I need help. I can't write.

[AC986]

Adriancook - By fluffed I mean I wrote uninspired, unoriginal music that was functional at best.

I studied with an old school composition teacher who was teaching me species counterpoint and some basics (cadences, chords etc). I LOVE the counterpoint work - for me that is what makes music sound beautiful. I haven't had much luck integrating it into writing though because I only worked on 2 voices with fairly limited guidelines.

Someone told you it was uninspired and functional, or you just came to that conclusion yourself? Most film music is functional. Has to be.

There was a recent thread about counterpoint and I seem to remember putting up youtube videos about it. I also remember saying that no one really cares too much about the type of music based on counterpoint training or design these days. I love counterpoint, particularly strict counterpoint but I wouldn't want to write it for living. 8)

Best advice so far is write shit. To qualify that, it doesn't mean you sit down and set out to actually write shit. You could do that. But writing shit is good for you mentally and technically.

When you hear a lot of these compositions in the composition area here, they are generally set pieces with a beginning, a middle and an end. And they are mixed and polished to a pretty high degree. Some of them frighten me to death they are that good. Most of them are like opening credits.

Film cues are sometimes a bit different to that and generally fall within the parameters of functionality because they have to don't they? So if you were to go the composition area whereby just cues were posted, you would very quickly get bored out of your mind.

In terms of being ruined by study, I would put this analogy forward. I see a lot of people in the summer months practicing golf. I'm still a scratch player which is a miracle given how old I am. I see these people, men and women practicing. They are mostly practicing faults. Endless practising of faults that have become engrained in their muscle and mental memory, Very hard to eradicate. So practice and study is great but it must be the right type of practice and study for the application you need it for. In your case, film music.

So writing shit on a daily basis has got to be a good exercise and practice and the athletic analogy from HZ is a good one. Pretty soon you will be writing stuff that is not shit (and so what if it is?) and your writing issues will be over. I assume you are writing for a living. You don't have writing block btw. You have a confidence crisis caused by a slightly romantic and misplaced idea about counterpoint. You'll get over it.

That'll be 20 guineas please. Pay on your way out. :mrgreen:

Yours

S. Freud.
(Ret)

 

[Walid F.]

What do you want to write about?

...And yes, you must write every day. Get that critic to stop whispering in your ear. You are a composer, not an editor. But it's like I imagine runners, running every day, developing muscle - and it's really hard to get back into it after you take a break. I had a ten day holiday this summer, and then spent 3 month to come up with one good phrase... But I knew that would happen, so I didn't panic - I enjoyed my incompetence and lack of originality. Write shit!...but write. You have to write the shit out of the system to get to the good stuff. Do you think the opening motive of Beethoven's 5th is genius? Any kid could - and probably has - come up with those notes. It's what he does with them is the true magic. And I'm pretty sure that was all to do with putting time in to do the work. It's not art or inspiration, it's making things, its working. But still - it's a game. it's play/work. Where do you think I was on New Years Eve and day? Sitting in front of my computer, moving notes around. I'm deadly dull, I have no hobbies, I write. I don't want to go to the Oscars, or any of that stuff. And writing is working. My inspiration is deadlines and the adrenalin of panicking about them. This is my first evening off - and I'm on a composer forum. But I'm happy, because I know I'll crack the next problem, one note at a time.
The only thing between you and a good piece of music is time and sweat, and the knowledge that it's o.k. to write crap. It's a stepping stone to writing something better. But don't compare yourself to Mozart, or it's game over!
-H-

This was a great motivation igniter. Thx HZ!

 

[shapeshifter00]

I would like to give you a new trick if it's not posted here and I missed it... I have never actually done it myself, but last night I had problems sleeping as I always do when thinking about composing, studio monitors, room treatment, sample libraries and all that stuff that gives me a headache when I try to sleep /\~O

I want to try it in practice and my idea is:
Watch a scene from a movie of a mood or universe you are trying to make... Use a microphone and hum or sing something completely rubbish with a melodic line and then try to make the melody fit to the tempo with ex. either piano or a legato string patch . Work out suitable chords for the melodic line and build upon that. Perhaps when that is done, try and sing or hum to what you made for a second counter melody.

