Has anyone else out there just lost hope in their music once in a while? I'm going through a little period of self doubt right now. It just seems useless or something. Like I'm wasting my time. I feel like I'm stuck...like I'm not improving but just staying in the same status of a musician as I am now. I don't feel like I'm getting better...know what I mean? Was wondering if I was alone.

-tracey

Tracey:
I know that "blah" is way off topic, but, yes, I feel so *much* this way right now that I'm "inclined to decline" joining a new band a guy wants to start; not because the band wouldn't have good players and be playing great stuff, but because I feel stuck and inert in my own playing.

I'm thinking of taking off an extended period from live gigging and just practicing, trying to work on some things I never quite got under my fingers or in my ears, etc. Problem is, old habits die hard. But I'm real dissatisfied (=blah) with my own music now. I've even considered concentrating on one player, e.g., Herbie Hancock, to try and push my playing in a *genuinely* new direction.

So . . . What's bugging you about where you are? What's not clicking?

This is *so* off-topic; I'd be glad to continue privately/off-the-board if you want.

doug/dnark

I have definetly been there. As simple as this sounds, sometimes getting new sounds for your instrument(if you play keyboards) can really make a difference. Or listening to music that got you involved in playing in the first place. I still get down, but not as often. I just try to remember what a gift musical talent is. Hope I helped.

Yes...I know it isn't exactly the right forum for this sort of thing. But it does seem to be one of the more active ones.

I don't know how to explain it really. Here's an example: sometimes I'll listen to my own music and be like, "man...did I do that? That's not bad at all." Others, I'll listen to it and say to myself, "Geez...that's not good. It sucks. I'll never be a good musician."

Sorry it's so off topic. I get that way sometimes.

-Tracey

Yes...that makes sense. Maybe I'm just sick of the same old...same old. I was thinking about taking some time off from making music for awhile. Hoping that it would rejuvinate me...kind of like fasting or something. Just spending some time listening and studying the music that sparked my interest in playing is not a bad idea. Something to give me inspiration...
Thanks. That did help.

I'll try to find a forum that deals with this kind of stuff. ;/

I don't know if it's necessary to find another forum, really. There's a guitar thread on this forum that is a mile long, but I don't think anyone is bothered by it. People here are pretty cool. I'd be interested in others' opinions.

The idea about going back to the music that got you interested in the first place is great. I've done that occasionally, even to sequence a whole bunch of stuff that I just *liked*--not my own compositions, but stuff I just *liked*. Very satisfying. I even made a tape of my own covers for myself.

I don't know what your background is, but you might want to try to move in a different direction for a bit just for the experience, maybe even take lessons.

It's funny you should mention that. I've been thinking a lot lately about taking some professional lessons. I mean, I had a semester of Piano I in college, and I have HAD about five professional lessons. Since then I've learned on my own with books and practice. Scales and such. Not a very structured learning like it would be if I took lessons.

Actually...you just gave me a good idea. I could just practice learning and playing my favorite music. I mean...it's already written, all I have to do is listen (and occasionally get the sheet music )

-Tracey

What would I do without you guys.

I'm very happy I could help. I tried taking time off but it was like trying not to breathe. It's as much a part of me as my heart. I'm sure its the same for you. Making recordings of covers or anything you want is a great idea too.Thank you to who said that. I find if I stop worrying about if the music is good enough or "marketable" for a second I can write some amazing things. Just letting it happen. This forum is as good as any. No reason to go anywhere else. What we're talking about is a huge part of being musicians.More than the equipment we use (though I really love Roland stuff

do you all own a Roland product only or somthing else with it?

I think I have somthing here...

This is the JV/Xp/XV forum. But I personally own other instruments. A Ensoniq TS-12 and a Fender Telecaster. And alot of software.

If you mean what I think you mean, no...it's not the Roland equipment bring us down. It's very inspiring to me anyway.

I have had this feeling several times. I think what's helped me a lot is that I play several instruments, (I'm guilty of feeding the guitar thread). If I feel I've reached a stagnant point on keys, I just focus more on guitar for a while and learn a couple new licks and tricks. When that gets old, I work out my sax technique. I never totally abandon 1 instrument for another though, at least not my main 3. If I do, I'll go backward, but I do redirect my focus for a bit.

Another thing that has helped me immensely is the fact that I've been hired to produce/arrange/perform, on 2 different CDs in the past year. One is more rock/softrock, and the other is quite folk/country. I am responsible, at least in part, for making these artists sound good; to make their songs interesting to listen to, to make them appealing/marketable without becoming stale. Combined with my own more jazz oriented efforts, I've had more than enough stimuli to keep my brain and hands learning/creating. I listened to a whole lot of music I wouldn't have otherwise listened to, and I expanded my horizons that much further.

