6 Tips to Help Overcome Beat Block

As a producer, naturally, there will be times where you’re feeling totally uninspired. If you’re in one of those creative ruts now and need help in defeating beat block, here are 6 tips that will get you right back on track: 

1. Approach production from a different angle

To use an example, if you play keys most of the time and you start with a chord progression or a melody, it might be worth switching things up and starting production from the drums or the bass line. By doing something different than what you usually do, you can sometimes spark creativity.

2. Get new sounds & gear

Getting new plugins and gear is always exciting. You essentially get to put your skills to the test and experiment with sounds/gear that you haven’t used before. Who knows how many new avenues that can open up for you in the wide world of music production?

3. Collaborate with other producers and artists

Sometimes two or three brains is better than one. If you have other people in the room, you can maximize the creative energy by bouncing ideas off one another. Music is subjective, so people can bring different perspectives and approaches to the production process that you may have not even thought of.

4. Don’t produce!

There’s no need to force it when it comes to production. Sometimes, it can help to just take a step back and do something completely unrelated to music production. Do something different than making beats because, chances are, you’re feeling burnt out and you need a mental break.

5. Change your environment/scenery

Produce in the woods, at the beach, or somewhere else outside of your normal creative zone. A lot of times, changes of scenery can spark inspiration. Perhaps doing something such as booking a cabin in the mountains can reinspire you and regenerate your creativity.

6. Crank out as many ideas as possible

This is an advanced strategy because you have to think about it before you actually get to the point of beat block. What we recommend is when you're at your most creative, crank out as many ideas as possible. These don't necessarily have to be finished beats - they could be as little as 4 or 8 bars. You could save and put them in a folder to revisit later and pick up where you left off when you choose to go back and finish them. This allows you to capitalize off of the creativity that you have in the moment and make use of it at a later time when you’re running out of inspiration and experiencing beat block.