Things you can't stop doing?

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wirez
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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by wirez » Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:48 pm

DZA wrote:
Echoi wrote:
DZA wrote:Starting a shit load of tunes and not finishing them :|
this

ive got so much worse at that lately, i dont even name them either so i just end up with a monthly labelled folder of random stuff that i can never remember which is which
tell me about it, last year started 524 tunes finished 33 :| :cry:
I am also one to do this, I think most producers are... But I'm actually quite pleased (in a way) about this issue because I have some amazing ideas down that if I had finished a year and a half ago when the projects were started, the results wouldn't have been as good as they will be when I finish them this year :D
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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by kidlogic » Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:03 pm

serox wrote:Deleting tunes/project files and months later liking the .mp3 I still have. I have even deleted tracks people have shown an interest in releasing them:(
This reason is why I still have project files from '99. The only ones I dont have are were lost to hard drive failure. Im also a bit of a pack rat.
Echoi wrote:
DZA wrote:Starting a shit load of tunes and not finishing them :|
this

ive got so much worse at that lately, i dont even name them either so i just end up with a monthly labelled folder of random stuff that i can never remember which is which
My tip to help with this is to set a time limit for a few projects. Even if you have no intent of ever letting anyone else ever hear them, make a few tunes with a set time limit to finish them in - say three or four hours. Make sure it seems like too short of an amount of time. A week wont work.
Say three hours to finish every part of the tune but the mixdown/eq'ing. This will help you focus more on the actual songwriting of the tune, and help you get past the endless tweeking that can eat up so much time and rob so much creativity.
Three hours, minus breaks and minus mixdown and eq. Do a few of these tunes in a few days... with the time limit its easy to bang out a bunch in a relatively short period of time. It will force you to think about things in a different way and hopefully help break bad habits.
Ive found this also helps for writer's block.

I did this for another project Im involved in with some friends, and it honestly changed my whole workflow and creative process for the better. I can regularly finish a tune in a day or two of working on it now, then I go back and tweek the mixdown, add effects, swap sounds out... but the melody is written, bassline in place, drums worked out - for the most part, the song is complete. Might not work for everyone, but def helped me out a lot.

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by Echoi » Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:08 pm

kidlogic wrote:My tip to help with this is to set a time limit for a few projects. Even if you have no intent of ever letting anyone else ever hear them, make a few tunes with a set time limit to finish them in - say three or four hours. Make sure it seems like too short of an amount of time. A week wont work.
i wish i could do this.

i really do take my time when writing music. id say, on average, 99% of tracks ive finished have taken 2-3 weeks

very rarely a track will "write itself" and be done in a matter of hours, but that has happened a few times

i had a release early last year, that track actually took around 7-8 months before i was happy with it. and still could've sounded better :D

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by kidlogic » Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:34 pm

Echoi wrote:
kidlogic wrote:My tip to help with this is to set a time limit for a few projects. Even if you have no intent of ever letting anyone else ever hear them, make a few tunes with a set time limit to finish them in - say three or four hours. Make sure it seems like too short of an amount of time. A week wont work.
i wish i could do this.

i really do take my time when writing music. id say, on average, 99% of tracks ive finished have taken 2-3 weeks

very rarely a track will "write itself" and be done in a matter of hours, but that has happened a few times

i had a release early last year, that track actually took around 7-8 months before i was happy with it. and still could've sounded better :D

Thats exactly the point in doing it though... don't do it expecting to come up with anything thats release-worthy, do it as an exercise to help learn what you yourself need to do to get songs finished. What Ive found with it is that it helps you focus on other aspects of the tune. Sure, the bass might not be the exact sound you want, and the lead could use a little work, maybe that drum pattern needs a little tweeking - but the tunes not gonna be heard by anyone but you, so thats not important. Its not even important that you like the tune - its important that you finish it.

My current average time to finish a tune is much longer than 3 hours... but Im finishing almost every song I start now.

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by Depone » Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:36 pm

I cant stop making banging tracks












:o
:P










:oops:

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by wirez » Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:56 pm

kidlogic wrote:
Echoi wrote:
kidlogic wrote:My tip to help with this is to set a time limit for a few projects. Even if you have no intent of ever letting anyone else ever hear them, make a few tunes with a set time limit to finish them in - say three or four hours. Make sure it seems like too short of an amount of time. A week wont work.
i wish i could do this.

i really do take my time when writing music. id say, on average, 99% of tracks ive finished have taken 2-3 weeks

very rarely a track will "write itself" and be done in a matter of hours, but that has happened a few times

i had a release early last year, that track actually took around 7-8 months before i was happy with it. and still could've sounded better :D

Thats exactly the point in doing it though... don't do it expecting to come up with anything thats release-worthy, do it as an exercise to help learn what you yourself need to do to get songs finished. What Ive found with it is that it helps you focus on other aspects of the tune. Sure, the bass might not be the exact sound you want, and the lead could use a little work, maybe that drum pattern needs a little tweeking - but the tunes not gonna be heard by anyone but you, so thats not important. Its not even important that you like the tune - its important that you finish it.

