Hi people,
I started producing from November last year, but as i was busy with other stuff i couldn't sincerely start devoting time to producing music until last week.
However, till date, i have made around 20 incomplete projects.
ideas do come to my mind quickly before starting but after a point i have no idea what to do next.
even if look at them after a few days, i still feel stuck at the same place.
how do i get out of this problem? its making me frustrated and discouraged.
and does every beginner go through these problems?
feeling demotivated (what to do)
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trynnabedmproducer trynnabedmproducer https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=376256
- KVRer
- 1 posts since 15 Mar, 2016
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- KVRAF
- 4079 posts since 28 Jan, 2011 from MEXICO
Take a track you like, place it in the arrangement.
Take one lop you have created, extend it to the full lenght of the track you choosed before.
Copy the arrengement of the "example track" in your loop track, substracting the drums in the breaks, increasing the number of elements, automating to create expectation, etc.
Add stuff as you like.
If you this a few times you will start making tracks more naturally, but the important part is turning your first loops and ideas in to finished tracks fast in order to keep you motivated by acomplishing work and goals.
Take one lop you have created, extend it to the full lenght of the track you choosed before.
Copy the arrengement of the "example track" in your loop track, substracting the drums in the breaks, increasing the number of elements, automating to create expectation, etc.
Add stuff as you like.
If you this a few times you will start making tracks more naturally, but the important part is turning your first loops and ideas in to finished tracks fast in order to keep you motivated by acomplishing work and goals.
dedication to flying
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- KVRian
- 573 posts since 14 Nov, 2005 from León, Spain
"Producing" is not the same thing as "composing". I don't know how much you know about composing music, but taking a musical idea and creating a music piece out of it, no matter the genre, is what composing is about. Try to learn a bit more about that, too, there is plenty of info around.
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- KVRAF
- 1595 posts since 17 Nov, 2007 from Seattle, WA
You're not alone in this. After a decade of experience, I very often run into the same problem.trynnabedmproducer wrote:Hi people,
I started producing from November last year, but as i was busy with other stuff i couldn't sincerely start devoting time to producing music until last week.
However, till date, i have made around 20 incomplete projects.
ideas do come to my mind quickly before starting but after a point i have no idea what to do next.
even if look at them after a few days, i still feel stuck at the same place.
how do i get out of this problem? its making me frustrated and discouraged.
and does every beginner go through these problems?
One random bit of advice - You need to do what it takes to make sure your prior incomplete projects are accessible and possibly salvagable. And the first part of making sure that's true is to make sure you can always go back and find your work. Do this with rigorous and detailed file naming conventions. Make a new folder for each project. Start the file/project name with the year. Then the month. Then the day. And then a unique descriptive. Example:
"2016-05-04 - DeepPolkaStepCore 01" Make sure the folders and files both use a system like this. Feel free to have many saves within a single project, so you can go back to an earlier stage in case something goes wrong, or you just want to try going down a different path in a project.
With that file naming system in place, there's absolutely no question about the chronology of your projects, or your various saves within a project, and you have a word or two to associate with whatever was in that project.
DO NOT let your projects pile up in a heap of anonymous file names. It's so important to stay organized here. Because this is a years-long endeavor you're starting on, and if you keep going, you're going to be sorting through literally hundreds of these save files. Someday, it might even be a gold mine. Who knows.
As for composition, I think JoseC is right.
And some musicians claim that mistake #1 many people make is sitting down in front of a DAW to write or compose music. These folks claim that using your DAW and producing should only come after you know what you're going to do. Frankly, I haven't succeeded in attempting this mode myself, but maybe you'll have luck with it.
Perhaps you can have luck via extreme simplification, by denying yourself options. Sit down in front of a piano, and decide a bassline progression, and the song phases, and the way the bass would be different between song phases, for example. You'd only be concerned with composing in this circumstance, because the piano gives you pretty much no other option.
Or perhaps you could try to work in a modular fashion: For instance making a drum section with zero intention of putting a melody over it or turning it into a song, that day. This way you'd have some drums ready to work over, for that day you eventually do come up with a harmony progression or melody that catches your mind.
Good luck man. I hope you have better luck with this problem than I've had.
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- KVRAF
- 1595 posts since 17 Nov, 2007 from Seattle, WA
Hm, one other option. Fake it till you make it!
I'll describe with a case study that came to mind:
One of my favorite artists right now is Electric Youth. But some of their early work makes me think that they might have gone through these growing pains themselves, as evidenced by one of my favorite songs of theirs,
, which sounds very very similar to 'their' other tune,
, which is itself a cover of a neat old Italo disco tune,
.
My interpretation is that they used the cover as an exercise in either composition, or production. They then used that project as a launching point to adapt something that they could more reasonably call their own. were original enough, also featuring a composition and sound that's all theirs. So I figure the prior unoriginal tracks were simply a period of growth. A way to climb over what was blocking their other talents. A way to learn composition, maybe.
Maybe you can accomplish the same thing through the same tactic. It's an option.
