I struggle with finishing music (my last completed track is from 2018)
I could probably come up with multiple reasons as to why that is (e.g. focus & commitment, fear of failure, perfectionism, procrastination, bad music-making habitsā¦) but in the end it probably all comes down to the workflow that doesnāt ā¦work.
Iām way too analytical, too rigid, too OCD-ish, too āseriousā about all of it. Instead of having fun and āpaintingā with timbres, textures, rhythms, patterns, harmonies, structure; I feel like Iām painstakingly designing and then executing an elaborate contraption, loosing inspiration and ultimately interest in the processā¦
So, I thought Iād ask about your process, your workflow & why - you think - it works for you?
EDIT: -> hereās <- where the title of this post is coming from
The process used to be quote painfull when I was trying to build a track in linear arrangement without clear picture in mind how I want it to sound. It happened few times that I had such a great idea and I managed to get the track done very quickly. Usually it was not that great.
Things have changed when i finally put my head out of myā¦ you know what and start to utilize the session view.
Now even if I donāt have much ideas I just play around, add new synths, play with what I already have, record and have fun. Eventually I build enough to finish the recording, it is only a matter of making the arrangement. Which is relatively easy when I already have all the building blocks and a very precise vision
Iāll tell you how you do it to get started and learn how to finish tracks:
You find another song made by someone who knows what theyāre doing and you put them in a track in the arrangement. You listen to it, put markers and name those markers things like ākick out, open hat comes inā or āsecond melody out, main melody backā, or ādrop, everything back in except rideā and so onā¦ then you mute that reference track.
then you put your parts on that arrangement and start mimicking it as closely as you can (obviously assuming the reference track is in a similar style and has a similar number of elements that perform similar roles to yours)
Then after you do this youāve got your draft done. You got to work out the small details and then you got your finished track done.
Your comment speaks more to your own taste in music than anything else if thatās the first thing you think when I give you golden advice to learn the art of arranging music. This is just the first step but itāll go very far!
How do we [verb] Music? If you [play] it, youāre doing it how it was originally invented. If you want to [make] Music you need to study economics, work hard and create a consumer good.
Another solution I got may or may not be feasible for you, and it doesnāt involve copying an arrangement outright: be a Dj. Over years of DJing youāll get a sense of how tracks evolve over time and you can feel when things should happen and when things should not.
Do you have a few years to devote yourself to studying music and its effect on people at the dance floor? No? I did. But you can take the suggestion I posted above and learn by doing. Itāll take years as well but youāll get tracks done right now.
Previously on Elektronauts ā¦ This is probably the most discussed topic thatās not about gear. I guess all of the forumās wisdom is already collected here:
Assuming I start with a melody, my workflow typically like like thisā¦
Come up with the melody (essentially the āchorusā)
Come up with an intro to get to the melody
Create a breakdown
Figure out how to get from melody to breakdown
Invert/permute the melody
Create a hyped version of the melody
Figure out an outro (and transition)
All of this is done with a skeleton beat. Then, I go back and fill in chords. Then bass (sometimes I do bass first or bass second , but rarely chords first). Then the actual beat. Then, figure out what the sequence is those events come in and how to āperformā it (what tweaks and modulations do I want). Then thatās your song
I read a biography of Mozart. As a youth, his musical was not extraordinary on its own merits. It was mostly imitative of other preexisting forms. Over time, he developed his own original ideas. So, I get where @Phillip is coming from.
Thereās a book by Abletonās Dennis de Santis that discusses strategies for overcoming blocks in the different phases of the creative process. And the best thing is - itās available as a free pdf download! You can grab it here: https://www.ableton.com/de/shop/merchandise/
How to Proceed when Youāre inspired but stuck:
Avoid the DAW ā Keep it simple and tactile.
Skip Song Mode ā Focus on creating in the moment.
Use an Elektron Device ā Perfect for hands-on creativity.
Start with a 2-Bar Track ā Keep the foundation concise.
Lay down a kick, hi-hats, clap/snare, and some rumble/Birds/Percussion.
Add a simple bassline.
Experiment with a melody or two, but donāt overdo itāmelodies are often overrated. Filter creates music and life.
Let It Run ā Play it back and listen.
Enhance with Automation:
Adjust individual track lengths.
Use parameter locks, probabilities, and LFOs.
If youāre using an Analog Rytm (AR) or Analog Four (A4), incorporate scenes and performance modes.
Not happy? ā Move on. Donāt let yourself be held back, donāt get stuck.
Start a new pattern and begin again.
If something sounds nice, hit record and let it run.
Play with mutes and edit live as you go.
When is it good? When is it ready?
You know immediately or years later.
It doesnāt matter.
Record a cassette and use your Walkman* on the way to work/at work.
I had this problem too and actually am coming back into making music after a long gap (basically gave it up in 2018) and am finding it much easier to finish tracks now.
The biggest breakthrough for me was focusing on getting a full structure laid down as soon as I have a good idea ASAP, even if just copy-pasting a lot of loops. This allows me to feel like I have a finished track pretty much any time I choose, even if it is a crappy one.
I find this makes me a lot more motivated to continually refine an idea as opposed to an idea that I put loads of detail into that is only 1-2 minutes long. It also helps with overthinking as a lot of times Iāll come back to one of these tracks and realize itās honestly fine as-is - maybe I just need a little flourish for the climax and itās good to go.
Of course, the most helpful thing has been getting a bit older. I no longer have aspirations of becoming a well-known electronic music producer and am just doing this for fun. That takes a lot of pressure off
I recognize much of what you talk about in my own process Iām Iām on the hunt for antidotes too. The two most useful components I have identified are first, a context that draws me in or provides some sort of meaning, and second is a deadline. I think remix contests may be the lowest hanging fruit.
Getting good gear helps but only so much but can be an unlock, DT2 was a good one for me in terms of effort spent to learn vs ease of use after the fact. Most importantly, it helped me get out of the mindset that I have to create every sound myself and make it perfect from start to finish.
and start to utilize the session view.
.