My current average time to finish a tune is much longer than 3 hours... but Im finishing almost every song I start now.
Sounds like you could be wasting potential releases to me though :?
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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by Echoi » Mon Feb 15, 2010 2:25 pm

kidlogic wrote:
Echoi wrote:
kidlogic wrote:My tip to help with this is to set a time limit for a few projects. Even if you have no intent of ever letting anyone else ever hear them, make a few tunes with a set time limit to finish them in - say three or four hours. Make sure it seems like too short of an amount of time. A week wont work.
i wish i could do this.

i really do take my time when writing music. id say, on average, 99% of tracks ive finished have taken 2-3 weeks

very rarely a track will "write itself" and be done in a matter of hours, but that has happened a few times

i had a release early last year, that track actually took around 7-8 months before i was happy with it. and still could've sounded better :D

Thats exactly the point in doing it though... don't do it expecting to come up with anything thats release-worthy, do it as an exercise to help learn what you yourself need to do to get songs finished. What Ive found with it is that it helps you focus on other aspects of the tune. Sure, the bass might not be the exact sound you want, and the lead could use a little work, maybe that drum pattern needs a little tweeking - but the tunes not gonna be heard by anyone but you, so thats not important. Its not even important that you like the tune - its important that you finish it.

My current average time to finish a tune is much longer than 3 hours... but Im finishing almost every song I start now.
i see what you are saying, but i dont think i could change the way i work now, not after 4 years.

i do take a long time to finish tracks off. but i seem to be constantly working in a circle of 4 or 5 other pieces. so it works out ok really

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by nowaysj » Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:14 am

serox wrote:Deleting tunes/project files and months later liking the .mp3 I still have. I have even deleted tracks people have shown an interest in releasing them:(
You're pissing me off, bro.
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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by -dubson- » Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:57 am

Using heaps of reverb.

Dubby delays.

Tribal drums.

Pitching down feild recordings.

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by kidlogic » Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:56 am

wirez wrote:
kidlogic wrote:
Echoi wrote:
kidlogic wrote:My tip to help with this is to set a time limit for a few projects. Even if you have no intent of ever letting anyone else ever hear them, make a few tunes with a set time limit to finish them in - say three or four hours. Make sure it seems like too short of an amount of time. A week wont work.
i wish i could do this.

i really do take my time when writing music. id say, on average, 99% of tracks ive finished have taken 2-3 weeks

very rarely a track will "write itself" and be done in a matter of hours, but that has happened a few times

i had a release early last year, that track actually took around 7-8 months before i was happy with it. and still could've sounded better :D

Thats exactly the point in doing it though... don't do it expecting to come up with anything thats release-worthy, do it as an exercise to help learn what you yourself need to do to get songs finished. What Ive found with it is that it helps you focus on other aspects of the tune. Sure, the bass might not be the exact sound you want, and the lead could use a little work, maybe that drum pattern needs a little tweeking - but the tunes not gonna be heard by anyone but you, so thats not important. Its not even important that you like the tune - its important that you finish it.

My current average time to finish a tune is much longer than 3 hours... but Im finishing almost every song I start now.
Sounds like you could be wasting potential releases to me though :?

Thats a horrible way to look at it IMO... every tune just isnt a potential release. Theyre not. That cheapens music to me to think of them like that... songs are songs first, product second to me... I would be producing even if I knew that I never had a chance to release a tune ever, or that no one but me was ever going to hear it. That others even want to listen to or buy them is just an added bonus. If I ever thought I was wasting potential releases, I would seriously reconsider why I do this. (Not a shot at you, just how I feel about it).

Another way to look at it... Is an athlete who trains wasting chances at winning competitions by practicing? Dont quizes help you study, even if they dont count twards the final grade?

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by JFK » Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:08 am

kidlogic wrote: Another way to look at it... Is an athlete who trains wasting chances at winning competitions by practicing? Dont quizes help you study, even if they dont count twards the final grade?
Agree. Good point very well made.

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by cloak and dagger » Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:17 am

Yeah that stuck out to me, too. Obviously getting your music released is a great feeling, but I make music for myself first and foremost. I guess everybody has different motives and goals within music, so fair play...but if I start a tune that I like but don't see it as marketable for a release for whatever reason, I don't stop it or feel like I'm wasting my time doing it.

