music strut, when to let masterpieces free?
doom
305 Posts
i have worked on an lp for a year, which includes tracks spanning from a 3 year period. all my soul have gone into the project. but for the last month ive been stuck at 80%, which is silly. because i have quit my job to focus on music. its like i could fire myself for not making enough progress the last month. i do think its about 2 weeks of hard work left, which means it should have been finished 3 weeks ago.lately i have been nervous on and off when making my own tracks, strange thing.. i have never pushed myself this far when it comes to music, and i have quite honestly never made music of this calibre before. but its like a wall hits me every other day, which pisses me off because i know its all in my head.how do you guys finish your projects? going for that last 20% or so.. do you have any projects that FAILED at 80%? if so, what happend?i do feel like i need an american manager, but thats you guys, right?
Comments
but.
i feel you - im pretty much in the same boat with a project im working on. I guess sometimes you just gotta force the last 20% or settle on something, because there will always be something you would want to improve.. the last touches are the scariest part, but thats the time to trust your instinct and just go for it i guess..
but on the other hand ypu have to believe in your own work. i assume most people see their shit as masterpieces.
Personally I don't believe music should be forced. It sounds like you are forcing it.
Relax.
My advice is this:
1.
If you are totally unable to make up your mind on "the last 20%", maybe those 20% really don't even have to be there? Maybe the tracks are finished and you just can't believe it after working on the same stuff for three years!
2.
Play your music to some friends. I recently played a song I've been working on off and on for two-three years to some people. I called it a "sketch", "unfinished", "a work in progress" etc. All of them said they thought it was finished. After listening to it again I agree.
3.
If your problems have something to do with the musical progression of your tracks, when I get that way I really like to do this: Put all your unfinished tracks on your iPod/Phone/Walkman/whatever and travel with them. Listen to the music while you walk around in the middle of nowhere, the city, the forest, by water etc. Bring paper and make notes on how the music works in different settings. I find this very inspirational.
Finally: Quitting your job to make music is a very bold move, did you consider how making your music your profession could change your attitude towards it? Some things are better kept as hobbies in my opinion.
I hope this was of some help to you
Good luck!
- J
also, put the new project away and work on something else. dosen't matter what. come back and lsten to your album after two weeks (minimum) you'll hear what needs to stay and what needs to go.
While this can work, they'll likely be pretty flattered that you trust their judgement like that, which isn't necessarily ideal if you're looking for criticism. And 80% sounds a 100% to most regular people.
But definitely give your ears a break. Two weeks minimum sounds about right. I find I'm most objective when there's some distance between me and the music.
This is great advice. I had very similar experiences finishing my band's last studio album. We record a lot of our own stuff, but when you're paying someone else to do those final little touches this process can be extra difficult. At some point you just have to let go and call it finished.
Taking a break always helps a lot. You can get way too inside of your own recordings to the point where you'll miss obvious "big" details. Step back for a couple of weeks and re-listen and it'll likely sound completely different to your ears.
Also, listen in different places ... in the car, in headphones, on a crappy living room system. I'm sure you know to do that but it's always a good process to keep in mind.
As others said... Leave the project alone for a week until you're really anxious to get back to work.
Good luck.
Dress
I definitely agree with dude who said step away and come back, I feel like what needs to happen can be so obvious once you get away from the project for a few weeks. Forcing it is definitely not the answer, you'll never feel satisfied that way.
That being said, there is a point where you have to let go, put it out, and move on the next shit.
would love to hear some of your stuff, maybe you could post a couple snippets?
are you still working with oliver and melting pot?
I always try to be that goto no-BS person. If someone asks for my opinion on their music I tell them my honest opinion. I'll tell a friend (or stranger) straight up if I think his rapping sucks or his beats are lacking, but I try to be as constructive and specific as possible.
Most people are too Mom-like when it comes to giving critique (basically variations of "that sounds pretty cool"). I guess it's an attempt at being polite, but it's not really helping anyone.
DMcDoom, I want to hear your masterpiece too. I know you got some heat. I think you just need to let it marinate for a while and return to it with fresh ears.
Dude, I am 100% in the same boat as you right now.
My team has been helping me out lately, but i really gotta finish this motherfucker one way or the other. I just hope I don't hate it anymore than i do now by the time anyone gets to hear it.
- spidey
only two people besides me heard the thing, boths biggest reactions was making sure i finish all tracks played. i think ill go with my gut this time, beeing the first lp and everything. i think people will respect that in the end. admittedly this failed now in the last month, but im really hoping i can manage after a break.
that said, im feeling the idea of having a group of friends friends having a listening party or whatever you call it. preferably without me. hearing about such a thing afterwards would be mindblowing im sure. very tempting..
