creativity delimma

SnoMan · #1 06-21-2005, 03:05 AM

I think this is more suited for here than off-topic...if it needs moved, feel free

Ok, I've been having a large creativity delimma for the last few months now.

I'm having a very difficult time in finding direction for my abilities. I tend to be one-track minded. I tend to be somewhat analytical and am very passionate about my endevours, but currently with music I am feeling very hard pressed to be who I am.

I currently play with a hard rock band. We haven't done as well as we have hoped since we hit the scene early last fall. I am very much aware that this is a short amount of time. I'm becoming more and more restless with this situation. I feel bound souly to my bass duties. The approach we take on creating new material, just...feels so processed at times. CHORUS-VERSE-CHORUS-VERSE-BRIDGE-VERSE blah bah I'm just giong through the motions now. The others seem at least relatively happy with the way things are going about. I did feel like I was in a band that had direction, now it seems more like the basement jams from earlier in my music...career, for lack of a better term at the moment. Our music has been somewhat reborn after adding our lead guitarist, that added a new flare for a little while, but now we seem to have fallen back snuggly into our slots. We're currently working on material to add to our current so we can release a full albumn hopefully in fall. If that doesn't create a splash for us at least locally, then my time here is most definately numbered.

My main issue is my personal direction. As I said, I tend to stay focused on things when I take to them...but with music, there is so much I want to do, but I just don't have the means to accomplish them. Having seen Freekbass and communicating with him often I now have a great desire to create a working Funk band. That music just moves me, literally, it makes me do what other people call dancing(which I consider myself to do rather poorly, I'm just being moved by the groove). Also, I've recently discoverred a band call Blue October. I think the vocals are absolutely incredible....the melodies follow no set format, but are held together by passion. These are two of the newer artists that are really inspiring me.

But inspiring me to what?

I lack direction. Also, I'm a fairly introverted person and find it very difficult to communicate my ideas(and often communicate in general) with others. I just feel stuck. A large part of me wants to pack up and leave this place and start again in a new city, somewhere with a moderately prosperous music scene, but I have to wonder what I would gain by diong something like that. I'm confident that with my abilities I would be able to find music to be a part of, but would it return to the same old drudge that I feel like I'm giong through now.

I know everyone goes through this. It's just eating at me to the point that I don't know what to do anymore.

Sorry, I'm sure that has been covered several hundred times before, but being such a personal issue I didn't really want to search for similar threads....

lowphatbass · #2 06-21-2005, 02:40 PM

Playing music almost always starts out as a "fun" thing, but we almost always get to point in time or a situation where it feels more like "work". I play alot of different styles of music with alot of different people, some gigs feel alot more like work than others. Sometimes it's the music, sometimes it's the people, sometimes it's BOTH!! What keeps me going more than the fact that I am getting paid is bieng personally challenged, but many times I have to really search for that challenge. Lately I have been playing alot of blues which I haven't really done for quite a few years. Trust me when I tell you that playing 12 bar shuffles for 4 hours can feel like work, but I have found a subtle yet worthy challenge. It may sound stupid but I am challenging myself to play less, more simply and utilize my ability to be solid and precise while still laying down a fat pocket for the band to sit comfortably in. I have also challenged my equipment and have gotten my Dingwall to behave much like a Precision(with help from his new pups!).
All that being said, having an outlet to blow-off creative steam is important. People like you who aren't quite happy doing "the norm" are what drives music forward and create "new sounds". I would suggest adding some free "creative" time during band practice so that everybody can really express themselves to the rest of the band. Play some of the other music you mensioned to another band member and get some feedback. If they look at you like you're crazy and "creative time" turns into the same old jams then you might consider doing something with some more like minded musicians.
Whatever you end up doing always find a way to challenge yourself. The day we stop doing that is the day we stop getting better.

RicPlaya · #3 06-21-2005, 03:10 PM

What's the main problem? Is it your inability to create these other sounds or your bandmates not wanting to try new things?

If it's something within you holding you back you must be a student of your craft and learn some things on your own. Maybe study other artists listen to other styles of music. Learn tunes in your own time that have elements you want to incorporate into your music. Study, practice, learn. Just because you won't play these tunes or artists in a live setting doesn't mean you won't gain from it. You said you like Funk? Start there learn a bunch of funk tunes. Listen to these songs and artists and see how they arrange the songs, verse, bridges solos etc. to expand your own ideas.

If it's a matter of your bandmates not seeing what you want to try then you may have to find some other people to jam with on the side or have a talk with them.