8 Ways Musicians Can Conquer Writer's Block

[@anethwizard]

Going back to old projects and reimagining them in your new style is the absolute best

[@phantomlord8870]

6:59 Make sure you have something like this, life is all about balance. *THANOS INTENSIFIES*

[@gabrielanava4534]

I’ve been avoiding writing new music because of writers block. Thank you for this!

[@Um_im_ryan]

I love how he went through the whole cycle “why can’t I write?” “is nothing I write good?” “am I a joke of a musician?”

[@adc4836]

Is it bad that I relate so much to what he said about wondering if you’re good at music at the beginning

[@zeromustafa401]

Not at all. You can't get stuck if you don't try in the first place and just about everybody struggles with anything they try to do well.

[@adc4836]

Zero Mustafa you right

[@viceflores691]

I feel like that all the time I have like no confidence in my music but my friends say it’s good it sucks lmao

[@gtamenace9743]

No it’s apart of the process

[@anirudhpurohitt]

probably unrelated but i felt theres context for me to say this here. Yesterday I wrote my first full length song. It was about a young musician selling his soul. I wrote the song and I was thoroughly impressed. I spent last night worrying that I'd sold my soul accidentally and that's how I got the talent to write that song.

[@jct3066]

I like that bad songs are sometimes just trying to get out so that you’ll have better songs coming out....really true! I’ve experienced it!

[@marthab-c5226]

Thank you! I needed a video like this so badly, I have always wanted to write songs but always got stuck.

[@brettmarlar4154]

I find that having access to/playing other instruments is a great way to find a new perspective and spark a new idea that can break through those walls as well.

[@PoonScurvy]

This is so true. Even going from electric to acoustic changes the way I play, and I come up with new things when I mix it up. I don't know how to play piano, but plinking around and finding chords also helps me come up with stuff that I probably wouldn't on a guitar. There are patterns we kind of rely on when playing our primary instrument, and playing other instruments takes you out of that rut

[@truthtraderaudio4315]

Recent subscriber . I have binged watched your videos over the last week. Thank you for the inspiration

[@anusrepairman]

When i hit writers block and usually listen to smoke on the water and wonderwall for inspiration

[@hazama8892]

For me I just watch kmac2021

[@lonelyvariety]

Today is gonna be the day where their gonna give you new ideas

[@revivalinstinct3668]

😂😂

[@djovani29]

@@lonelyvariety Lol . Great idea about Wonderwall- It's 02.32 am at tghe moment. ..it's just not happening.Will give it a try this week.Thnx!

[@quentinkain4367]

guitar centre must make you mozart levels of inspired

[@MichaelD8393]

Another tip for writer’s block: Play an instrument you don’t usually play. So if you play guitar, try drums or bass. If you play bass, try guitar, etc. I came up with the drumbeat for one of my old band's songs when I couldn’t get lyrics or a guitar riff to save myself. I then stumbled on the riff and the singer & had the lyrics the next day.

[@benkenobi_]

Dude I needed this. Thanks for the tips Sammy G

[@bekimachine]

Thanks for this! I'm working on an album and think I have a bit of writers block, I keep making ideas and then not committing to them and just changing my mind!

[@IAmTheWoodmeister]

A technique I used to use was to play music fairly low. Then I would walk away far enough to hear bits and pieces. My mind would naturally want to fill in the banks that I couldn’t hear.

[@MikeLee-lg5vq]

Lots of great ideas. I use the "copy and twist" technique on my own older songs all the time. That name sounds much better than "self-plagerization" or "song-cannibalizing".

[@jacobhawkinsmusic]

lol i "cannibalize" older songs all the time and up defunking the old ones :(

[@gmj2025]

Thanks for the idea about flipping verses! ❤

[@jadenlothes]

This video is a result of when you've got writers block when trying to make a KZbin video, and someone says the phrase, "It all comes full circle."

[@TechnicalDifficulty2]

Never cease to amaze me and never disappointed. Thank you for always putting out quality videos!

[@branmc7620]

Thank you so much for this one! I hit a hard writers block recently but this has helped massively to broaden the idea bank

[@d4rkblu386]

Ive been having the worst writers/beat block in my life. I was hoping that quarantine would allow me to be more creative than in the past but it has been way worse. Its been probably 6 months and I haven't been able to write anything listenable. Ill give these a try, thank you

[@13perspectives]

This helped so much, you’re a blessing man. Keep up the great work.

