10 Tips from an ADHD producer on how to finish songs faster

[dasen]

Hey,

Male 36 here, I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, the inattentive type (ADD). Not only did my ADHD diagnosis gave me a whole new perspective on why I have always struggled in many areas of my life. In particular, music production, where I have over 1000 unfinished songs which I have collected over 10+ years.

After getting my ADHD diagnosis, trying meds and reading a lot of general books about ADHD. I began to understand that less is more for ADHD brains. Fewer distractions mean more music.
I have developed a few production techniques for my ADHD brain that I want to share with other ADHD producers here.



1. Follow the rule of 3 in your life. In the past, I was obsessed with installing the latest plugins and trying out the latest presets packs, etc. But this leads to more distractions. So I chose to only use 3 VST synths that will cover all my needs.

Even if those 3 synths are limited, it will help me to think creatively and outside the box. I chose 3 VST synths that I think had the easiest to use user interface and not too many presets.



2. Instead of starting new songs when you get bored of working on your current songs, make a folder with 3 songs to work on. When you get bored of song 1, you switch to song 2, when you get bored of song 2, switch to song 3. When you get bored of song 3, switch back to song 1 again.

If you get bored of all songs, take a break of a few hours or days. When you do this, you will eventually start finishing your songs. Because otherwise, you will start new song templates and those will reach to 100+ templates. When you work a little bit on 3 songs and rotate in between them, you will get more done than starting 100s of new templates.


3. Produce with imperfections and work fast. Do not get stuck in details or 16 bar loops. ADHD minds look for perfection and this holds us back. We need to learn to overcome perfectionist thinking and get used to strive for imperfections.

That is why I always record my ideas fast, the intro, bridge, verse, chorus or whatever. Even if there are wrong notes recorded, i keep them. Because progress is more satisfying than aiming for perfection.


4. You will be more proud and remember the imperfect songs you finished than remembering that perfect 16 bar loop you worked on for hours. After I have roughly recorded my bridge, intro etc. I roughly copy and paste the sections so it makes a full song.

When I do this, I get the feeling that i have accomplished something and that I look at a fully finished song. Then i make sure to put colors on all the sections in the song so i get a better overview.


5. When you have roughly recorded and sketched your song, start to fine-tune each section. Remember, you should never edit when you record ideas or sketches. The recording process is separate from editing. A writer who write articles never edit while writing the first draft. The same applies for recording music. That is why i follow this principle.


6. Do not compare yourself to others, you can only compare yourself to yourself. If it feels good, it probably is good. once you start doubting yourself, you start editing the sections too much until you get frustrated and leave the project to collect dust.

Remember, progress makes perfections, not details. No one will hear the details except for you the producer. If you have managed to translate your feelings in a roughly recorded sketch, you have succeeded.


7. Make sure to create a start-up template in your DAW that loads with your favorite synths so you easily can get started.


8. Choose your 3 VST synths that are more basic with fewer features, fancy menus. Its all about music and not loads of features. More features mean more distractions for the ADHD mind.


9. Choose your 3 VST synths with few preset packs and soundsets. Otherwise, you keep downloading sounds and get addicted to just browsing sounds and not making music.


10. Keep a structure of your song ideas. Create folders like 90% finished, 3 songs to work on, songs to mix, soon finished. More details the better.


Work with the limits of your ADHD mind and optimize your production flow according to it. The key is to limit yourself with fewer distractions.

Hope this helps.

[steffensen]

Great tips and pointers! Thanks for those!

[Eauson]

Also helps entering the One Synth Challenge

[freshalex]

,



1. Follow the rule of 3 in your life. In the past, I was obsessed with installing the latest plugins and trying out the latest presets packs, etc. But this leads to more distractions. So I chose to only use 3 VST synths that will cover all my needs.

Even if those 3 synths are limited, it will help me to think creatively and outside the box. I chose 3 VST synths that I think had the easiest to use user interface and not too many presets.


Great points, thank you

I would have some difficulty narrowing it down to three vendors

[welldone]

Thanks a lot for these helpful tips / reminders.

[Michael L]

What criteria for choosing a DAW?
The one that you work fastest in?
The one that has only the features you need?
Anyone but Reaper?

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

What criteria for choosing a DAW?
The one that you work fastest in?
The one that has only the features you need?
Anyone but Reaper?

Funny, Michael......I cant get anything finished outside of Reaper.

[Michael L]

I cant get anything finished outside of Reaper.