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by eops » Tue Feb 16, 2010 11:29 am

Getting over excited about a tune and then releasing it too early ... then a week after you have sent it out you ACTUALLY hear all the WRONG :oops:
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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by wirez » Tue Feb 16, 2010 12:22 pm

kidlogic wrote:
wirez wrote:
kidlogic wrote:
Echoi wrote:
kidlogic wrote:My tip to help with this is to set a time limit for a few projects. Even if you have no intent of ever letting anyone else ever hear them, make a few tunes with a set time limit to finish them in - say three or four hours. Make sure it seems like too short of an amount of time. A week wont work.
i wish i could do this.

i really do take my time when writing music. id say, on average, 99% of tracks ive finished have taken 2-3 weeks

very rarely a track will "write itself" and be done in a matter of hours, but that has happened a few times

i had a release early last year, that track actually took around 7-8 months before i was happy with it. and still could've sounded better :D

Thats exactly the point in doing it though... don't do it expecting to come up with anything thats release-worthy, do it as an exercise to help learn what you yourself need to do to get songs finished. What Ive found with it is that it helps you focus on other aspects of the tune. Sure, the bass might not be the exact sound you want, and the lead could use a little work, maybe that drum pattern needs a little tweeking - but the tunes not gonna be heard by anyone but you, so thats not important. Its not even important that you like the tune - its important that you finish it.

My current average time to finish a tune is much longer than 3 hours... but Im finishing almost every song I start now.
Sounds like you could be wasting potential releases to me though :?

Thats a horrible way to look at it IMO... every tune just isnt a potential release. Theyre not. That cheapens music to me to think of them like that... songs are songs first, product second to me... I would be producing even if I knew that I never had a chance to release a tune ever, or that no one but me was ever going to hear it. That others even want to listen to or buy them is just an added bonus. If I ever thought I was wasting potential releases, I would seriously reconsider why I do this. (Not a shot at you, just how I feel about it).

Another way to look at it... Is an athlete who trains wasting chances at winning competitions by practicing? Dont quizes help you study, even if they dont count twards the final grade?
Sounds like you could be wasting potential releases to me though :?

Lol I never once implied that the tunes were worth making for the sake of releasing as such, it's just the way I perceived what you were saying, you're making tunes that you're not sharing with other people and therefor sacrificing music that could really be enjoyed by other people as well as yourself.

Obviously I do understand exactly the point you're coming from, I just don't think you should limit yourself to not sharing your music after 'rushing through' the creation process.

As for your examples, each of the competitors or students are aiming towards something that's going to be within a time limit such as an up-coming competition or event and a test, they'll have deadlines they need to study by. If you get into the habit of not making tracks to release, how are you going to know when the time to release comes? Most artists blow when they least expect it, so you need to keep up promoting your tracks even if you feel they're only 'practice', IMO anyway. Just an extra perspective to see it from.

Also, I'd just like to add that just because a track is released doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be a 'commercially viable' track. There's plenty of labels that specialise in the weird and wonderful sides of music too, if worst comes to the worst you could always try and release on a music-concrete album :wink: I mean, the whole idea of music really is that if you're making something to enjoy yourself, then chances are that there will be an audience out there who also enjoy it!

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by legend4ry » Tue Feb 16, 2010 1:25 pm

wow, Look at me, I made epic thread :miyagi:
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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by kidlogic » Tue Feb 16, 2010 1:41 pm

wirez wrote:
kidlogic wrote:
wirez wrote:
kidlogic wrote:
Thats exactly the point in doing it though... don't do it expecting to come up with anything thats release-worthy, do it as an exercise to help learn what you yourself need to do to get songs finished. What Ive found with it is that it helps you focus on other aspects of the tune. Sure, the bass might not be the exact sound you want, and the lead could use a little work, maybe that drum pattern needs a little tweeking - but the tunes not gonna be heard by anyone but you, so thats not important. Its not even important that you like the tune - its important that you finish it.

My current average time to finish a tune is much longer than 3 hours... but Im finishing almost every song I start now.
Sounds like you could be wasting potential releases to me though :?

Thats a horrible way to look at it IMO... every tune just isnt a potential release. Theyre not. That cheapens music to me to think of them like that... songs are songs first, product second to me... I would be producing even if I knew that I never had a chance to release a tune ever, or that no one but me was ever going to hear it. That others even want to listen to or buy them is just an added bonus. If I ever thought I was wasting potential releases, I would seriously reconsider why I do this. (Not a shot at you, just how I feel about it).

Another way to look at it... Is an athlete who trains wasting chances at winning competitions by practicing? Dont quizes help you study, even if they dont count twards the final grade?
Sounds like you could be wasting potential releases to me though :?

