to Beat Creative Block as a Music Producer (6 SIMPLE STEPS)
There’s nothing worse than sitting down to work on your craft, and you feel completely uninspired.
You’ve set aside the afternoon to work on a new track, but you can’t even seem to come up with a single melody. You’re staring at your monitor waiting for inspiration to strike, but only an empty DAW project stares back at you.
This is called creative block. The good news is every single music producer experiences it, and there are certain steps you can take to overcome these mental barriers and get back to doing what you love: making music.
I cannot stress this enough: everyone from Deadmau5 to Hans Zimmer will experience creative obstacles when it comes to producing or arranging a song. However, beating creative block relies on shifting your mindset, and understanding that some days will be less productive than others.
I’ve been producing music for well over a decade, and have run into creative blocks more times than I can count. So I’ve put together the 5 best ways to beat creative block, to help you smash through these obstacles and achieve a new level of artistic focus.
1. Creative Block: The Discovery Stage
Sometimes we experience creative block because we are too focused on finding the perfect melody, loop or chord progression to even get started.
Hans Zimmer, arguably the most iconic film composer of all time, has described his process of avoiding creative ruts as “the discovery stage”. To do this, he will open up a new project and record every melody or chord progression he comes up with, without any judgement.
This is a highly effective technique as it gets your creative juices flowing, without the pressure of finding the “perfect idea”.
In the world of music production, this is the equivalent to creating drum loops, synth chords and any other musical ideas as they come to you. Just get down as many small ideas as you can. Granted, most of these ideas will be mediocre at best, but as long as you’re putting everything down, eventually you’ll strike gold.
After putting down as many small ideas as you can (without any judgement), take a small break and then listen to your mini-projects back. Choose any parts you like, and go from there.
2. Focus On RHYTHM
Every producer starts a start differently. Some prefer to begin with melodies or chord progressions, while other look for a potential sample and build their tracks around that. There is no right or wrong way to begin producing a track.
However, I’ve found that if I’m experiencing creative block, I’m usually searching for a melody or something similar. Sometimes moving away from this and focusing on creating a rhythm helps me break those creative barriers.
So try creating a drum / percussive rhythm on it’s own, and then move on to experimenting with other sonic elements. Often creating a drum pattern or rhythm can get you in the groove and adding instruments will come more naturally.
3. Take Regular Breaks
In somewhat the contrary to the discovery stage, taking regular breaks during your production session is crucial.
And when I say a break, I don’t mean browsing Facebook for half an hour. Take a proper break away from your computer and give your brain a chance to recharge. If you can, avoid screen time altogether during your break, and instead sit outside, call a friend, make a coffee, etc. Just make sure you are completely disconnected from your production session.
Plus, taking regular breaks means that when you return, you often return with new-found inspiration. Adding these intervals to your session can really improve your workflow, and even enhance your creativity along the way.
I take 15 minute breaks after 1:45 hours of work, resulting in 2 hour “blocks”. However, your schedule should be whatever works best for you.
4. Immerse Yourself in Various Kinds of Art
To take full advantage of your natural creativity, you should explore other kinds of art, not just music.
We all know how inspiring listening to new music can be, but sometimes experiencing a different artistic avenue can really breathe life into your music production journey.
This can be something as simple as visiting an art gallery, going to watch a theatre performance, or even just browsing a photography / film website.
Sometimes it’s best to take inspiration from the world outside of music.
5. Creative Block: Remove Distractions
Outside distractions can be the biggest obstacle for producers (and artists in general).
In my opinion, the biggest culprit for needless distraction is your phone. Ask yourself, do you really NEED your phone right next to you during a production session. What text are you desperately waiting for that means your phone needs to be with you at all times?
Try putting your phone away, on silent, or even at the other side of the room. Checking a phone notification when you’re producing a track can completely ruin your creative flow, and usually leads to unnecessary procrastination.
Also, make sure you are working in an uncluttered environment. Make sure your desk is clean, organised and free from any physical distractions. If you’re working in a messy environment, it can often make your feel unfocused and lazy.
6. Receive Feedback
As producers, we often experiment intense “tunnel vision” when working on our music. This is when we completely shut ourselves off from the outside world, and it usually leads to overcomplicating or over-producing a track.
If you’re experiencing this kind of creative block, ask for HONEST external feedback on your track. This will give you an outside perspective on your song, and how it sounds to a fresh pair of ears.
Remember, you can learn from anyone. You don’t have to play your track to other producers, and opinions / feedback from non-musicians can be incredibly valuable.
Receiving honest feedback doesn’t always feel good, but it’s better to get some honest, constructive feedback than compliments to stroke your ego.
Fixing Your Mindset
If you’re experiencing creative blocks as a music producer, sometimes the issue is your mindset towards putting in the work.
Being a producer doesn’t just require creativity, passion and a love for music. It also requires hard work, patience and dedication.
The hard truth is if you want to be a full-time music producer, sometimes you will have to create music when you’re not really in the mood. This can be extremely difficult for beginners, as trying to create a track when you don’t want to can be very unmotivating.
But remember the reasons why you started producing music in the first place. It’s likely you’re a highly creative person, and a huge music-lover.
On the days where you really don’t want to create music, just commit to creating something. It doesn’t matter if it’s the worst track you’ve ever made. Creating something, no matter the quality, is better than nothing.
Just make something to keep your creative gears turning, and you never know, you could accidentally make something incredible.
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