Quote:
Originally Posted by Laughingboy68
2. I often take the challenge of using a new theoretical device in a song.
3. I will sometimes shamelessly steal one device from a song I love....It gives the writing process some direction and no one will be able to tell where you “borrowed” from.
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These two things often help me. Substitute "different tuning" or "different playing style" (e.g. finger picked rather than strummed) for theoretical device. Just pick something you don't normally do or are just learning and see if a song suggest itself from that.
And borrowing/stealing doesn't even have to be from a song you love. Just take a riff, melody or chord progression you heard and use it as a starting point. I've even gone as far as to take the whole "feel" of a song and try to write something similar. In the end, it's not similar at all but incorporates elements I want.