Finally, playing live gigs helps as well. You can easily get bored playing for yourself all the time, but sharing your stuff with people who have never heard you before, or with people who don't listen to you every day, just makes you feel fresh. Your music doesn't seem as boring, and your playing as stagnant, when you've got people listening and enjoying what you do.

I don't know if that heps at all, but I might suggest starting on another instrument, learning to play different styles of music, work with other people, (more people=more ideas), and try to play live.
This formula won't work for everyone however, as in Doug's case. He seems to have played out a lot, and with many people, and is growing tired of that. (at least that's what I gathered from his post.) So there's no 1 way to get over this hump. Just know that you'll get over it though. I always have, but I feel myself sliding into yet another. I hate it when that happens. So do you know what I've done? I've ordered some ethnic music. Maybe i need to get into African/mideast sounds for a while. I just keep plugging away, always expanding.

Hi

Let me start by saying that I do not make a living from music or work with it full time. For me it is my favourite hobby.. I play both covers and some stuff that I have written myself.

Lately I've also had some of these problems. My inspiration has been very low, as there are so many other things going on in my life. I also have problems finding time for music right now.

What I have found to help me best, is to just not demand all that much from myself. Instead of sequencing or creating music, I just sit down and play with my synth. I choose a patch and just play whatever comes into my head, or experiment with the sound-editing etc.

I think the most important thing is to not put pressure on yourself, but just relax and say to yourself that you WILL get back to music later, just not right now..

Stig

"Stigf" had a good point about sound editing. A great way to feel fresh is to create your own sound. It always breathes new life into a song I'm working on if I create my own patch. I work on music for tv, and video so sometimes it gets hard to get out of the 30 or 60 second mindset, but I force myself to write longer pieces so I don't forget how. Thanks for reading. I know I can babble.

It must be in the air, this dip...
anyway, one of you mentioned that new sounds are an inspiration but the multitude of patches you can download only seem to clog me. there're so many synth bass sounds and crunchy leads out there to make a deaf man vomit. I find trying to recreate real life sounds is very inspiring, or trying to combine sounds to create hybrid instruments. Make fantasy instruments that you can actually envision. try to think of a water-piano: a piano with strings that consist of water or how about a cloud-harp: how would that sound? I also enjoy reading the names that people made up for their patches. especially them synthpads and synthFX. try Phobos, or Titan or Atlantis. their are so many inspired souls out their how can actually synesthesize their sounds. [Synesthesia is the phenomenon in which one mixes up different types of the senses: colours can scream and sounds can sting.]
try making a sound that itches, or a sound that sort of sticky and wet, think of swamps and how would a rainbow sound? imagine the breathing of a planet and try to recreate that. How do smells sound? there's a million possibilities. I hope I don't sound like a new age fan or anything but the worlds just that magical if you can see it. That's my inspiration and if I forget it every now and again I just talk about music and sound in general with other people that love to talk about it.
hope this was of any help

That's an amazing way to look at music. I totally agree with you. I love to create my own sounds. Hybrid instruments can be incredible inspirations. You should check out a program called "Metasynth". I haven't used it yet, but I read an article about it. You can take photos and somehow transform them into sound.

That's a different way of looking at sound. I like it. I think the idea of practicing sound editing and the different aspects of music (instead of just the creation) is a good idea. Kind of venture into the technical side of it for awhile. I think I'll do that. And I do put too much pressure on myself to get it done SOON, instead of just enjoying the experience of making music. I always have a hard time relaxing. Maybe I should have become a guitar player so that I could dance around while I play.

Most musicians hit this from time to time. My prescription is CHANGE.

If you play live a lot, maybe pull back and don't gig as much. Or try to work your way into a different musical niche. I went from a country band to a heavy metal band to a punk band to a latin-jazz band, and each forced me to focus on new (or old and rusty) skills.

If you play a lot, try playing less and getting into writing. Or vice versa.

If you play the same style a lot, explore a different one, immersing yourself in it to the exclusion of other styles for a while.

If you're tired of your band, get out and work alone for a while. Or vice versa.

Sometimes it's the music itself that wears me down, but sometimes it's the music BUSINESS.

Examine what it is that's dissatisfying you, and try a 180 degree different direction.

(If you're a Seinfeld fan, remember when George decided to do the exact opposite of his initial impulses, and his quality of life skyrocketed!)

Hang in there - you're not alone. It gets better, honest.

You must be inspired enough by all this humanity, shown in the responses, that seems so lacking in the music making biz

I wish you the best at getting out off the Block you're in, We've all been there Tracey.

D

"I wish you the best at getting out off the Block you're in, We've all been there Tracey." -Dave

Thanks Dave! I'm positive that I will now. You've all given me some great ideas! I love this forum!!

One more thing:
Just hear to the music in the radio and You are feeling better. Your music can't be worse

Amen that stalker!!

You do have a point, Stalker.

