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-- How do you battle your own thoughts?

How do you battle your own thoughts?

My mind has so much going on in it, every time I open Ableton I never work on the same stuff. Every day (or other day) Ill open Ableton, listen to a couple things that I already did, and Ill say to myself... yea, thats a pretty dope melody and beat, Ill close the window, open up a blank screen and start working on something new. In about 2-3 weeks, Ive created about 10 songs, all relatively different from one another and I cant stop. Its a never ending cycle of digging up samples, making melodies, replicating and remixing melodies.

Caffeine and force of will.

Apart from a project I'm working, currently, I don't ever have multiple tracks working, at the same time. In this instance, my rule is the rule I had told to me when I was working on the line in a restaurant kitchen - three things at once, one thing at a time.

haha yeah caffeine tho i work on one project at a time it still takes loads of stages and takes before one track is done. and will lead on to many other tracks/projects i found this to be a better way having varied ideas on the go leads to good tunes

I cut myself and deny myself a shit until I've finished something.

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord I cut myself and deny myself a shit until I've finished something.

Yeah, I set goals. Monkey doesn't get a cigarette (which he has to smoke outside his studio) until the track is down and solid.

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Originally posted by EddieZilker Yeah, I set goals. Monkey doesn't get a cigarette (which he has to smoke outside his studio) until the track is down and solid.

I wish I had a monkey.

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Originally posted by tehlord I wish I had a monkey.

You have to be the monkey.

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Originally posted by EddieZilker You have to be the monkey.

I AM Bluffmunkey

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord I AM Bluffmunkey

Ah, Nirvana.

I can't work on more than one song at a time. Last time I tried to do that my ideas kept bleeding into each track and they both suffered for it.

Hell, I usually have to take about two weeks off after finishing a track just to "reboot" so I can come up with an idea that doesn't sound exactly like the last track.

I work in binges, but i'm definately always thinking about the next idea, or what i'd like to do in the future. This allows me to filter out some ideas and develop the good ones. The space between making music helps. And sometimes I go in without caring about previous thoughts/ideas, I just let the sounds and fiddles develop something on the spot. But indeed, I think its important to learn how to be able to filter thoughts, and leave a particular piece of music alone when the thoughts are not good enough. So that you can add better visioned thoughts/ideas at another time.

Re: How do you battle your own thoughts?

quote:

Originally posted by Vlad My mind has so much going on in it, every time I open Ableton I never work on the same stuff. Every day (or other day) Ill open Ableton, listen to a couple things that I already did, and Ill say to myself... yea, thats a pretty dope melody and beat, Ill close the window, open up a blank screen and start working on something new. In about 2-3 weeks, Ive created about 10 songs, all relatively different from one another and I cant stop. Its a never ending cycle of digging up samples, making melodies, replicating and remixing melodies.

Sooo...what's the problem? Battling thoughts of suicide?

Ever since i started using Ableton more and more ive started doing the same thing, and i am a guy that always finishes good ideas.

It sounds more simply like you just don't have any refined goals as your producing.
If thats true, when you sit down, you're mind will tend to take on the world rather than focusing on a specific element in the track.

I suggest maybe you start writing an outline when you start new tracks. Open up msword and brainstorm your ideas. What kind of bassline are you going for? Will it be fast or slow tempo'd? What parts of the track do you want to focus on the most?

You don't have to write it out obviously but I suggest you just treat producing with a higher degree of strategy. "Ok today I'm working on nothing but the kick and percussion. After I finish that I'll move onto the bass.. etc etc" It really shouldn't be that hard to do you just need to take your own advice and do it.

I think the thing is a blank project is only a click away, so when you're not being productive, all you gotta do is open a new project. Try to treat new projects less as a canvas for brainstorming if your intention is to complete a track. You can open an empty project to brainstorm of course, but don't go back and forth too much between planning and doing. Try to plan as much as you can at one time and then try to execute as much as you can in one shot. This will keep you from going back and forth so much scrambling ideas. Obviously nothing too profound but it DOES help me a lot.

G/luck!

I thought about making a new thread for this, but Ill just throw it into this logjam of a thread...

So heres something I strung together (only 8 seconds, but youll get the jist), combination of samples and some random stuff I tossed into the drum machine... now, I really dont know much about breaks, but when it all came together it sounded pretty sick. However, I dont know where to go with it from here. Gimme some suggestions.

[[ LINK REMOVED ]]
thing.mp3

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Originally posted by DJ Robby Rox I think the thing is a blank project is only a click away, so when you're not being productive, all you gotta do is open a new project.

This is how you end up with a lot of unfinished tracks.

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Originally posted by Subtle Ever since i started using Ableton more and more ive started doing the same thing, and i am a guy that always finishes good ideas.

There's a learning curve you have to climb when you're starting a new sequencer that's not one you're used to. I've had a few "hump" days that were just plodding - where I didn't even want to turn on Sonar because I felt like a complete newb. Fortunately, it gets better.

quote:

Originally posted by EddieZilker There's a learning curve you have to climb when you're starting a new sequencer that's not one you're used to. I've had a few "hump" days that were just plodding - where I didn't even want to turn on Sonar because I felt like a complete newb. Fortunately, it gets better.

yeah plodding i was like that to with reaper tis was doin me head in but now i know my way around the table it rocks. you just have to wait till it all clicks into place. i would give anything for a good midi editor tho

solution: make simpler tracks that doesnt take to long to arrange. its the looping part which is fun.

quote:

Originally posted by owien yeah plodding i was like that to with reaper tis was doin me head in but now i know my way around the table it rocks. you just have to wait till it all clicks into place. i would give anything for a good midi editor tho

You should try SONAR

quote:

Originally posted by EddieZilker You should try SONAR

been tempted they have introduced a new entry level version so i may get the demo and see if i like it

quote:

Originally posted by EddieZilker You should try SONAR

What's so different about SONAR that makes it special?

I've been half creating tracks for years, at first I put it down to liking so many different EDM genre's I could never create a tune in one genre, now I'm starting to think I just dont like the sound of my own music!

Working on more tracks all the time lets see how far I get...


http://soundcloud.com/drewwihl

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord I cut myself and deny myself a shit until I've finished something.

sounds effective . I have this problem on occasion as well... working on multiple songs at one time can lead to counter productivity and procrastination I have found.. it is better to divert ones energy towards a single track, finish it, recover and start a new

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