 

[reddognoyz]

I can't write either , I just pretend I can....

 

[AlegalSoundz]

...And yes, you must write every day. Get that critic to stop whispering in your ear. You are a composer, not an editor. But it's like I imagine runners, running every day, developing muscle - and it's really hard to get back into it after you take a break. I had a ten day holiday this summer, and then spent 3 month to come up with one good phrase... But I knew that would happen, so I didn't panic - I enjoyed my incompetence and lack of originality. Write shit!...but write. You have to write the shit out of the system to get to the good stuff. Do you think the opening motive of Beethoven's 5th is genius? Any kid could - and probably has - come up with those notes. It's what he does with them is the true magic. And I'm pretty sure that was all to do with putting time in to do the work. It's not art or inspiration, it's making things, its working. But still - it's a game. it's play/work. Where do you think I was on New Years Eve and day? Sitting in front of my computer, moving notes around. I'm deadly dull, I have no hobbies, I write. I don't want to go to the Oscars, or any of that stuff. And writing is working. My inspiration is deadlines and the adrenalin of panicking about them. This is my first evening off - and I'm on a composer forum. But I'm happy, because I know I'll crack the next problem, one note at a time.
The only thing between you and a good piece of music is time and sweat, and the knowledge that it's o.k. to write crap. It's a stepping stone to writing something better. But don't compare yourself to Mozart, or it's game over!
-H-

Thank you so much!!!

 

[Consona]

I can't write either , I just pretend I can....

+1

 

[NYC Composer]

It's been said in various ways here ( as in "write for 6 hrs a day") but the most important three words I've heard: "a writer writes."

So I do. I don't pre- judge it. Sometimes what I write sucks. Sometimes it can be made better. In any case, if you write, you will have written, which generally feels better than having not written- which leads me to my most important FOUR words

When a writer was asked if he enjoyed writing, his reply was:

"I enjoy having written."

Good luck!

 

[dgburns]

I've been privately studying music for about a year now and it has ruined me. I started to see the scope of music theory and the possibilities and now I sit in front of my computer with a blank stare.

I did two films which could have been great opportunities to create some nice music but instead I just fluffed it.

I guess you could call this writers block but I can't shake it.

I want to write some music just for myself in genres/moods that I want and even then I am failing. I've tried coming up with chord progressions, melody lines and any other trick I could think to "get the ball rolling" but nothing's working.

Has anyone had any issues like this before? I've had minor road blocks before but this is ridiculous. I need help.

i see I'm not alone in wanting to respond to this.oh well,maybe my thoughts can help as well.this is a touchy subject for us all,especially when the idea of the ...well "idea" is the everything that matters at all.

first thing I notice is I doubt alot at the first stages.Also there is alot of nervous energy.Ok,I admit it,there.So pounding away for a few min,hours whatever and getting some random thoughts out helps to get rid of the nervousness.then you get to that point where you decide to dig a bit deeper into one of those little parts sitting on your timeline.....what if....what if.....i just did.....
and off you go....

that,and trying your best to limit your palette.Limit anything.create boundaries.like,I will write the basic thing with just this one sound right now,or I'll use these four notes only for now.Whatever,limit your choices down to the ridiculous,and then expand later when something excites you....the words "what if" are the words Stephen King uses when he starts to think about writing a story.I like using those.as in,what if this cello becomes a 8string guitar,or what if this should be in 7/8 or what if this should be in lydian...just set some rules so you play inside a smaller box.we have too many choices and I suspect this overwhelms us too much until we have a pretense or premise to rally around.

I may not know if what I write is shit or passable,but I know that once I have a nugget that my gut tells me to explore further,I can trust on my theory to start filling in the holes vis a vis orchestration and the rest.It becomes a game to see how far you can go and iterate out into other cadences etc .Forwards,backwards,inverted,upside down,inside out,open chords or modal shifts.it's all fair game.

maybe most important of all,don't beat yourself up over it.I'm sitting in front of a new series right now,and I have NO idea what the producers want,let alone how much time I will have.I DO know that I will discovery it.I just hope it will be good and not crappy writing.But it Will be written,so the game is to write enough that the crap is tossed away.

in your case,I suspect that you are trying to synthesize all this new stuff you've run across,and maybe the old way of working is causing you some doubt.It's like you want to know the underlying structures as to the why and how so you can write more intelligently right from the get go.Well,if this is the case,maybe give yourself a bit of a break.Should it really matter anyway.So long as after you have something you like,you take the time to run an analysis on the music to come to a better understanding of what is written.No problem doing it after the fact.But do write it out first before deciding whether you like it or not.

just go for it.