Why does your particular ADHD brain finish things so much better with Reaper?

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

I cant get anything finished outside of Reaper.

Why does your particular ADHD brain finish things so much better with Reaper?

Its customized to my workflow and I have been using it for nearly 8 years.
Specifically the routing, I find so cumbersome in other DAWS. Protools and Logic seem so overly complicated when I watch videos of folk using them.
So much so that..My eyes have been failing me lately but it doesn't matter because I have developed muscle memory and the mouse just seems to know where things are....LOL

[Michael L]

Its customized to my workflow

Did you find going through the customizing process mentally satisfying or frustrating?
I hear a lot of people dont like the process
But it feels so good when they stop

[enroe]

Its customized to my workflow

Did you find going through the customizing process mentally satisfying or frustrating?
I hear a lot of people dont like the process
But it feels so good when they stop

It's the same as with the tax return. Getting up to speed and filing
your tax return is a challenge - and you don't really like doing it.
But once you're done with it, you feel relieved and even really good.

It's the same with customizing Reaper.

[cantaloupe]

Very good list of tips dasen. Thank you.

I cant get anything finished outside of Reaper.

Why does your particular ADHD brain finish things so much better with Reaper?

I have ADHD, and i think my productivity went up like 800% with Reaper (previously using Ableton, Renoise and various other software). It made me fall in love with making music again.

It is hard to separate what is simply subjective preference and what is due to ADHD. A few things might come to mind though:

- It can be extremely minimal compared to DAWs like Ableton, Reason, Cubase, Logic. In those, you are flooded with gigabyes of loud-looking plugins and presets and libraries and sound packs and fx chains and whatnot. Reaper on the other hand can be distraction-free and focused in a way that other DAWs can't, while not suffering any for it. This, i think, is very important for ADHD people. It is insane how much distraction is baked into DAWs these days.

With Reaper i can also be free of menus, lists, buttons, toolbars etc. I use the keyboard extensively, and have everything mapped so i don't need to do "computer stuff" while creating. In Ableton i needed to do a lot of meaningless "computer stuff" all the time. At least with Reaper, you do that computer stuff while you not composing, and then you are done.

- The arranger is excellent and let me compose more deliberately. Reaper is more workflow-agnostic and non-opinionated than other DAWs, while still keeping attention on "the song" (which helps my focus a lot). That said, it is also open to all kinds of experimental composition and sound experiments as well - It presents itself as a traditional linear DAW, but it is just a facade. Regularly finding new ways of creating is a huge productivity boost.

- Bounce-output-to-disk: This lets me record all kinds of sounds and ideas as they happen, and reimport them into the project at a later time. So whenever my ADHD acts up bad, i can still get something out of it - this is a feature i missed strongly in other DAWs (i think maybe reason has something similar).

So to summarise: It is less distraction-filled, while at the same time being more open ended in other ways, and these two things are really good to ADHD brains.

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

Its customized to my workflow

Did you find going through the customizing process mentally satisfying or frustrating?
I hear a lot of people dont like the process
But it feels so good when they stop

Well....first I tried to master all Reaper can do.....mistake. too much to learn and maintain. Then I came to terms with using it for my needs and researched other features as I need them. I wondered through many different themes. Learned how to add tool bars....... created a bunch of versions that Didn't work for me. But you learn by failing.

Overall I enjoyed it because I enjoy learning. Reaper can't do everything that other DAWs can ...but with a little effort itt can cover most of your needs and it is efficient and rock solid.

[Michael L]

extremely minimal... distraction-free and focused... lets me compose more deliberately... non-opinionated... record all kinds of sounds and ideas as they happen

Thank you. A very useful self-analysis!

I use MuLab for the much same reasons:

- Visually clean and uncluttered, with deeper levels
- Very consistent UX structure, so easy to figure out
- Can quickly combine modules, to express any idea that I have
- It's highly integrated, so a workflow can start and go anywhere
- Clear browser and folder structure, so I know where everything is

Here is a useful blog post on "musicians with ADHD and the colleagues who work with them"
"https://mirandawilsoncellist.com/2015/0 ... with-them/
Miranda has many other wise blog posts on practicing, time management, etc.

The take-home message for me is to kindly accept that our productivity needs are different than others (we need more organisation, structure and routine to sustain focus). When we know how to meet our needs, we can be more highly motivated to express our unique gifts!

[kevinsparks]

You're gonna make me sell my V Collection, aren't you?