If you’ve been stuck on completing a song, a song that you know has magnificent potential and is right there in you, but just won’t come to completion; then you’re facing a writer’s block and you’re not alone. A songwriter’s block is a common phenomenon that many artists face—it’s when inspiration seems to be missing and no matter how much time you put in, nothing creative seems to come out.

We’ve found the right recipe to help you get through the very-exasperating writer’s block! Here’re a few tips to help you deal with this phase:

Maintain a Lyric List!

Spur of the moment ideas are often the best ones—make sure you capture the idea when it comes to you. You don’t know if you’ll remember it by the time you pick up your instrument again, so don’t take that chance. Carry a journal with you at all times and record your ideas, lyrics, melody, whatever, as soon as they hit you. And the next time you feel like you’re stuck, go through your journal and see if it can stir some inspiration in you!

Change your pace, go running

Sometimes all your mind needs is a change of pace. Try doing something that’ll elevate your heart rate—running is a great option. This works because exercise enhances mental activity by increasing blood flow to your brain which may aid in brainstorming. Indulging in any activity that’s completely different from song-writing can get your mind going, and running is known to be one of the best exercises for this!

Switch to Reading

Similar to running, the idea behind reading is to switch your mental activity from the process of song-writing to the process of reading someone else’s thoughts. Too often, it’s in the story and the character of a book that we find the inspiration that’d been missing. Not only does it shift your focus, it gives you a new perspective; which can ignite your creativity.

Try switching parts

Be flexible and keep your mind open to different possibilities. When you’ve a line that you believe is the chorus of the new song, but you haven’t been able to come up with any lyrics to go with it, try thinking from a different perspective—perhaps what you thought is the chorus will do better as a pre-chorus! Try a few simple switches when you’re stuck and see if that works.

Change the Instrument

If you’ve been trying to write a song on a particular instrument, and nothing worthwhile has come out of it, try changing the instrument. What didn’t seem to work with a guitar might just work with a piano, after all, the two instruments are so different. Different musical instruments can lead you to different creative spaces and therefore, help you escape the block.

Every songwriter experiences the writer’s block—what’s important is to remember that if other songwriters were able to get through it, so can you. The key is to not give up.

Music Jotter is a music notation software and sheet music editor that can help you try new ideas while you’re writing a song. Visit our website to download your free demo, or contact us on 0800 – 123 45678.