How do you break the mold (mould)?

Snoogles

Snoogles

Cranky-dologist
"routine" can be a good thing
it keeps you active
if you go through the same routine long enough, it can also dig your grave

especially when trying to create new sound-scapes and imagery in music, is reduced to muscle-memory

its said a rolling stone gathers no moss (or mold), but a rolling stone only rolls down hill. and there's only so far downhill a stone can roll.

personally, i've found renewed interest in actually picking up my guitar once again, and trying to figure out this thing called "theory".
however, i would trade all "theory" in the world to be inspired to create something in the vein of what i created nearly 20 years ago, in my interpretations of HP Lovecraft writings.

so i ask, how do you break your mold?
 
Re: How do you break the mold (mould)?

Well theory is good but generally isn't very inspiring. Breakdown a piece of music that really excites you and learn how it is built, that's a little more fun.

Lately I have been picking apart songs and solos that I have always loved but never learned. I find that usually gets me kicked up a notch.
 
Re: How do you break the mold (mould)?

I actually find theory very inspiring--learning about inverted chords improved my rhythm playing a lot. Learning counterpoint, modulation, secondary dominants/leading tones, etc has made my writing ability a ton better.

I mean... for the most part you're aware of what you don't know. If a song blows your mind, learn to play it and analyze the **** out of it. Come up with concepts for soloing and or writing--I guess my most recent example of this has been with chromatics. For a long time I liked and tried to use them but couldn't figure out exactly how to go about it. Then I figured out it's just about putting chord tones on downbeats and chromatics in between, now it's easy and that's one more thing I can do.

Basically if you actually make a consistent effort to learn more about your instrument and music in general, ideas will come.
 
Re: How do you break the mold (mould)?

listen to different stuff and it inspires you. When i listen to high on fire i write similar to that, same with mastodon or whoever else. My riffs change with my mood
 
Re: How do you break the mold (mould)?

I avoid trying. If I try, I just sound like everyone else trying to be innovative. I just intend to let my playing and writing reflect who I am, more or less. Eclectic musical and literature tastes are helpful for me, as well as pulling out the theory books and going HOLY CRAP I NEVER KNEW I COULD DO THAT OH MY GOD.
That's pretty much the extent of it, for me. I avoid trying to do things that haven't been done, since practically everything has been done. I just try to do what I do with a great deal of expression and expertise.
 
Re: How do you break the mold (mould)?

i was going to start a new thread, but i think it will fit in this one.

so i've taken on the project of learning some led zeppelin songs via tabs on the internet, instructional videos, and as much as possible, listening to the song and picking up by ear. its going fairly well. its fun. puts some purpose, direction and goals into playing guitar.

but then when i'm just left alone with my guitar and noodling around a chord, or in a scale, or key, or whatever, it either all comes out as an incoherent mishmash of goobledeegook notes. or it just sounds like i'm running scales

then i also have this problem, when i am just goofing/noodling around, i quickly revert to muscle-memory patterns of (bad) "licks" and "hooks".

here's one video clip where i say to myself "ok, i can figure out, and play most of those notes. i can kind of see he's playing a couple different modes, and pentatonic scales... but why does his noodling/improv'ing (whatever) sound musical. and what i do, it sounds retarded, and incoherent"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNuljO6tLdw

 
Re: How do you break the mold (mould)?

2 things--timing and where notes fall in the beat division

the human ear can detect mistakes in rhythm before pitch, so if your 16th notes are off it's just gonna negate anything else you may have going on.

Also, land on chord tones or carefully chosen "color" tones on downbeats. For example--

If someone is playing an Am7 chord (A, C, E, G) and you run the Am scale over it, let's say eighth notes starting on the high 3rd, your sequence of notes is basically

C B A G F E D C
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

so it starts pretty good, on the first few downbeats you have chord tones, but then from 3 on it basically sounds like crap.

SO, if you add in a Major 7th as well, you get

C B A AbG F E D C
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1

look at that, on downbeats you have C, A, G, E. All the notes of the chord...
 
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