[ArcheM]

So it's a hobby, or at least I'm trying to make it that, but I've got two big problems.

One is inspiration, quite simply. I can sit and doodle around and not get anything except a meaningless pentatonic scale. Or I can just walk around or do whatever and an interesting melody just happens in my head. And this can be quite annoying at times, especially when it's gone from my head when I get to the computer and want to write it down.

The other problem is all the existing songs in the world. So if I sit around waiting for inspiration I keep just stumbling on a catchy tune that I know. But also if I come up with my own I often finish a couple verses and get stuck, because wherever I try to take it I end up in some existing song.

I don't know if anyone here can relate. But I don't have anywhere else to vent this frustration.

[Skeezyks]

When I was young, I played guitar. (I recall a line from an old, old TV program titled "Dobie Gillis": "If you throw a rock into a crowd, you have at least a 50% chance of hitting a guitar player!" Actually, way back then, I was considered to be a pretty-good guitarist although, by today's standards, I would be just a beginner! (Things were simpler way back then.) Anyway... as I grew into my middle 20's I gradually just gave it up altogether.

A few years ago, I decided I'd like to try playing some music again. But I didn't want to return to the guitar. And I wanted something simple. So I decided I'd play the autoharp. I thought it would be easy. It wasn't... at least not the way I wanted to play it. Plus, I found that I couldn't remember any songs when I wanted to play. I could whistle a tune all day long. But if I sat down with my instrument to play it, my mind would simply go blank. The whole thing simply became more frustrating than it was worth. So, as a result, I now have two custom-made autoharps stored in my closet. I think about taking them out again occasionally. But I don't think I have the energy, or the ambition, to do it.

If you really want to capture tunes in your mind, you could try recording them by humming into you phone and working them out later.

I'm not sure I have an answer for your problem per se, more like a comment. I think its really awesome when I hear about anybody wanting to start a practice or a more active hobby. Whether its creative, meditative, athletic, for work, etc. I think that its a wonderful thing to have and do, and challenge oneself with. It's not always easy, it's not always fun. But it can be rewarding. And it can be fun. That's the point!! I myself have a bunch of hobbies. My favorite one currently, is knitting. I have a meditation practice that is kind of collecting dust. It makes me feel better usually and I'd like to get back to it.

I like Key Tones' idea for you. Carrying around a small recording device or phone with one already on it. Good idea.

[ArcheM]

My only gripe with it was that whichever instrument I hear a tune in first is for me really hard to change then... On the other hand money is really tight now and I don't think I have any choice but to go acapella.

the most creative music I ever came up with was a medieval version of the children's song round and round the garden (at school)

from then I've known making music... probably not for me

[Michael2Wolves]

I've come up with one that has a southwestern flair to it.

Let's see...it's...

Am C/G G Em Fmb G

I think that's it.

[Row Jimmy]

I hear songs on the radio that interest me, write them down, and then noodle later. I don't take it seriously since I'm not a serious musician. I just listen to the song on the computer over and over and fiddle about. I'm trying to teach myself "White Rabbit" right now.......as soon as I learn it, I'll forget most of it. Plus I suck at chords so I don't take it seriously. I use it as an escape to my relatively pointless existence.

[mote.of.soul]

Hi, I can relate. Did a lot of jamming in the past and am into trying to produce some music. Sort of reaggaestep/dubstep.

One thing that helps me with inspo is listening to other peoples music. Music you really like. Somehow it gives me the feeling of 'yeah, I want to make something awesome too!'.

And, what I do if it starts sounding too much like an existing song, is to just change the chords or notes or chord progression to something else you like but retain the vibe you want as well. A lot of songs sound similar to each other, I mean entire genres sound similar. As long as you know you're not copying or plagiarizing anything, it's okay. It's music!

Enjoy.

[ArcheM]

Well, I've started studying music theory seriously (which means writing things down in a notebook), in a hope that I can actually kind of direct chords, instead of blundering wildly around the fretboard.

[mote.of.soul]

Originally Posted by ArcheM

Well, I've started studying music theory seriously (which means writing things down in a notebook), in a hope that I can actually kind of direct chords, instead of blundering wildly around the fretboard.

For sure. That's great, it'll definitely come in handy. I remember when I was first shown the minor scale for example, it changed everything. Opened up a lot of different things.

[Michael2Wolves]

What's wrong with blundering? Kerry King of Slayer did that before he went to college for music, and they produced great albums like South of Heaven. King, in an interview with GuitarOne said that he hates the way his old stuff sounds (he's out of his mind--South of Heaven was a badass album) because after he learned music theory, he could hear everything he was doing wrong.

[ArcheM]

Well, I'm unfamiliar with the gentleman, but must disagree from a role of an amateur always striving to improve... The point of music theory is not that something is wrong or right, but to understand some regularities in why something sounds right or wrong. I mean, notes and chords themselves exist only because of music theory. People clanged things together every which way until (if I'm not mistaken) Pythagoras came along and figured out that these 12 particular tones sound good, but more importantly the random clangers tend to arrive at these 12 tones (at least in Europe), after a lot of experimentation. The same thing with chords and eventually the whole song structure... The problem for me is that I struggle in vain. The same as with the primitive clangers, I'm going to experiment with random chords, but my mind is still going to end up at one of a few progressions that have been figured out ages ago. Perhaps because of cultural influence, but in the end it's what's going to sound right to me. Except with music theory I could figure that out much quicker.

But there's nothing wrong with working outside discovered relationships, if that sounds right to you... Or even if it doesn't. I mean, I don't even know with modern academic music.

[Michael2Wolves]

King's take on it was he could see the scales he was trying to use, and how he would go off-key from a technical point, even though we, as listeners, don't hear the difference.

Music is mathematics given the blush of reality, and even music suggests that there are certain patterns in Nature that re-occur over and over, like the 12 modes. This pattern is an archetype that we see again and again. The reason Megadeth sounds the way it does is because Dave Mustaine studied a lot of classical music, and learned scales used by Bach and Beethoven (mainly the harmonic minor and melodic minor scales). Yngwie Malmsteen did the same thing. We recognize those scales without really knowing why, but that is why--those songs, like Für Elise, use a scale whose notes fall in the same range as other, more modern songs, so we hear similarity.

I would just focus on learning scales, and learning chords. If you want to get fast, learn scales, and then only do triplets three notes within the scale that you practice fast with hammer-ons. Yngwie Malmsteen would be a good start for you to do that--his triplets are ridiculous.

[ArcheM]

Well, I'm not into metal really, and I'm kind of interested in making multi-instrumental music with a computer... although I can't afford the software that would allow me to achieve the results that I want, and have to settle for acapella singing... well, when I think about it, in more detail I also can't afford the equipment to record any kind of guitar, and with what I have only voice comes out in any kind of decent quality... I kind of want to look up if there's any metal redone acapella...

[Michael2Wolves]

Yngwie has transcended metal into something else entirely. His songs are more operatic because of how much he studied classical music, and his lessons are great, even if you're not into metal. It's guaranteed to make your fretting hand faster and more accurate.

How about this guy?

[ArcheM]

That's some fine playing. Although I have to confess that at some point the pursuit of arrangement turned futile for me. There's some magical people who pull it off, but for me when a composition containing a piano flies 6 octaves to Sunday or whatever it just gets too irritating. Gotta have something to do with my OCD.

[Michael2Wolves]

lol Yeah, I understand that. Stay in the same octave or two. :P Once you learn chords and scales, you'll discover yourself suddenly discovering songs you've heard. "Wait, that sounds like (insert song name)!"