Hey,
I got my inspiration back. I spent the weekend learning John Lennon - Imagine. I've also been learning Stairway to Heaven (as cliche as that may seem, at least it's on piano and not a guitar). Thanks for your help again. I'm rejuvinated.
Anyone else do anything different this weekend?

-Tracey

[This message has been edited by stillme (edited 01-28-2002).]

That's great Tracey. I did something kinda different today. I had my first rehearsal for a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. I am one of 3 keyboard players. I'm handling most of the orchestrations. A first experience for me and a great challenge. My Fantom comes Wednesday.Anyone have one yet?

I did some recording with my dad and brother this weekend. Dad got all inspired this past week. The family band did quite a bit of recording years ago. We've put out 6 albums, playing locally. Anyway, once my sisters married and I went to college and started my own career, the family operation kind of stopped. Oh, we do a few gigs a year, my dad, brother, and I, but not all that much. Anyway, my dad got in the mood to start working on another CD. This will be the first real recording he's been on since '89 or 90. It was really fun to lay down a few tracks again with him and my brother. I guess we're going to just go at it as we have time. This weekend was the first, and the next will be mid February. It's going to be a good time I think.

That's really cool. I come from a musical family too. My father is a amazing guitar player. His name is Sal DiTroia. He was one of the top New York and Los Angeles session players back in the 70's and early 80's. He does projects here and there. My brothers also play. And my grandfather. I've been fortunated enough to have a lot of support growing up.

I'm hoping maybe my kids will grow up and become interested in playing an instrument so I can teach them, and maybe we can have a little family band as well. That would be real cool! We've always been kind of a musical family as well. My older brothers always had a band set up in the basement and would practice all the time. One brother is a singer, the other a guitar player with some drum experience. My mom used to teach me little songs on the piano that she learned as a child. But mostly my brothers got me into doing music. Actually, my brother Mark put out a Christian cd. He had five hundred or a thousand, can't remember which, made and sold them. He did all the instruments in it. Drums, guitar, singing...a little synth. He's been my biggest inspiration. His cd is great, too. It's not a typical christian cd...it is really fun and interesting to listen to. It's mostly rock based.

It's fun playing with other keyboardists, Ditroia. Sounds like you're having a good time. I don't get to play with others much...but very recently me and my fellow musicians got together and decided that we were going to get our equipment together twice a month, once every other weekend, and practice. So we have a drum expert who also has an XP, a guitarist, and a keyboardist (me) with my own XP. Maybe I'll get enough guts someday to actually sing.

-Tracey

[This message has been edited by stillme (edited 01-29-2002).]

It is alot of fun but alot of work. I definetly have to start getting together and jamming just for fun again. Everything I do anymore is for some project. Good luck with your friends. There is some great music education software out there for kids. Do a search for music education software.

The only problem is we all have kids and they just about trashed my house last time they were over. We're sitting there trying to concentrate on jamming, and the kids are running around the house screaming, making noise, throwing stuff around. It took my son over an hour to clean up the basement after they left. I went down to get the clean clothes out of the dryer and found two empty pop cans thrown in with my clothes. I was pissed. Plus they tried to burn the house down. My husband went down there and found all the kids with a box of matches, each taking turns lighting them.

-Tracey

[This message has been edited by stillme (edited 01-30-2002).]

WOW!! I hope your Xp is insured (just kidding). Kids can drive ya nuts sometimes.

I have read a few responses and guys....cheer up! Everyone goes through this phase, its part and parcel of the creative process, you would never write a piece of music you thought was good unless you'd experienced writing crap ones in the same way as you would never thought you played well unless you had an off day...its all relative. One problem I find with synth owners is that they get bored of their sounds pretty quickly because they concerntrate too much on the actual sound rather than the idea. I am a classically trined piano player and i have never got bored with the way it sounds.
I think that when you are going through a bad patch playing with other musicians is a great way of gaining ideas. I play in a funk/jazz group and a session the other month although crap, inspired me to write an ampbiant chill out song which has had much interest from various British record labels.
Don't let your technical ability get you down...I know every scale in the book but from the sounds of it alot of you guys are far more creative than I'll ever be. The key is to use your flare and the better you get the more you will be able to exploit your initial talent!!!

Well,
I got my inspiration back for a little while, then lost it again. My piano broke the other day when I was really getting into playing it. The pin on the sustain pedal just snapped. That, and I finally got the floppy drive back for my XP, and discovered that the guy either 1, sent me back mine in worse shape than it started out in or 2, sent me another broke one. He was supposed to send me a brand new one. So much for customer service. So I'm waiting for a new one that I ordered directly from Roland.
I got kind of depressed and discouraged for a few weeks there and didn't play at all. Now I'm getting back into it the past few days. It just made me mad that I was finally getting back into playing and then the piano just breaks.

-Tracey