[@Oryn33321]

wow.. this video is very helpful.. ill add a link to one of my new songs I come up with, after watching this and getting over my writers block.. This deserves way more views!

[@maninthecrowd5076]

For the first point I would present an example, there is an Indian singer named Anjan Dutt, in the beginning of his career he writes a song about a girl whose brother threatened to break his leg if ever found near her. He grows a little bit older, he writes a mellow song telling the girl that he is really not going to come to her. Grows old and in the latest album has written about how he will return to the girl, even if the entire world melts off and gets destroyed. The first one was comic with fast paced rock tune, kinda Ramone like, the second one was country-folk John Denver like, the last one mellow ballad.

[@marcuslecky4982]

The Sensei Series is my favorite I would love to see episodes more often. Thanks for the videos you are awesome!

[@d36class]

Damn this helped instantly, I twisted Master of Puppets Clean interlude into a pop song type thing! Thank you so much! I feel the ideas haha

[@sirdix1653]

Super Ideas right there, especially the first one was just in my head for a few days its just a revelation to hear you say the exact same thing

[@robbyparisvertrees8134]

Solid advice. Been playing a lot of basketball lately and it has done wonders to my mental health. Equilibrium is most certainly key! #DiaryAhead

[@kellygechotold9659]

Thank you so much, definitely gonna try some of these. And some I have tried before, they work well.

[@everlymurdoc2327]

I'm constantly at writers block and it's really frustrating. I'll always write a cool piece that I can't follow up with anything else interesting, my vocal melodies are always the same and on top of that I recently realised all my ideas are in the same tempo which does NOT do any favours for the music's variety.

[@jacobreimels3680]

Thanks for uploading often unlike *cough cough* adam neeley

[@lycansdietired7837]

Hey, I just used the rearrange last night when I was forced to rearrange a song a friend and I were writing for our metal band. I even created a few different riffs and transitions that I didn’t have in the song already. I definitely could use these!!!!

[@TheCainReen]

Thank you very much for that vid! I'm thinking about getting into songwriting, and this comes in handy!

[@JakeHoltMusic]

Really useful vid, it's got a few things I've been using subconsciously for my degree and I'm definitely going to be referencing it in my evaluation

[@WalterLeeWalter]

great video. super helpful, thanks!

[@funkyb.u.l.c7000]

Thx this video really made my day!!

[@mmsmofo258]

Came for the advice. Stayed for both the advice and also the samurai look.

[@JosephineDeSmet]

I think the best way to overcome writer's block is to stop writing, record your ideas instead and view it as a brainstorm session, don't interrupt yourself by changing words or looking stuff up, try to stay in that creative flow, I explain that further in a video I posted today, that's how I found you

[@JMnyJohns]

In line with copy and twist - sometimes I'll put up a reference track - not for the master but for the writing. How long are they spending on the pre-chorus? When does the crescendo happen - what's the structure? What is the bridge doing? - just having something successful to map to has helped me crunch through a few tough ones.

[@tonezmusic8758]

Very Helpful. Thank you!

[@rbtootrappy]

just hearing this guy is inspiring :) I subscribed

[@thepadenshow1945]

I just bought that book that you brought up in this video it's very good I'm on chapter 3 and slowly taking everything step by step you should make a video about that book like talk about it maybe even show a couple of like the exercise things that shows in the book to explain what they mean and what have you

[@Electrohedron]

I have a lyric writing book by Pat Pattison. Song Writing Without Boundaries. It is terrific. I hold it close to me, along with my practice journal. Well, not that close. I strayed a few times.

[@joseca7509]

good video, just in time when i needed it, thank you

[@ZRiah101]

I’m 0:53 seconds into your video and that one advice has already shifted my writers block,props

[@shaunw9270]

Thanks Mr Samurai ! Always good advice . Some tune just sprung to mind , Finetime by Cast ...or was it G'n'R's Paradise City ? Cheers from England ✌️😁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@DerFlorisch]

Another very good video with great advise. Keep it up.