Sorry for afflicting you with my preferences, but it did illustrate the point I hope.
I'll describe with a case study that came to mind:
One of my favorite artists right now is Electric Youth. But some of their early work makes me think that they might have gone through these growing pains themselves, as evidenced by one of my favorite songs of theirs,
, which sounds very very similar to 'their' other tune,
, which is itself a cover of a neat old Italo disco tune,
.
My interpretation is that they used the cover as an exercise in either composition, or production. They then used that project as a launching point to adapt something that they could more reasonably call their own. were original enough, also featuring a composition and sound that's all theirs. So I figure the prior unoriginal tracks were simply a period of growth. A way to climb over what was blocking their other talents. A way to learn composition, maybe.
Maybe you can accomplish the same thing through the same tactic. It's an option.
Sorry for afflicting you with my preferences, but it did illustrate the point I hope.
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- KVRAF
- 7412 posts since 8 Feb, 2003 from London, UK
It's been alluded to already - you need to know what you've done already.
One thing to get over "blocks" is to go back and deconstruct something -- take it apart, work out what the different bits are, how they fit together at that time, how maybe you could fit them together differently now. You will want an understanding of the process because otherwise you're limiting your outlook: you will not know what all your options are, either for taking something apart or putting it together. Conversely, do not try to learn everything at once. Find an interesting idea, try it out lots of times on different projects, move on. Then put the next interesting idea together with what you learnt. Progress.
I'm still very, very slowly learning how to get a better mix from jam sessions. I'll learn a new method and keep at it until I can hear the difference and am happy I've used it right. It takes ages. Then I'll try to see if it makes a difference to what I thought I already knew... sometimes I've made a worse job, so learning more doesn't necessarily make things better...
One thing to get over "blocks" is to go back and deconstruct something -- take it apart, work out what the different bits are, how they fit together at that time, how maybe you could fit them together differently now. You will want an understanding of the process because otherwise you're limiting your outlook: you will not know what all your options are, either for taking something apart or putting it together. Conversely, do not try to learn everything at once. Find an interesting idea, try it out lots of times on different projects, move on. Then put the next interesting idea together with what you learnt. Progress.
I'm still very, very slowly learning how to get a better mix from jam sessions. I'll learn a new method and keep at it until I can hear the difference and am happy I've used it right. It takes ages. Then I'll try to see if it makes a difference to what I thought I already knew... sometimes I've made a worse job, so learning more doesn't necessarily make things better...
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- KVRAF
- 3506 posts since 12 May, 2011
This may not help, but make sure you have a very clear idea of what your next opus is to be. Arrange it in your head, have an idea of the sounds you want etc. It will help you to finish your tracks.
Leave any unfinished tracks - you can always come back to them - and start using the advice given by these other guys to be more disciplined.
And don't be afraid to delete an entire project if after a year or so it's still going nowhere. (There's a whole thread on this alone!!)
Good luck!
Leave any unfinished tracks - you can always come back to them - and start using the advice given by these other guys to be more disciplined.
And don't be afraid to delete an entire project if after a year or so it's still going nowhere. (There's a whole thread on this alone!!)
Good luck!
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- KVRist
- 98 posts since 26 Jul, 2011 from Dublin
Its always a good idea to have a plan in mind before hand, as to what you want to arrange it, what effects or techniques you will utilize and how you want your overall piece to sound. Its no use to just open a new project on a whim without at least those two ideas in mind. It helps you move forward to an end mix and also you wont have any more of these blocks. They come from an endless cycle of tweaking sounds and things and you can often become stuck and unable to move forward. Its a common problem for a lot of people making music for the first time. I find a break from music for a while helps me, as does a change of environment. Good luck man
Try only to surpass your own previous accomplishments instead of beating others
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- KVRAF
- 25849 posts since 20 Jan, 2008 from a star near where you are
Why do you want to make music?
Have you ever played in a band, working with other people means that they carry on ideas when others get stuck
Have you ever played in a band, working with other people means that they carry on ideas when others get stuck
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- Banned
- 1236 posts since 8 Apr, 2013
I have around 20 incomplete projects in a daytrynnabedmproducer wrote:Hi people,
I started producing from November last year, but as i was busy with other stuff i couldn't sincerely start devoting time to producing music until last week.
However, till date, i have made around 20 incomplete projects.
ideas do come to my mind quickly before starting but after a point i have no idea what to do next.
even if look at them after a few days, i still feel stuck at the same place.
how do i get out of this problem? its making me frustrated and discouraged.
and does every beginner go through these problems?
If I don't go wild 
Anyways. Just let it flow. Play around with your synth, mess with samples, touch your effects. Explore. Sooner or later you'll discover something new that'll get your juices flowing.
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- KVRAF
- 4081 posts since 24 Oct, 2000 from A Swede Living in Budapest
I've just managed to break out from a four-year state of being totally dispassionate about making music.
