50 CREATIVE PROMPTSPrompts & challenges to spark

ideas and get you out of creative ruts.

HOW TO USE THIS

In the Creative Strategies book, I introduced the idea of using musical “prompts” or challenges to start tracks. In that section, I shared 10 prompts.

This PDF contains those 10 prompts, plus 40 extra prompts.

There’s one prompt on each page. I’ve designed it this way because it’s not sup-posed to be read from start to finish, but rather be used as a reference. If you’re stuck, scroll through a few pages or type in a number up to from 3–52 to land on a random page. Once you’ve read the prompt, put it into action. If you don’t like the prompt, scroll through the pages until you find one you like.

All prompts are simple and slightly vague. This is on purpose. It’s up to you to figure out how to follow the prompts.

Following these prompts won’t be a walk in the park, but your brain will be exer-cised, and your production skills will be strengthened!

CREATE A SONG WITHOUT USING ANY MIDI

WRITE THE SONG YOU WISH TO BE PLAYED AT YOUR

FUNERAL, WEDDING, OR OTHER SPECIAL OCCASION

MAKE SOMETHING THAT WOULD WORK WELL AS BACKGROUND

MUSIC AT AN OUTDOOR EVENT (E.G., BARBECUE)

WRITE A SONG THAT DOESN’T CONTAIN A BASSLINE (IT CAN BE DONE - LISTEN TO WHEN DOVES

CRY BY PRINCE)

WRITE A SONG ABOUT A CURRENT EVENT THAT UPSETS

YOU.

WRITE THE SONG YOU WISH YOU HEARD DURING THE HAPPIEST

MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE.

PRODUCE A TRACK USING ONLY ONE SYNTH (EVEN FOR THE

DRUMS) AND NO AUDIO.

MAKE SOMETHING TWICE AS LONG AS USUAL.

MAKE SOMETHING THAT WOULD FIT IN A MODERNIZED VERSION

OF YOUR FAVORITE CLASSIC FILM.

MAKE SOMETHING THAT REFLECTS YOUR COUNTRY’S

VALUES.

USE A SYNTH OR PLUGIN THAT YOU RARELY USE.

USE A SYNTH IN A WAY IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE USED.

MAKE SOMETHING SOUND BAD, THEN MAKE IT SOUND GOOD AGAIN WITHOUT UNDOING

ANYTHING.

MAKE SOMETHING WHEN YOU’RE SLEEP DEPRIVED.

MERGE TWO CHORD PROGRESSIONS FROM YOUR

FAVORITE TWO SONGS TOGETHER, SOMEHOW.

TURN A VOCAL CHOP/SAMPLE INTO A MELODY AND BUILD A

SONG AROUND IT.

LAYER A VOCAL CHOP WITH A SYNTH.

INCORPORATE ONE REAL WORLD SOUND INTO YOUR SONG (AN

ANIMAL NOISE, FOR INSTANCE).

MAKE A DRUMS-FOCUSED SONG WITH LITTLE MELODIC OR

HARMONIC CONTENT.

MAKE A SONG WITHOUT ANY SAMPLES. SYNTHESIZE

EVERYTHING.

CREATE A SONG IN YOUR PREFERRED GENRE BUT 20BPM

SLOWER THAN USUAL.

MAKE THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS. (IF YOUR

FAVORITE SONG IS UPLIFTING AND FAST, MAKE SOMETHING

DARK AND SLOW)

CREATE A FULL ARRANGEMENT USING ONE SYNTH ON ONE MIDI

TRACK (+ BASIC DRUMS). LEVERAGE AUTOMATION TO

MAKE IT INTERESTING.

MAKE A SONG USING ONLY ONE KICK DRUM SAMPLE. SAMPLE +

PROCESS IT TO CREATE DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS.

RECORD YOURSELF TAPPING A RHYTHM ON YOUR DESK. USE IT AS THE FOUNDATION FOR YOUR

SONG.

BUILD THE ATMOSPHERE AND SURROUNDING ELEMENTS FOR

YOUR TRACK BEFORE THE FOUNDATION.

MERGE TWO GENRES TOGETHER. JAZZ + DUBSTEP FOR EXAMPLE.

START WITH THE BREAKDOWN. BUILD SLOWLY.

MAKE SOMETHING YOU’D BE EMBARRASSED TO SHARE.

MAKE SOMETHING YOU’D BE EXCITED TO SHARE.

MAKE A SONG WITH TWO SECTIONS THAT HAVE

SIGNIFICANT CONTRAST (E.G., SMOOTH MELODIC PHRASE NEXT TO A RHYTHMIC, HEAVY PHRASE).

START WITH THE OUTRO AND WORK YOUR WAY BACKWARDS.

MAKE A SONG IN A GENRE YOU HATE AND TRY TO MAKE IT

BEARABLE.

MAKE SOMETHING THAT’S GLITCHY AND SMOOTH AT THE

SAME TIME.

CREATE SOMETHING WITH A COMPLEX BASSLINE AND SIMPLE

MELODY.

CREATE SOMETHING WITH A SIMPLE BASSLINE AND COMPLEX

MELODY.

MAKE SOMETHING THAT YOU EXPECT PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO A

DECADE FROM NOW.

REMIX ONE OF YOUR OLD SONGS.

MAKE SOMETHING COMPLEX AND TECHNICAL. THINK

CRAFTSMANSHIP. SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON IT.

MAKE SOMETHING SLIGHTLY ABRASIVE.

CREATE SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK ELDERLY PEOPLE WOULD

APPRECIATE.

CREATE A SONG USING SAMPLES YOU DON’T LIKE. PROCESS THEM SO THAT YOU DO END UP LIKING

THEM.USE POLYRHYTHMS.

MAKE SOMETHING WITH A MINIMAL DROP AND COMPLEX

INTRO OR BREAKDOWN.

CREATE A SONG ON PAPER USING YOUR IMAGINATION, THEN RECREATE IT IN YOUR DAW.

MAKE SOMETHING USING ONLY SINE WAVES. FOCUS ON THE

SONGWRITING.

AUTOMATE AT LEAST TWO PARAMETERS ON EVERY TRACK.

MAKE SOMETHING USING 100 TRACKS. FIND WAYS TO FILL THE

TRACK IN WITHOUT IT SOUNDING CLUTTERED.

CREATE SOMETHING ROMANTIC TO SHARE WITH YOUR

SIGNIFICANT OTHER (OR IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE, YOUR

SIGNIFICANT OTHER TO BE).

MAKE SOMETHING THAT FORCES YOU TO BOB YOUR HEAD.

MAKE SOMETHING IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT (E.G.

COFFEE SHOP)