As some of you folks have experienced, writer’s block is just a straight up terrible thing. You get stuck in the same old rut and you try to push through it but nothing in your mind budges.
I’ve known some people that get through it by writing a bunch of junky, unusable tunes until they hit some spark and they go from there.
One thing I found to work for myself, is to play a different instrument for a while and play that instrument only (unless you play a specific instrument in your band or whatever). Playing a different instrument and forcing yourself to play it for a while will get you thinking differently about the same music that you write. I always have a guitar and a bass handy and I play the guitar with a pick and the bass with my fingers. When I’m not in a rut, I’ll play both interchangeably and do whatever I want with them (mostly meaning I play guitar with either my fingers or any one of various picks, and bass with fingers and/or picks).
This used to be especially successful when I also had a drumset or my keyboard handy. I am currently without the drumset and my keyboard is being used by my younger brother so I have been limited to the stringed instruments, but I eventually will get me another for use in my studio and also for me to get rid of my writer’s block.
Another good technique, is just listen to new music and pick out things you like and just learn how to play it on every instrument you own. It can give you some insight into how someone else plays and what their creative moments have lead to, which could also spark some sort of creative fire within you.
This is what has worked for me so far, and I am interested in finding more ways to help me become a better musician all around. I hope this helps one of you folks.
RJ Ellsworth 