7 Quick Tips to Help You Be a More Creative Musician
Have you ever struggled with creativity as a musician? Welcome aboard! You aren’t the only one. Creativity is a very tricky thing for any artist and as a band member, you must be facing some challenges to live more creatively and find inspiration from external sources.
Listen to music that is new to you
Listening to your favorite music is familiar to you; it’s like your comfort zone. Drawing influence from other genres – even those you wouldn’t normally listen to – is really useful, allowing you to tap into new emotions and ideas. Take the best ideas of the genre and brainstorm how you can apply them to your own music. Just get out of your comfort zone!
Jam with friends
Hold a no-agenda jam session with some of your friends but don’t focus on yourself! You are bound to see something new from a different perspective, which will eventually inspire you to create more unique and creative music in the future.
Try a different instrument
If you’re a guitarist, try writing your next song on the piano. Throughout history, Paul McCartney switched from guitar to bass, Joey Ramone from drums to vocals, and Dave Grohl from drums to guitar and vocals – and just look how that all turned out! Don’t be afraid of trying something new. It doesn’t have to be permanent; you just need to change your surroundings and get out of your comfort zone.
Learn music theory
The more you know about musical concepts and theory overall and the more accurately you can connect your ear to your brain, the more creative you can be. You might be lacking some creative tools for discovering yourself and advancing your music. So knowing music theory allows translating ideas from your mind into reality much easier, and allows you to expand your ability to come up with great ideas in the first place.
Take breaks
Don’t be too harsh on yourself. You are only a human being, and you tend to burn out when you have too much work. Taking some time out can have the additional benefit of giving much-needed distance when you’ve lived and breathed a project for too long.
Record everything
Try to write down all the ideas that come to your mind. You might be remembering it now, but in several minutes, it’s gone. Don’t wait for what you feel is the best idea; just get it all down. In the end, you will see that you have more creative ideas and perspectives than you think because you will have a list of creatives in front of you.
Book into a masterclass
If you truly strive to become more creative, enroll in a masterclass. You’ll likely be able to watch and listen to the master’s insights on interpreting particular creative music or processes, alongside gaining exposure to a broader group of musical professionals, increasing your confidence as a performer, having the invaluable opportunity to receive and accept criticism.
Don’t ever allow yourself to think you are not talented or creative. All people sometimes lose spark and eagerness to create constantly, meaning you have to recharge yourself by getting out of your comfort zone. There are plenty of things you can try to refill your creative tank, and be sure to try at least one tip mentioned above to boost yourself and become creatively driven once again.