Part Four: Unusual Combinations. Process: Oblique Strategies, the I Ching and Unusual Combinations. A practical approach to using experimental techniques to unlock writer’s block.

The I Ching and Oblique Strategies are products. They exist. We can buy them. However, they may not always fit the process of the individual. They are great tools to use, but they are inventions. At one point neither of these things existed. Be an inventor and create your own strategies.

Unusual Combinations

I am a musician. Over the years, I have collected a variety of instruments and effects. Some of them are hardware, like guitars and keyboards, and others exist within digital audio workstations or on the iPad. They are scattered all over the place. Like most musicians, I tend to fall back on my old favorite instruments and effects, but that doesn't always lead me down the most interesting path, creatively. Usually, I end up doing the same old thing and neglect useful tools.

Inspired by Cage and Eno, I created a habit-busting system to put unusual combinations of instruments and effects together. I took an inventory of my instruments and effects. I printed the names of each on card stock, cut them up and distributed them into 2 small Lock-Ups containers. When I am ready to work, I shake up the containers and pull a number of clippings. For example, I may pull 2 instrument clippings and one effect. Not only does this provide direction, but it also creates limitations. Limitations are important, especially if the number of possible usable tools is overwhelming. I rarely end up composing with my tried-and-true instruments or effects, and hopefully the unusual combination of elements will be as surprising for the listener as they are for the player.

Forcing yourself to use certain effects with instruments will likely produce surprising results.

Choosing instruments at random during composition may take the player down surprising paths.

Forcing yourself to use certain effects with instruments will likely produce surprising results.

References

Eno, B., & Schmidt, P. (1978). Oblique strategies. Opal, London. 

Keith, R. (2015). Unusual Combinations: Cards for choosing random instruments and effects for composition.