If you have been writing songs and playing music for long enough, the inevitable is bound to happen – you may feel like you are stuck in a rut. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that your music will suffer, but you will feel as if you have stalled as an artist.
If you are currently growing through such a phase, take comfort in knowing that this isn’t a permanent state. Rather, there are quite a few things you can try to get yourself back on track and start evolving as an artist once more.
Try a Different Genre
Most musicians are able to hone in on their favourite genre rather early in life. In fact, this is something that even non-musicians are able to do with relative ease. After all, in many instances, you don’t have too much control over your musical tastes. At the same time, stepping out of your comfort zone, at least as far as genre is concerned, can be quite helpful. Certainly, there are a lot of famous artists that did this and were able to transform their career. The reason this can be a great move is that it forces you to approach music in a different way. By learning new sounds, you will allow yourself to push your musical boundaries in a positive way.
Listen to Music In a New Way
Musicians tend to rely on their musical inspirations a lot more than realise. So, if you feel as though you are tapped out, try listening to songs you are familiar with in a brand new way. For instance, were you aware that some kinds of music simply sound better when played off of certain equipment? Take classical tunes and early rock and blues. See, these genres were recorded to be played on gramophones. However, when people switched over to CD players and then mp3 format, recording studios were forced to convert these records, thus losing some of the original sounds. So, by reverting back to the old equipment, you will be able to hear what those songs were supposed to sound like. You will be surprised by how stimulated you feel when listening to music the way that you should.
Learn a New Instrument
Similar to your musical tastes, you were probably drawn to a certain instrument rather early on. While you may dabble in other instruments, there is a good chance you probably stick with your favourite. Well, if this describes you, it is time to change things up. Go ahead and focus on a new instrument for a time. In case you don’t know how to play another instrument, make an effort to learn. Once again, this forces your brain to broaden its horizons and to consider other approaches to your musical style.
Try Your Hand at Collaboration
Finally, you might want to make music with other artists in the industry. When you start collaborating with other musicians, there is an exchange of ideas and influences. You get to borrow some of their approaches to songwriting or producing, allowing you to mix things up. Working as a team also means that can you get out of your own head as an artist and see things from a new perspective.
The tips mentioned here can be rather jarring, especially if you are used to making music in a certain way. Nonetheless, if you give these a try, you will definitely find yourself evolving as an artist.
Author Bio:
Tracy Plunkett is a blogger with a passion for music and tech. She constantly looks for new musical paths and shares her ideas and discoveries with anyone willing to listen. When she isn’t working, she can be found photographing nature and wildlife.
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Good advice Tracy. I really like the idea of learning a new instrument or playing a new genre…I recently started playing some Irish Music with a fiddle, accordion and tenor banjo among others and actually trying to play music in a genre and feel that is out of my comfort zone (I’m normally a rock and blues player) has really injected some motivation, interest and challenge into my playing. Another thing I would always advocate is improving the ear through interval recognition and chord recognition.