[@jacktyler8092]

I've had it for like 2 weeks now and it wont go away I haven't produced a good track for about a week

[@hydraglyphics]

On tip #1: I've actually written "Sk8er Boi" from the perspective of the Sk8er boi.

[@miztahrayeproductions2942]

Great advice here. Thanks

[@truetransoul586]

#9 join a cover band

[@barbdrake5999]

Yea bro

[@billmcelgunn7819]

Very nice video this is going to get me out of a rut

[@rocknrollguitar]

My other thing I do is gardening, not that weird. Here I learned the best melodic writing tool ever... Listen, record or get your ears on whatever birds are singing and try to play that... Its rediculusly hard and demands 'out of the box thinking!

[@nickl2854]

Geez thats kinda nuts but also awesome (Gonna try it)

[@danmar007]

What's that noise? Is it the bailiff knocking at your door wanting to deliver a subpoena? :-) This is a great video. I will watch it until it's permanently burned into my brain. At my age, memory is not so good.

[@mauricedibert2635]

Brian Eno actually wrote ideas that you can now down load with strange frases and ideas to break writers Block. David bowie used them. It's called oblique strategys

[@joykidsvids]

Great post!

[@DjRickeyRicardo]

wicked ! thanks

[@RustyPryde]

When I hit the wall, I like to try and learn my current top 10. No matter the genre, no matter the artist, find something to play, or play along to. You'd be surprised how good some pop hip hop beats sound when you add distortion and power chords.

[@Electrohedron]

Yeah, when I'm not feeling creative, it helps to take the time learning other people's songs instead.

[@Bacopa68]

My advice? Listen to music outside your preferred genres. For bass players I'd recommend disco and reggae, and both would work well for guitarists. Listen to seventies pop and adult contemporary. Copy it. This music was often quite sophisticated. Make a variation of the Pachabel loop. Run a bassline ahead of that loop. Maybe it's time to bring back the 90's Sensitive Female chord loop. Stretch it out, give it some new rhythm.

[@melaskan7286]

i literally thought about writing songs the minute this video went up :D

[@amj.composer]

Instant sub. Gold Content

[@LeeCzere]

I can always come up with a song. Not saying they're all friggin standout gems, but, keep playing, itll take care of itself.

[@Jake_AC]

Actually some pretty clever tips!

[@BRobertSock]

Another tip - be musically curious at all times. There are 36k plus views on this video, and only 8k plus views on the song he referenced in the video, and linked to in the description.

[@michaelcanche1116]

Thank you

[@larrystylinson8786]

i've had a writer's block for 10 months now and it feels horrible i even question how i was able to come up with my prior songs now it's so frustrating as music is a way of communication. i have been lacking that for quite a while now

[@sidneyadnopoz3427]

I have "Chorusitis" lol

[@Lazy_eye_blobFish]

I miss read this when I saw the push notification and I thought it said 10 ways Mexicans can conquer writer's block LMAO!

[@MrCaliforniaD]

@samuraiguitarist can you recommend a book or a particular course on improving songwriting? I feel like the internet is filled with garbage music lessons. Thanks!

[@crimsun7186]

Some people would call "Copy and Twist" Vaporwave, with the difference that there's no care in pretending the original isn't there or even parts of other songs.

[@juanfeliperojas5754]

What guitar is that? I love its sound!

[@maximiliangockel]

This is gold.

[@mcfontaine]

Absolutely agree with the 3 person rule.

[@Electrohedron]

I took a break. Still on it.

[@bassface5983]

Writers block actually causes me depression....

[@tashmusicc]

how do you go about collaborating? I've been struggling to find someone to write with.

[@lg2635]

I love that guitar

[@tythompson4794]

Thanks for the tips, it would be an interesting idea to write a follow up to Detroit rock city

[@geetarislife2843]

that'd be a sad song

[@Diamond2chronic]

How long should I take a break for

[@purplealice]

Sometimes having a snack or even just a drink of water can hit a chemical "reset" in your brain.

[@joshc.6760]

4:20

[@jennymk01]

It's been 7 months. Kill me. I'd do anything to end this hellish writer's block

[@themexicansensation2698]

Hey Is it safe to order a guitar online. I’m thinking about buying a guitar off of guitar center or musicians friend but I’m worried that it might come in broken.

