Creative Music Creation Techniques for Inspiration

Here are some examples of the kinds of things I do to create my music and maybe they can inspire you to do the same.

Last updated: 8/26/25

I’m really creating this for myself so I can have a handy place to go to for starting points when I don’t have ideas, but maybe you can get something out of it also.

I find that I create in a lot of vastly different ways, but there are some commonalities in each of them so I categorized them below, in no particular order. I may mix and match them also.

Everyone is different and creating different types of music, so these may not apply to you at all, but maybe they can give you an idea or two.

Play Repeating Chords

Use a piano, synth, or guitar as the source. Maybe run it through amplifiers to change the sound.
Create a nice chord progression.
Repeat it over and over.
Add modifications to it such as delay effects, reverb, filters, granular effects.
Modify these over the length of the track, in and out, up and down.
Add drums at some point.
Taper off the effects until ending with the original chord progression.

Play Repeating Sample Loops

Create or find a sampled loop of music and try to smoothly loop or crossfade it so it sounds good.
Repeat it over and over.
Add modifications to it such as delay effects, reverb, filters, granular effects.
Record or tape effects might sound nice in the track on a sampled loop like this.
Modify these over the length of the track, in and out, up and down.
Add drums at some point (or not).
Taper off the effects until ending with the original chord lloop.

Try creative filtering of the loop and make the filter change over time.

Or add an instrument overlay to the repeating sample.

Or use a 4-track simulation and find a loop (or 4) to repeat at a slower speed.
You can use just 1-track and still get a nice tape vibe in your sample loop.
Try putting the reverb and delay in different places than standard — it will widen the sound.

Play Instruments Into Effects

Use a guitar, piano, or synth as the source. Maybe run it through amplifiers to change the sound.
Add modifications to it such as delay effects, reverb, filters, granular effects.
Play randomly and record it as MIDI so it can be replayed and modified as needed.

Add a drum loop or drum machine at some point (or not).
Add loops captured from the same session (or not) to complement.
Fade out gradually. (Sometimes these faded endings can be tracks all on their own.)

Play Samples In Different Ways

Find a sample or make one.
Key shift it (or not, see below) in the sampler so you have a keyboard full of the same sample at different pitches.
Make a nice little melody.
Repeat it over and over.
Add modifications to it such as delay effects, reverb, filters, granular effects (or not).
Add drums at some point.
Maybe add two competing drum tracks and crossfade between them for interest (or not).
Fade out or end abruptly if it sounds right.

Or don’t key shift it and play different samples of the same loop via MIDI.

Or use another instrument to play the sample at different points (similar to above but different means).

Play Instruments Into Granular Effects

Choose an instrument like piano, guitar, or synth or use a sample.
Play it into a granular effect with reverb and delay. 100% wet (no original instrument sound).
Capture loops and add them in (or not).
Get clouds of sound that move and evolve.
Fade out at some point.

Or, include some of the original instrument sound.

Some granular instruments allow you to put in your own sample and play them, or come with some nice ones included.

Or include glitch like effects.

Or use just weird instruments kind of granular-like.

Play Instruments Into Rhythm Effects

Choose an instrument like piano, guitar, or synth.
Play it into a time-synched filter effect or rhythm effect of some sort.
Play a nice melody, random notes, or loop.
Change settings over time to add interest.
Fade out at some point.

Play a Repeating Melody With Drums

Choose an instrument like piano, guitar, or synth.
Make a nice little melody.
Repeat over and over.
Add some effects like reverb, delay, granular (or not).
Add drums to it.
Fade it out.

Try layering the drums.
Try with odd sounding instruments like modular tones.

Create a Full Multi-Instrument Composition

Choose an instrument like piano, guitar, or synth.
Make a melody, bass line, chords, backing, arps, that are all in the same key and go together.
Add drums.
Bring different elements in and out.
Maybe even effects in and out (or not).
Try key changes for two tracks in one kind of concept (or not).

Keep a bass line in mind and maybe use a sub.

Add counter melody too maybe, and maybe with different instruments.

Make the drums…. interesting.

Change filtering over time with some pulsing effects.

Play Into Distortion and Glitch Effects

Choose an instrument with an edge like an electric guitar, old video game sounds, or modular synth.
Run it through glitch effects, amplifiers, and filters for a breaking-up sort of sound.
Emerge with a kind of shoegaze type of aesthetic.
Add some drums. Make them a bit unusual.