 

[G.R. Baumann]

....and now I sit in front of my computer with a blank stare. ....

...I guess you could call this writers block but I can't shake it.

I have to make an assumption before I can offer some 4 step advice on how I dealt with that. So, you are an instrumentalist, right? You can play one, or more, instruments.

If not true, scratch the rest, no need to read any further, it does not apply then!

1.
Switch that bloody computer out! Do not wait, switch it out now.

2.
Forget about that deal, job, assignment for the next few hours, or even a couple of days, depends how hard that block is, really. I know, easier said than done, but it is possible.

3.
Grab a really good wine, your favourite tea, whatever you fancy. - I am a sucker for good Tuscany, such as the 2007 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova, awww, what a wine! Your mileage may vary. :D - The idea is to pamper yourself.

4.
Hang that post with the skull and the axe on the door stating "Dare to enter!", and then sit down and.... improvise, improvise, improvise, improvise, did I say improvise? Yes, improvise and don't stop until you find yourself smiling and a certain and wellknown happiness is creeping up your heart again! Writers block is about conflicted feelings and

...because

You have to write the shit out of the system to get to the good stuff.

Hope that helps.
Best
Georg

P.S. Personally, I record such improvisations, sorta roll da tape and play, this here for example was the last impro that I needed to overcome a writers block about a year ago before I left the NW coast of Ireland after having lived there for 14 years, seperation from a long term relationship etc, and these events caused a massive writers block, there you are, conflicted feelings! So, I purchased a couple of samples from Simon Stockhausen and improvised with them and I was probably smiling like an idiot when I played it. :lol: Then I knew, I was over it.

https://soundcloud.com/oceanviewstu...in=oceanviewstudio/sets/the-stockhausen-files

 

[SimonCharlesHanna]

Wow.

I am overwhelmed by the support.

I must thank each and every one of you for your help - and it has been incredibly helpful. I hope others who are in the same boat as me stumble across this post.

The advice given has already benefitted me tenfold. I have had a few sessions where I forget about everything else, be in the moment and just write. I am also trying not to criticise my work too much (still much room for improvement).

Thanks again! I keep re-reading all the posts just to nail this information into my brain!

 

[dgburns]

....and now I sit in front of my computer with a blank stare. ....

...I guess you could call this writers block but I can't shake it.

3.
Grab a really good wine, your favourite tea, whatever you fancy. - I am a sucker for good Tuscany, such as the 2007 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova, awww, what a wine! Your mileage may vary. :D - The idea is to pamper yourself.

nice.Although I might like to add -

any 2009 Antinori ,Chianti Classico DSOG of course.Marchese Antinori is one fine wine maker(and a funny guy too). o[])

seems we sometimes forget to have FUN.But it shows when you do for the better...

 

[Markus S]

I've been privately studying music for about a year now and it has ruined me. I started to see the scope of music theory and the possibilities and now I sit in front of my computer with a blank stare.

I did two films which could have been great opportunities to create some nice music but instead I just fluffed it.

I guess you could call this writers block but I can't shake it.

I want to write some music just for myself in genres/moods that I want and even then I am failing. I've tried coming up with chord progressions, melody lines and any other trick I could think to "get the ball rolling" but nothing's working.

Has anyone had any issues like this before? I've had minor road blocks before but this is ridiculous. I need help.

Actually I know this feeling. While studying music, which I did very late in my life (didn't read a simple note before 20) after being self taught on my old guitar (and writing music on it), I'd go like. Wow, what can you possibly add to that immense work of the classic composers, everything has been done, said, so much better than I possibly ever could. Didn't write a note for years.

After my studies I said, ah to hell with it, I have my own personal relation to music and sound (like I did before). Throw it all away, the master pieces, the genius composers, the laws and theories. Just do what you want and not what you "should" do as a composer.