It's real easy to have a finished project and not realize it is in fact FINISHED. And you just keep pushing it and finding things that need to be done to it. You're always your worst critic and biggest fan. Have a virgin ear listen to it and get their opinion. Someone that isn't involved in music AT ALL. I always think girls are the best critics. When they like something, it moves them and when they dislike something, they're honest.
I hope this was helpful. Good luck with the project!!
I remember you being obsessive about your music and the quality a while ago.
Which is not necessarily a bad thing but as cosmophonic said all the greatest music we love hasnt been made by scientists. Its stuff that comes from the heart and soul. Forcing yourself will make your work sound overconstructed instead.
I can only second the posts about talking that shit to the forrest dot com.
The other day I was on my way home and wound up sitting in the sunny park listening to all my stuff in one go. You get a totally different perspective
Its amazing how different music can be perceived.
One thing I think that works in general:
If you start to feel you've gone past the part where you add new things and start going into finetuning, leave your homestudio! Trying to get a fresh listen should not be done in the place you've been working on stuff for ages. It makes you "colorblind"
Its always difficult to play stuff you think is not ready to show yet.
But I am always amazed by what noobs say. Normally you'd think they would react saying stuff like
"I liked this one it makes me want to do this and that." or "I think this is too boring, I cant dance to this"
But they come up with real interesting stuff you would never hear from a fellow dj or somebody whos been oversaturated by instrumental break orientated music. Like people that don't do the same music as you, or none at all.
My favorite people to ask for feedback are non record collectors that love music and listen to a wide span of genres. In the end those are the people who buy stuff in the record store. Musicians are too broke anyways
On a related topic:
I quit my job last winter to do something similar. And the strain of your bank account can really wear on you and your creative output. I freelance now and to my great satisfaction I am able to make almost the same as on a full time job leaving me time to get creative, travel or do what I need to do.
It also reverts you to that back in the schooldays mode, where you'd run home to keep working on your music when everything was fresh. The feeling of being paid allowing you stop worry can be very elevating too
BALANCE YO LIFE
This is a very valid point. And its not even about skills.
Music is not really about sitting in your studio locking yourself up and then opening the gates suddenly releasing the holy shit.
Name a great record that was made that way. waxidermy records do not count btw
Seriously though, working with musicians has really opened my eyes in the last year leaving the false preconception that I will not be able to agree with them or make things work the way i want to behind me. You have to deal with people and its not easy at times, but isn't this were all the great music in history has been made?
People clashing? Not to mention the fun and the booze
but thinking about how i steered this lp in the last month making microadjustments is straight up silly. feels retarded thinging about it. i really needed this break i think. i hope it isnt the goal thats putting me off. scary thoughts for sure there upskiboo..
the thing i do force however is sample chopping and mixing sometimes, but compared to all the fun ive had with the samples afterwards its totally worth it. and how easy that shit has become with live, its not a big problem. i am however waiting for some hardware controller for live made to chop samples. would be a dream. probably possible allready with max for live, macros assigned to midi and all that. but my live knowledge isnt that deep yet. and im waiting for this kinda people to lace us with a stable version of live 8.
anyways, i hope im not over-analyzing things. and im gonna try my best to have fun with these weeks off. ill see you guys in the beat threads.
Now go play with squirrels outside M**t*n!
I?m in a similar boat. Not stressing but feeling a bit of the ?man when will this ever get finished? as I work on my band?s album. I?m in the final 90% done zone but this last 10% is takin me FOREVER to finish, and frankly I want to get on to some fresh projects.
I will try and limit myself to only working on 1 song until that 1 song is completely mixed and FINSIHED before I move onto the next. Its BRUTAL but I find it better than juggling multiple tracks.
1 thing I find helpful is even though I am primarily responsible for the production work and the majority of the ?songwriting? is to asign my band members tasks. Like if they say we need more vocal tunes I will tell my drummer ?you HAVE to write lyrics for this 1 song?. And if I?m feeling slaved werkin on vocals I will tell my bass player ?you?ve gotta sing at least 2 songs on the record?. I also have regular check in points with my drummer where we sit down and listen to something that I think of as 90% done and with his feedback / ideas we can usually edit / werk on it and finish it there and then.
A lot of stuff is DONE ? you usually just can?t see the forest for the trees.
That and like others have said, you can fine tune a project forever. At some point you just have to say, this is a snapshot of where I was at this point In my life and my next one will incorporate all of these new ideas I'm having, just for the sake of finishing.
If it's never finished and no one hears it, it's almost like it was never even started. Just sayin'.
Damn, gettin' deep on us.... good point! Lots of great advice in this thread, thanks guys.