strats said:
I didn't see that, had to STRAIN to see it...
Lets see.
Okay, lets agree on 1 major point that encompasses songwriting as a whole.
There is
no fixed way to go about composing.
So okay, with that established...
Different people have different ways of going about composing. There are "normal" ways:
1) Start with a rhythm, build up from there
2) Chord progressions
3) Main Melody
From those 3, there's always, if you are stuck in a rut, trying to exotic rhythm, playing some jazzy chords (for rockers) or playing an exotic melody out. Kind of straight forward IMO...
However, there are more ways.... one of which would be a theme-based approach. Themes can be:
1) feeling
2) Vibes
3) Emotions
These are a different set of "rules" that require you to go with your own flow. Its very vauge I would think, but sometimes, when you are stuck... play some cool chords but you play the same old pentatonic, this is what you need.
GET INSPIRED.
Then approach the guitar with a theme in mind...
Some times it works. Some times it doesn't.
Oh, it helps to be purposely different. Like what you said, Shredders can get stale, same old playing. The trick is to get out of the box. We all know the usual... play on 1 string only lah... play with slides only lah... so on so forth. Personally, i favour this approach. I have the dread of getting into a "normal" mode. I hate it... So when I take up my guitar... it can be starting from a melody, or from some rhythm, but hte main thing on my mind is how to make it rock but not sound like any one else.
Occasionally, I'll play based on a vibe or feeling, which became Freak Out! for me... then sometimes, I'll play based on a rhythm, which became Slinky Pinky Thingy.
There's just so much to explore when you go out of the box! Here's a few of what I would do...
1) Play as rhythmically, percussively as you can. Use the old pentatonics. Think funk.
2) Play over weird time signatures. Try simple ones like 3/4, then 5/4 or 7/4.
3) Play chord progressions that seemingly make no sense. E B A C or G A B C (mild examples)
4) Play a melody, simple one that nails your chord changes. Then play in the following:
- Play all notes 1 fret behind and bend up
- Use the whammy bar excessively
- Use all the inbtw notes
- Play a wrong note once each bar
Hopefully the above will help you "break out".
Remember, everyone can "shred" or "play", but composition is something even more special. If you can unlock your creativity, and focus it, it will make a huge difference in the way you approach things.