[@beatsbyjamie]

The Mexican sensation it’s probably best if you go to a store so you can get a feel of it , but if not then that would be fine too , just make sure you research whatever guitar you are getting instead of blindly buying one🤘I speak from past experience from buying online

[@dabutt8834]

If you buy it from those sources you should be fine. I bought one of my guitars from guitar center's website. If they mess up your delivery you should also be able to get a refund.

[@themexicansensation2698]

Jam Romero I already know what guitar I want to buy but they don’t have it at the store so I have to order it online. Will the change of temperature damage the guitar?

[@themexicansensation2698]

Dabutt883 Alright thanks bro🙏🏼

[@beatsbyjamie]

It depends where it is shipped from , but most likely the climate won’t damage the guitar if it’s in a protective case👍

[@mq9281]

Step 1: Herione

[@michaelcanche1116]

Are you on Spotify?

[@mrbungle3310]

My biggest tip... at least it works for me Go outside,go on a trip,go watch a show live!!! Thats a big one,after a show i dont want to rip off the guy i watched but during i watch someone play,my brain does a thing that takes one idea and i feel super creative,i go home and i can write 100 of songs..you have to be in the right mental state

[@ahogg5960]

Addendum to Tip #4: if you're going to use your phone, make sure to back-up whatever you're putting down somewhere externally. Otherwise you'll end up like Kirk Hammett...300+ song ideas out the window when his phone got stolen

[@kokomanation]

it sometimes happens to me

[@danielfort4345]

Nice

[@amosofthepeople4995]

What kind of guitar is that. It soumds beautiful

[@lonelyvariety]

0:37 not so sure about that...

[@tobeornottobe9689]

0:11-0:17

[@alexsheppard237]

We have all been here and if you're reading this comment, you're probably there right now. I know I am haha. Although in all seriousness, this video is actually very motivating and helpful. Thank you very much 👌

[@16kauffmanh]

Who disliked this? Why?

[@cookiesnscreamx]

PSA- Brian May wrote Fat Bottom Girls, not Freddie Mercury.

[@itoshiterumaki]

having writer's block makes me wanna quit music ://

[@riccardostopazzola7931]

What's up with the audio man? It sounds like a room mic... this is not usually the case for you, as far as I I hear

[@shanewright2772]

I'm always disappointed with KISS in as much as everytime I go to see them they do not, if fact, Rock and Roll all night and in fact have usually, stopped Rock and Rolling by about 10:00 am. I can't vouch for their diurnal activities, which may involve a consistent and rigid schedule of partying, but Rock and Roll all Night, while one may WANT to do it, remains a distance promise.

[@freezingcathedral]

the rest of us just drink booze and smoke weed.

[@cloud_monkey422]

Weed cures writers block

[@coltonhamilton3116]

With weed music writes itself

[@cloud_monkey422]

Colton Hamilton long story kind of but when I was a heavy drug user (mostly opiates and psychedelics) I felt that it was so easy to be creative and anytime I picked up my guitar I was either writing new songs (that I still play 15 years later lol) or freestyling a song on the spot that sounded pretty good that ppl still talk about today. When I got totally sober I felt not only that I was no longer creative but that I also just did not have the will to play anymore. Three months ago I became a medical marijuana patient and have been slowly picking it back up and while not as creative as I used to be, I at least am getting the will to play again. It honestly reminds me of when a band comes out and their first album of two is really good but they become sober, rich, no longer homeless and hungry, become out of touch with reality and have nothing to bitch about anymore and their albums suck from that point on. I used to have someone tell me that I am still creative I just have to find another way to tap into it but i dont think that’s true. The drugs deff did help for me at least (don’t do drugs kids) and there’s a ton of art that is amazing whether it’s comedy, books, movies or music etc that has been written on a mind altering substance

[@pd7daking211]

brian may wrote fat bottomed girls!!!!! no hate man ur the best! just telling!!

[@john564holloway]

Samurai didn't say Freddie wrote it. Samurai stated everyone knows what was on Freddie's mind when he SANG Fat Bottom Girls.

[@DualityOfficialTV]

Anybody else notice his forehead is two different skin color? 😶