The key to my personal motivation was the Korg Volca Sample. A simple toy that when filled with my own samples and sounds, made me create more music in a week than I've done in years. That made me think. And now I understand that the reason for me feeling un-motivated about making music was much to do with the tools I was working with, giving me a convoluted workflow. Today I have taken the simple workflow of the Volca and applied it to a combo of Analog Rytm and two massive MIDI controllers - and no computer involved.
Making a track takes little time for me now and it's incredibly fun.
I don't know what's the cause of your demotivation. But finding new hardware/software/banjo might be what helps.
/C
The key to my personal motivation was the Korg Volca Sample. A simple toy that when filled with my own samples and sounds, made me create more music in a week than I've done in years. That made me think. And now I understand that the reason for me feeling un-motivated about making music was much to do with the tools I was working with, giving me a convoluted workflow. Today I have taken the simple workflow of the Volca and applied it to a combo of Analog Rytm and two massive MIDI controllers - and no computer involved.
Making a track takes little time for me now and it's incredibly fun.
I don't know what's the cause of your demotivation. But finding new hardware/software/banjo might be what helps.
/C
J60 Heatwave for Omnisphere 3 - Juno-60 Inspired soundbank
HARDWARE SAMPLER FANATIC - Akai S1100/S950/Z8 - Casio FZ20m - Emu Emax I - Ensoniq ASR10/EPS
HARDWARE SAMPLER FANATIC - Akai S1100/S950/Z8 - Casio FZ20m - Emu Emax I - Ensoniq ASR10/EPS
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- KVRian
- 709 posts since 4 Jul, 2011 from England
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- KVRer
- 13 posts since 14 Oct, 2012
It looks like you've got two different problems sort of feeding in to each other. Not being able to finish a track makes you less motivated, being less motivated makes you less interested in working on music, and so on. Juggling several unfinished projects isn't uncommon with most producers, myself included. It can help you to develop different skills simultaneously, but it can also be demotivating if you feel like you keep jumping around without getting anything done.
On one hand, you want to enjoy making music, and on the other you might feel like just enjoying yourself isn't going to make you grow. What I've found is that the best way to deal with this is to try to analyze the specific things you're getting hung up on, and tackle them in a productive and enjoyable way, instead of giving up and moving on to something else.
I was always making very complex, but short, loops and ended up not knowing what to do for the next section. There were a lot of problems with this: If I wanted to bring in a new progression, sound or melody, I would have to take a lot of time to properly edit all the different layers of the track to be in harmony, at the right level, etc.. The problem is, if I didn't like the result, it was back to square one, and it was a slow way to work. It's easy to get discouraged when you're slogging through something like that. It makes you less willing to try new things and isn't much fun either.
Instead, I found some solutions to get around the problem. I simplified my workflow by limiting the number of VSTs in my library. I organized and stripped down my sample collection to make the things that are the most useful the most accessible. Instead of making detailed short loops, I practiced laying out longer, less detailed tracks just to get a sense of how to move on to new sections. I play a little piano, so I tried to play part of my song, just to see where I wanted to take it with improvisation. I got a bit more familiar with my DAW, and learned to quantize my improvisations, which at least lets me build up ideas more quickly.
This might not all specifically apply to what problems you're having, but I think the general principles could help. It's important to remember that you can find ways of developing your skills that will keep you motivated and enjoying yourself, rather than make you feel like it's too much to handle.
On one hand, you want to enjoy making music, and on the other you might feel like just enjoying yourself isn't going to make you grow. What I've found is that the best way to deal with this is to try to analyze the specific things you're getting hung up on, and tackle them in a productive and enjoyable way, instead of giving up and moving on to something else.
I was always making very complex, but short, loops and ended up not knowing what to do for the next section. There were a lot of problems with this: If I wanted to bring in a new progression, sound or melody, I would have to take a lot of time to properly edit all the different layers of the track to be in harmony, at the right level, etc.. The problem is, if I didn't like the result, it was back to square one, and it was a slow way to work. It's easy to get discouraged when you're slogging through something like that. It makes you less willing to try new things and isn't much fun either.
Instead, I found some solutions to get around the problem. I simplified my workflow by limiting the number of VSTs in my library. I organized and stripped down my sample collection to make the things that are the most useful the most accessible. Instead of making detailed short loops, I practiced laying out longer, less detailed tracks just to get a sense of how to move on to new sections. I play a little piano, so I tried to play part of my song, just to see where I wanted to take it with improvisation. I got a bit more familiar with my DAW, and learned to quantize my improvisations, which at least lets me build up ideas more quickly.
This might not all specifically apply to what problems you're having, but I think the general principles could help. It's important to remember that you can find ways of developing your skills that will keep you motivated and enjoying yourself, rather than make you feel like it's too much to handle.
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- KVRist
- 207 posts since 23 Oct, 2005 from Australia
What's the big rush? If you've only been dabbling with this since November you've got years of practise ahead of you before you're going to get anywhere close to where you want to go. Just enjoy the ride. Starting lots of tracks and not finishing them is part of that ride. Some will click, some won't - but if you want more of them to click - learn some theory, learn your DAW and plugins inside out and have a strong idea of what you're trying to achieve.