Finding musical inspiration is one of the biggest challenges for any musician. Whether you’re a professional or it’s just something you do for fun on the side, getting stuck in a rut is common. When you need to do something different and break out of your usual patterns, you don’t have to wait for inspiration to strike. Playing around with different sounds and experimenting with what you can do is the perfect way to get your groove back. You never know what might happen. But where do you begin if you want to experiment with new sounds and find something new?
Switch Your Instrument
Changing to a different instrument will give you a new perspective and new options for experimenting with music. It’s a technique many well-known musicians have tried themselves, to great success. Even if it’s an instrument you’re not as confident with, just a temporary switch could inspire you. But what if you’re really only familiar with one instrument? Well, once you can play one, picking up others can be easier. Start with instruments similar to your main one. If you play guitar, try a bass or ukulele, or even just a different style of guitar and see what happens.
Set Yourself Challenges
There isn’t always someone in life who’s going to come along and challenge you. Sometimes you have to set yourself challenges if you want to push yourself. You could set yourself a variety of challenges if you want to experiment with your sound and discover what you’re capable of. Try challenging yourself to use sounds you hate but turn them into something you like. Consider a different genre of music or listen to music you don’t normally listen to for your inspiration. You could even try writing up against a clock to see what you can come up with under pressure.
Use Different Accessories
The sound of your instrument on its own offers a purity that can definitely be enjoyable. But sometimes you have to do something different. Using some different accessories will let you produce new sounds. When you’re playing guitar, for example, you might use a looper or even try out some doom metal fuzz pedals to produce a range of new sounds. The accessories you buy don’t have to be too expensive, either. Having said that, it’s worth investing in quality if it’s something that you anticipate using on a regular basis.
Experiment Digitally
While there’s something to be said for the pure sound of your instrument when you’re playing, you can also do a lot with digital tools too. Not only can you edit and mix sounds you’ve recorded, but you can also use digital tools to compose music without the help of any other instruments. A little digital experimentation can go a long way and can even allow you to do things that you’re not able to do with traditional instruments alone.
Start experimenting with your sound, and you could discover new inspiration that reignites your spark and your love for music.
