How do I take my music to the next level?

Question

I am a guitarist who has been playing for 4 years now. I am a good guitar player, as well as bass, drums, and piano. I cant seem to get inspired to take my music to the next level. People say my lyrics are good and the concept is good, but I cant seem to get the song to go from idea to a full length song. Yes, I have recording equipment, but getting the song completed seems like an impossible task. Help? Suggestions?

Like this......I will have a great lyric idea, or guitar riff, but I cant get a guitar riff to go to the lyric or a lyric to go to the guitar riff

No **** practicing helps, I've been playing constantly for 4 years now.

Answer 1

At some point you're going to have to "enter into the fray".
You have to ask yourself, just exactly what is it that you want to do musically? There are many avenues you can persue and because of that many musicians can get "sidetracked".
Maybe a change in your routine is warrented. Try finding a jam session where you don't know any of the cats playing and after listening to see if you like what's happening ask to sit-in. Then pay-attention. If you play with cats who you feel are a little "better" than you then youll, get better.
As far as your songwriting goes, finishing a song off can take years, but it also can happen, "just like that!" (finger-snap!) Use your recording gear as your notebook. Don't erase your work until you've squeezed every drop of an idea from it. Actually, I still have cassette tapes that I made back in the 60's and 70's, the fidelity is crap, but the ideas are intact. Don't be afraid to try something different. And trust yourself. If you wrote a song that you like then perform it like you like it.
If you can take a Harmony Class at your Community College. That will give you an insight on musical structures.
Remember, you can listen to advice and get information from ANYONE, some of it will be useable and some of it won't. It's kind of like eating fish or chicken, you eat the meat but spit out or eat around the bones.
Good Luck!

Answer 2

This may sound odd, but learn the songs of other people that you like. Then after you learn to play them, look at how they're put together. Most rock and pop songs have a form: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge and/or solo, and then chorus. If you look at how other people write songs, you'll learn how to do it better yourself.

Secondly, songs are not about riffs or lyrics; they are always about melody. Without some sort of melody there is no song, there are just riffs. It might be a good idea to put down the guitar and sing something just off the top of your head, and then pick up the guitar and see if you can find chords that fit what you just sang. After you come up with a good melody, it's easier to put the music to it. It's much harder to do it the other way around.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm a soloist and there are songs I can sing and I'll purchase the sound track for them. I also have soundtracks of songs that I love and would like to sing, however, I can't sing them because I haven't lived them. Add lyrics you have lived to your music. Things that you know have experienced in such a way no one else has. Then take a new look at the lyrics and see what happens.

Good luck, we need more music.

Answer 4

Play stuff that you find really hard to play. Go for prog rock I guess. Dream Theater stuff, Primus stuff, Buckethead stuff. Then you feel the music, and get in a vibe, and think up riffs and music and such. Also it'd be very good if you jammed with friends who are also good. Or join a band, and then offer all your ideas to them.

Answer 5

My suggestion is to just keep listening to alternative forms of music. And when I say alternative, I mean music that you don't normally listen to. Listen to anything and everything from bluegrass to punk to country to acid rock. Also, who are your favorite musicians? Look into who their influences were and tap into some of that knowledge. By the way, my favorite guitarist is Tommy Conwell. His music is not readily available anymore, but he is on I-Tunes.

Good luck with your search for that next inspirational level....

Answer 6

Just get in the zone. Think of all the greatest rockers of all time who took it to the next level, The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Cream all of those guys. Just practice, practice, practice, and if you really want too, you will make it. Put some of yourself in your songs.

Answer 7

nicely ima song produce my self nicely i will purely tell u what i do nicely first element i could open a myspace account placed some raps,beats ect ect an upload a acquire hyperlink for loose get your followers with the aid of fact quickly as u commence puttin expenses on tracks that anybody is goin to like it wont do u no favors for one element there is alot of song produces artist ghost writers in this worldwide do alot of posting around chat rooms web pages submit your hyperlink use this like your a song shop with the aid of fact there is alot of opposition in the song interest attempt beat the bargin fee extra u get on the acquire part the extra your gettin notest an thats the way i do my shyt final week i placed a beat up for acquire my acquire on that beat exchange into 4000 yet shop it actual dont commence puttin one out ever week placed one out each month or soo enable me lose interest and commence sending u comments so u get extra tracks up shop on doin this and your commence gettin messages from people asking you to do stuff believe me all in all I definitely have made approximately £15,000 in my song so a techniques soo do it as i do all i will say u gotta becom a sell all your products in the shop befor u can order extra **** if u no how i advise

Answer 8

Find a girlfriend that you can fall in love with...true love is always a good inspiration.

Answer 9

If you keep practicing you will go to next level for sure.

Answer 10

Try the elevator. Going up?