12/12/24 The Key to Being Creative is…

Curiosity. Playful curiosity.

If I’m working on something—it could be how to solo on a tune, or maybe writing a new arrangement for myself or for an ensemble—I have a little mantra that is like my north star. It always puts me back on the creative track. I ask:

I wonder what would happen if…

It immediately gets your mind thinking about a solution to that problem. What would happen? Would that sound good or would it suck?

Don’t know. Sometimes the most unlikely things end up sounding awesome. And sometimes something you would bet would work great, just doesn’t. Who knows why? That’s a whole other discussion. But for now, let’s just see how many things we can try.

I wonder what would happen if…

….I try it in a different key?

Sometimes having to play something in an uncomfortable key ends up making you try new things you wouldn’t normally do. It can give you a new perspective.

…I changed the feel/groove or tempo?

Slowing down a fast tune or vice versa can totally change your approach to the tune.

…I reharmonized things?

Reharmonizing a melody can bring a whole new meaning to it. Admittedly, this is more of a piano or guitar concept, since strings typically don’t play a lot of chords. But if you can work things out on the piano when you’re writing them, this is very useful.

…I took an idea from the melody and did a little improv on it—as an “episode” within the tune, or as an intro or outro?

Just freefalling with an idea you like is so much fun and can be a great inspiration for improvisation. And sometimes these improvisations can yield riffs that can find their way into an arrangement.

…I tried an effect on an electric violin?

A different tone like distortion, or an effect like delay, can completely change how and what you can play.

…I made up a counter melody or important harmony line?

Have you ever heard a pop tune where you came up with a little melody that felt like the artist should have added to their tune but didn’t? Well you can.

…I added a new riff or some short section?

Or go ahead and just make up your own section altogether and mash it up with another tune. Why not?

It’s like having your own playground to run around in, swinging on the swings, climbing on different climbing structures, hanging off some bars.

And, just as curiosity is the key to being creative, there’s a key to being curious. We’ll dig into that together in the next story.