Lol I never once implied that the tunes were worth making for the sake of releasing as such, it's just the way I perceived what you were saying, you're making tunes that you're not sharing with other people and therefor sacrificing music that could really be enjoyed by other people as well as yourself.

Obviously I do understand exactly the point you're coming from, I just don't think you should limit yourself to not sharing your music after 'rushing through' the creation process.

As for your examples, each of the competitors or students are aiming towards something that's going to be within a time limit such as an up-coming competition or event and a test, they'll have deadlines they need to study by. If you get into the habit of not making tracks to release, how are you going to know when the time to release comes? Most artists blow when they least expect it, so you need to keep up promoting your tracks even if you feel they're only 'practice', IMO anyway. Just an extra perspective to see it from.

Also, I'd just like to add that just because a track is released doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be a 'commercially viable' track. There's plenty of labels that specialise in the weird and wonderful sides of music too, if worst comes to the worst you could always try and release on a music-concrete album :wink: I mean, the whole idea of music really is that if you're making something to enjoy yourself, then chances are that there will be an audience out there who also enjoy it!

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(This is a great discussion, Im enjoying it :) )

Time spent making music is never wasted.

By your logic, if I wanted to learn an instrument, I should record every note from the very first I play and release it?
I should record every set I spin as a DJ and post it online, including the practice sessions where Im trying mixes and figuring things out?

I doubt every painter who picks up a brush wants to be the next Piccaso... some just want to work through some feelings and create, regardless if another human ever lays eyes on it - some would be horrified if anyone ever did, for various reasons. There is nothing wrong with that to me, they are still creating and still expressing themselves and that is always a good thing.

I agree that you never know what others are going to like of your work, but its your work. You decide what goes out, what people hear, what is up to your personal standards and what you want to show to the world. I would love to hear some of the thousands of tracks Skream supposedly has on his hard drive, but he has decided that they're not good enough and that we will never hear them for whatever reason, even though we may feel that they're amazing and fully deserve a release. Hell, look at the thread of unreleased dubs in the main forum...

Im not saying make it a habit to make tunes to not see a release, but sometimes you need to practice to make sure you're putting your best foot forward. The three hour thing is an excersise, that I was suggesting as a way for Echoi and others who have a problem finishing tunes as a way to help them in the way it helped me, not as something to do with all of your tunes or even a large portion of them. But if you're not finishing them anyway, how are they ever going to be released?

For the record, I have shared every one of the 'practice' tunes I made in the three hour period, it was part of a group project with a bunch of other producers to spur creativity, and it did wonders for mine.

Who said that a tune has to be released to be shared? Thats a very important distinction. Ill gladly share a tune I may not feel is up to release standards.

I make everything with the intention of sharing it, just not necessarily releasing it. I also make everything I make for myself, and it would be just as fulfilling, albeit in a different way, if no one else ever heard it.

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by drokkr » Tue Feb 16, 2010 1:53 pm

Using the Internet. I tried but failed massively at stopping going online while working on a track... I might have a sleeping pattern back tho' but it might have switched to mild Narcolepsy... 14 hours solid sleep last night :o

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by Echoi » Tue Feb 16, 2010 2:15 pm

drokkr wrote:Using the Internet. I tried but failed massively at stopping going online while working on a track... I might have a sleeping pattern back tho' but it might have switched to mild Narcolepsy... 14 hours solid sleep last night :o
14 hours? bah, thats just a snooze

i once slept from 3.30 on a friday afternoon, right through til 2am monday morning

was pretty unwell at the time though

very strange feeling waking up and being told you have missed an entire weekend

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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by legend4ry » Tue Feb 16, 2010 2:28 pm

Echoi wrote:
drokkr wrote:Using the Internet. I tried but failed massively at stopping going online while working on a track... I might have a sleeping pattern back tho' but it might have switched to mild Narcolepsy... 14 hours solid sleep last night :o
14 hours? bah, thats just a snooze

i once slept from 3.30 on a friday afternoon, right through til 2am monday morning

was pretty unwell at the time though

very strange feeling waking up and being told you have missed an entire weekend
I just CREASEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD up

Thats facking amazing, you might as well be called Legend4ry from now on.
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Re: Things you can't stop doing?

Post by DZA » Tue Feb 16, 2010 2:29 pm

Echoi wrote:
drokkr wrote:Using the Internet. I tried but failed massively at stopping going online while working on a track... I might have a sleeping pattern back tho' but it might have switched to mild Narcolepsy... 14 hours solid sleep last night :o
14 hours? bah, thats just a snooze

i once slept from 3.30 on a friday afternoon, right through til 2am monday morning

was pretty unwell at the time though

very strange feeling waking up and being told you have missed an entire weekend
:o WTF
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