How do I get out of my song writing rut and compose something new and fresh for a change?
I have been writing melodies for my original lyrics since 2008 and have written quite a few songs in that time. But the more songs I write, the more difficult it becomes to write melodies that don't sound like one of my other songs.
Sometimes I don't even realize I copied my own melody until a friend says - "I like the lyrics but the melody sounds a lot like your song .....". Then I go back and listen to the older song and I see that they were correct.
My issue is that I write on guitar and seem to be stuck with the tired old - tried and true, popular chord progressions (ie. I, V, IV - or some variation) and the melodies seem to manifest withing predictable parameters within those "standard" progressions.
I have thought about trying to write in alternate tunings on guitar or writing on piano instead of guitar.
What are some effective devices I might use to get myself to "think outside the box" so to speak and become more diverse with my compositions? I could conceivably use several at once so any and all ideas are welcome.
I am sure many songwriters and composers might appreciate some ideas about how to approach their composing from a different angle that might inspire some unique new music.
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By restricting yourself.
Taking inspiration from new sources.
For instance,
You can try to write a song that has a particular structure.
You can try writing in a style that is new for you.
If you have a fledgling song idea that needs to be fleshed out, you can try to emulate a specific artist or use specific genre conventions. You can do this for the same seed and different artists, and see what works.
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