Ever feel like you lost your Creativity?

frianbisher · #1 10-16-2010, 02:39 PM

Hi,

I guess I'm not really looking for advice, I just want to know that someone has felt like me at some point in time.

Lately, I have sat down to play and I am just not "feeling it". Many times I can sit down and come up with pretty good basslines without even thinking about it, but lately nothing I come up with sounds all that great to me. I used to love my tone but now it all seems kinda blah even though I haven't changed my settings or setup at all. I know it will pass but I'm getting frustrated, I really wanted to come home and record today but no great ideas...So I suppose I'm just venting here...don't call the Whambulance or anything, I'll be ok. Maybe I'll take a break for a bit.

In light of me not recording anything today, could some fellow TB'ers take a listen to some of my songs and at least tell me I don't suck that bad? I'm not shamelessly plugging since I don't gig I just do it for my own amusement.

http://www.myspace.com/frianbisher

Have a good day friends.

Deluge Of Sound · #2 10-16-2010, 05:05 PM

Put your bass down for a week.

Rip Topaz · #3 10-16-2010, 05:18 PM

Yup. Walk away. See a movie. Take a walk. Get inspired.

Indiana Mike · #4 10-16-2010, 06:08 PM

I put mine down all summer ... Musically things dissolved and the couple of opportunities I had turned into trainwrecks.

I am finally getting back at it and enjoying it again

Rocks · #5 10-16-2010, 07:52 PM

new gear always works for me. There is nothing like a new (to me) bass, amp or other piece of gear to get me wanting to play again. It can be new or used and it gets me playing again. Every bass I have brings out something different from my playing. Lately I've been playing a lot of fretless and acoustic bass and playing my other basses at gigs.

gtaus · #6 10-16-2010, 08:38 PM

I play in a cover band, so I guess I've never been that creative to begin with. Also, music is not my whole life, just an escape from the pressures of the job, family, etc.... If my music has me in a funk, I take out my theory books and/or start playing music in other genres that I don't normally play. It's a break from what I normally play and that seems to be enough to reset my mood. But I do know guys that just get to a point where they need to walk away from music for awhile. I like my approach to playing other genres and/or hitting the lesson books because it's a more creative break than just walking away from bass playing. The more important thing, however, is that you realize your problem and know, that given time, it will pass.

mpdd · #7 10-16-2010, 08:42 PM

read a book, see a movie, ride a bike, go hiking, paint a picture, you can't force it dude

thomashawk · #8 10-16-2010, 08:47 PM

These are all great suggestions. I've been meaning to make a post about this book, but definitely check out "Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art" by Stephen Nachmanovitch. It is truly an amazing, and shockingly helpful book. It is so good that even Keith Jarrett gave a quote for the back. If you know anything about the difficulties of asking Keith to do anything, you should know how good this book is.

http://www.amazon.com/Free-Play-Impr.../dp/0874776317

Dantreige · #9 10-16-2010, 08:50 PM

Recharging your batteries can be done in a lot of ways. I do not think putting your bass down is the way to go. Try learning a new song. Listen to new music. Try a new effect. Listen to a favorite band. Go see some live music. Learn a new scale or some new chord tones.

Keep at it. Don't EVER put a time line on writing something.

Good luck!

Edit: I listen to your song. Good stuff. Maybe get a drum machine for some insperation. That can open up a lot of new posibilities.

frianbisher · #10 10-17-2010, 05:39 AM

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I am feeling a little better today. I spent most of last night looking for new music and found some really cool new stuff. After that I picked up my jazz and was pretty happy with the sound and feel of it. So yeah I am feeling a little better now.

Its strange how your motivation, inspiration and creativity can seem to leave you and then come back again. This was only about a 3 day strech of those kinds of feelings. I went through a period of about a year a few years back where I didn't even feel like picking up a bass at all...those were tough times but then I got back into it with enthusiam again. Maybe this is just a normal part of being a musician?

hrodbert696 · #11 10-17-2010, 05:55 AM

Thinking that you're not being creative is part of the creative process itself.

How recently have you been in front of an audience? I'm thinking about theater experience - you rehearse a comedy, after a month of rehearsal all the jokes seem lame and stale and you think the show is totally going to tank. But the show must go on... then the audience starts laughing and you realize that there was nothing wrong, it's just that you got too close to the material to realize how good it is.

gtaus · #12 10-17-2010, 10:52 AM

Good to hear you got your groove back.

Dogsferatu · #13 10-20-2010, 10:28 PM

I get like that at times... best thing i find i either watch "making of classic albums" dvds on netflix or interview on youtube... even for artists you either never heard of or liked... there is a reason they are considered classics... read. a book, bass player mag anything. download other musicians just like you and listen to where they are at... for me the main inspiration is listening to everything around me (natural sounds - turn everything off) interacting with people (suggestions) and discovery (listen to podcasts or read blogs about indie music).

get a dog.

Templar · #14 10-20-2010, 11:20 PM

Find some different people to play with, even if they suck.

Munjibunga · #15 10-21-2010, 12:19 AM

No. I never really had much to begin with.

**SamanthaCay** · #16 10-21-2010, 12:50 AM

I like to watch youtube videos and learn new things or I will go to my local library and find some new sheet music to learn from.

somegeezer · #17 10-21-2010, 01:30 AM

Always. I feel that without recording equipment, it's hard for me to write anything anyways. I try tab a lot of stuff out, but can never get it qute right. I think if I could record directly, I'd be able to come up with a lot of cool ideas.

paganjack · #18 10-21-2010, 01:40 AM

I have a list for what I do when I'm stuck in a musical rut.

1) LISTEN to music. It's very motivating and inspiring.
2) Hit the books. Learn some theory or scales to play with.
3) Pick out a new potentially horrifyingly challenging piece to learn.
4) Try a different tuning on your instrument. You'd be surprised how much of a difference it makes.
5) Meditate. There's nothing like clearing out space in your mind for fresh ideas.
6) Read around on the interwebs/watch youtube videos of people playing ridiculous music.
7) And if you really must... take a break from playing for a few days.

jacofox · #19 10-21-2010, 06:55 AM

Maybe learn another instrument as well as bass?

When this happens to me I usually pick up the acoustic guitar, strum a few chords, maybe write a simple song...just for a bit of variety and to keep the musical juices flowing

tangentmusic · #20 10-21-2010, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hrodbert696

Thinking that you're not being creative is part of the creative process itself.

How recently have you been in front of an audience? I'm thinking about theater experience - you rehearse a comedy, after a month of rehearsal all the jokes seem lame and stale and you think the show is totally going to tank. But the show must go on... then the audience starts laughing and you realize that there was nothing wrong, it's just that you got too close to the material to realize how good it is.

I really like the point being made here.... just because you felt a bit stale, doesnt mean you actually were. We all have our grey clouds from time to time.