Really thought the rock advice from marclawson is excellent. Look at these guys, just playing along, having fun, doing it themselves. Thinking of myself as a punk rocker really did help.

On the other hand, if you just have a burn out : just stop, as opposed to write every day all those hours. Stop it, go out, do something else. Music may come back or not. But don't force yourself into it.

 

[kmlandre]

One of my composition teachers once told me something like this:

"There's only twelve notes and they've all been used before. Stop worrying about being original, because you're several thousand years too late. Just pick a note, write it down, then pick another one. Stop trying to write something great and just write something."

This is the same teacher who made me write a bassoon solo on a harpsichord, and when I got stuck, made me scratch out all the parts of the piece that I *liked* and only work with the parts I hated.

And it worked. Whenever I get stuck, I always return back to those basic lessons. Of all the years I spent studying music in college, it feels like biggest bang for the buck came from that first year of "Just the Facts, Ma'am."

Kurt M. Landre'
https://www.SoundCloud.com/kmlandre

 

[Valérie_D]

It's been said in various ways here ( as in "write for 6 hrs a day") but the most important three words I've heard: "a writer writes."

So I do. I don't pre- judge it. Sometimes what I write sucks. Sometimes it can be made better. In any case, if you write, you will have written, which generally feels better than having not written- which leads me to my most important FOUR words

When a writer was asked if he enjoyed writing, his reply was:

"I enjoy having written."

Good luck!

Great advice and way to look at composing!

For my part, the best music I came up with (up until now) was when we had a 24 hours blackout. I went back to the old piano and composed more themes in 2 hours that I would usually do in a week. Because I "could not work" officially, I was more in a state of playing a game, improvising so my inner critic was completely shut off and I didn't stress about it.

 

[SimonCharlesHanna]

I'm going to bump this because I want to remind people how amazing this place can be.



I just started Uni (music composition) and got very overwhelmed and going through another "I don't think I am capable of doing this" meltdown. I don't really have anyone in my life that supports me or understands some of these issues so I came back to this thread and re-read every post. It certainly helps me keep my chin up.

 

[InLight-Tone]

Read "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield today. An easy read and helps completely with the blocks you're having...

 

[SimonCharlesHanna]

so a friend was having a similar issue that I was when I posted this. I told him that a long time ago there was a thread on VI that had a significant impact on me he should check out.

After a little digging, he found this (2014 -wow!)

I cannot understate the impact all the advice given here has had on me and my career - I thought I would bump it because the words spoken here are invaluable to all of us.

 

[Markrs]

I'm in the same place, leading theory but almost now afraid to write music. I know afraid is a strange word to use as if someone will criticise me for doing it wrong, but that it is how it feels.

Part of it is being overwhelmed with new knowledge and choice whilst at the same time paralysed by not knowing the right choices to make due to a lack of knowledge. The old question, how much knowledge is enough.

 

[SimonCharlesHanna]

I'm in the same place, leading theory but almost now afraid to write music. I know afraid is a strange word to use as if someone will criticise me for doing it wrong, but that it is how it feels.

Part of it is being overwhelmed with new knowledge and choice whilst at the same time paralysed by not knowing the right choices to make due to a lack of knowledge. The old question, how much knowledge is enough.

It was certainly a hump I had to get through. If you can try to separate your theory brain from your creative one when writing during this period, it will help I think (let your instincts guide you rather than your limited theory understanding). Perhaps even think of your theory learning as another exercise separate from writing music. Easier said than done but I can assure you, you will get past this initial paralysis of realising that there's so much you don't know.

 

[Markrs]

It was certainly a hump I had to get through. If you can try to separate your theory brain from your creative one when writing during this period, it will help I think (let your instincts guide you rather than your limited theory understanding). Perhaps even think of your theory learning as another exercise separate from writing music. Easier said than done but I can assure you, you will get past this initial paralysis of realising that there's so much you don't know.

Thanks Simon, it is something I am working on.

It probably doesn't help that I have a ton of books still to read, courses to take, let alone all the fantastic YouTube content out there on music composition. Yet, when I do try to compose, I then feel guilty for not studying, especially if the creativity process is difficult.

I have to remember that composing is a journey, not an end point so I try not to get annoyed at myself.