http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/oblique/oblique.htmlAny Brian Eno fans? Oblique Strategies are a method of problem solving during the creative process of building a song. Basically they're a method for getting out of the box. Sometimes problems can be solved by creating another problem. Sometimes the solution is painfully obvious but you simply need to look at it from another direction. I've started a new band. I've got a whopping 21 hours of rehearsal under my belt. We've been using oblique strategies with great success. I am approaching this entirely differently than any band I've done before. In recent years it's been, "here are the recording, learn the song." Now we present ideas in abstracts along with defined notes and structures. An example would be, "make this part sound like you're in a clock shop", or "the intro is grey and foggy, quickly clear the fog to reveal a beautiful sunrise." This helps the group perform dynamically as a ...... well a group. We also have a standing rule, "when in doubt, play less." We are all having a blast. It's amazing what we are teaching each other. That link is worth clicking on if you are a song writer. It's food for thought. there's more to life than E, A, & G.
