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Can't seem to finish songs(perfectionism?)

Hey, I've been making progressive trance tracks using 'Reason 5' for a few years now, however my problem is that; I can't seem to finish my tracks anymore, I keep starting over. I've turned into a perfectionist, I'm really happy about something I've made for a few days, then I end up hating it and removing the section I've made. I've sort of become obsessed by the idea that it has to be perfect or nothing at all. I've basically been working on the very same track for over a year now. What makes it even harder is that my mood changes a lot, sometimes I'm really in the mood to make GOA, Drum & Bass, Ambient, Psytrance, Fullon etc. It all shows in whatever I'm working on and it kind of becomes a big mess.

It hasn't always been like this either, I was perfectly happy with what I've made until I started working on this song. I am by no extent a perfectionist when it comes to other artforms either.

Has anyone had this problem? Does anyone know a good way to get out of this cycle? I really want to finish things.

Everyone hits those times, agagin and again. Reading this might help:

http://primeloops.com/blog/index/po...sh-your-tracks/

And this one might be helpful too:

http://primeloops.com/blog/index/po...beat-the-block/

quote:

Originally posted by Vernon Wanderer Everyone hits those times, agagin and again. Reading this might help: http://primeloops.com/blog/index/po...sh-your-tracks/ And this one might be helpful too: http://primeloops.com/blog/index/po...beat-the-block/

Thanks man, I read through all of it, I'd advice anyone in my situation to the do the very same thing. It helped a great deal.

Here's the song by the way, its pretty much a rough sketch at this point:



Some feedback would be really nice, I haven't really made an outro or an intro yet, some of the transitions are a bit off and it kind of needs more of melody. Let me know what you think!

jesus, you've been working on this for a YEAR? it must feel like an absolute chore by now to even open the project file. no matter how good the result is going to get, it will not live up to expectations. a year!! and how can you justify to yourself any changes in it when you've put so much work into it sounding the way it sounds now?! this is a toxic cul-de-sac my friend.

here's something that helped me when i was starting out. make a complete track but give yourself just one hour. then do it again - with the same basic track idea. and then do it again. wait a few days. do it again. one hour. same hook. you can even use the hook from this track that you posted. it doesn't matter so much

i promise you, you do that a few times, after a while these one hour experiments will start to sound really good. you don't invest so much time and energy into them that you're hesitant to outright scrap stuff that doesn't work. in fact when you have so little time, it encourages you to work fast and loose and practise judgement, what works and what doesn't. so you will get back to production and be able to decide when you're done, or quickly know what's keeping the track back and follow through with the necessary changes.

good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by wayfinder jesus, you've been working on this for a YEAR? it must feel like an absolute chore by now to even open the project file. no matter how good the result is going to get, it will not live up to expectations. a year!! and how can you justify to yourself any changes in it when you've put so much work into it sounding the way it sounds now?! this is a toxic cul-de-sac my friend. here's something that helped me when i was starting out. make a complete track but give yourself just one hour. then do it again - with the same basic track idea. and then do it again. wait a few days. do it again. one hour. same hook. you can even use the hook from this track that you posted. it doesn't matter so much i promise you, you do that a few times, after a while these one hour experiments will start to sound really good. you don't invest so much time and energy into them that you're hesitant to outright scrap stuff that doesn't work. in fact when you have so little time, it encourages you to work fast and loose and practise judgement, what works and what doesn't. so you will get back to production and be able to decide when you're done, or quickly know what's keeping the track back and follow through with the necessary changes. good luck!

Really sorry about the late response, I tried your method and it seems to be working out quite well. So now I've got about 10-15 experimental 1-2 minute tracks, I have however decided to work on them all at once. Whenever I'm in the mood for upbeat stuff, I'll work on the upbeat songs, whenever I'm in the mood for chilled ambient kinda stuff I'll work on those. Instead of being obsessed about finishing one song, I'll finish them all at once.

Before I started working on the current track, I'd usually finish everything in one sitting. I think my main issue has been getting into the program too far, I keep messing around with effects the synthesizers and what not instead of actually making notes and progressing. Too much experimenting.

I'll post whatever I manage to finish here as soon as I'm done. I'm hoping to have at least one track done within ~2 weeks.

Re: Can't seem to finish songs(perfectionism?)

quote:

Originally posted by Cenote I've sort of become obsessed by the idea that it has to be perfect or nothing at all. Has anyone had this problem? Does anyone know a good way to get out of this cycle? I really want to finish things.

You've just described me exactly!

I am going to finish my last few tracks. What I am finding is working well is to have 4 or 5 on the go and keep rotating between them because like you I'm a perfectionist and don't constrain myself to one style.

WOrking this way I am off any given track for days / weeks at a time so always comming back to it fresh.


Don;t worry about being a perfectionist. Michael Jackson and many many more worthwhile artists were the very same, just as are top painters, film directors, rally drivers, chefs (just for you msz "everytime man") etc.

If you strive to deliver truly outstanding work, great. Dont let anyone tell you it's only music.

Art that stands the test of time typically was often the result of immense stiving and effort.

quote:

Originally posted by wayfinder make a complete track but give yourself just one hour. then do it again - with the same basic track idea. and then do it again. wait a few days. do it again. one hour. same hook. you can even use the hook from this track that you posted. it doesn't matter so much i promise you, you do that a few times, after a while these one hour experiments will start to sound really good. you don't invest so much time and energy into them that you're hesitant to outright scrap stuff that doesn't work. in fact when you have so little time, it encourages you to work fast and loose and practise judgement, what works and what doesn't. so you will get back to production and be able to decide when you're done, or quickly know what's keeping the track back and follow through with the necessary changes.

Really good idea. Thanks!

Lol this is like the story of my life. I usually create small 16-bar loops and throw it in a folder, only to never come back to it again. Not sure if it has anything to do with attention span, but I did notice that mine is quite minuscule, equivalent to a rusty doorknob. Once you get a nice quick workflow going, I find that finishing a track in one day is usually the answer to this problem, as I have done for my past couple tracks this and last month.

God, I've had/have the same problem! It seems that i just can't release some half-breed in to this world, especially by my hand. And if I do something, it must be perfect, or nothing. I don't know how I overcame it. I didn't truly overcame it, in fact. I just continued to find ways to make my productions better and while producing, i've decided to keep "make what you want to hear, whatever it takes" thanks to which, in time, I manged to gain knowdledge and improve my overall skill.

quote:

Originally posted by wayfinder jesus, you've been working on this for a YEAR? it must feel like an absolute chore by now to even open the project file. no matter how good the result is going to get, it will not live up to expectations. a year!! and how can you justify to yourself any changes in it when you've put so much work into it sounding the way it sounds now?! this is a toxic cul-de-sac my friend. here's something that helped me when i was starting out. make a complete track but give yourself just one hour. then do it again - with the same basic track idea. and then do it again. wait a few days. do it again. one hour. same hook. you can even use the hook from this track that you posted. it doesn't matter so much i promise you, you do that a few times, after a while these one hour experiments will start to sound really good. you don't invest so much time and energy into them that you're hesitant to outright scrap stuff that doesn't work. in fact when you have so little time, it encourages you to work fast and loose and practise judgement, what works and what doesn't. so you will get back to production and be able to decide when you're done, or quickly know what's keeping the track back and follow through with the necessary changes. good luck!

Great advice here!

God, I've had/have the same problem! It seems that i just can't release some half-breed in to this world, especially by my hand. And if I do something, it must be perfect, or nothing. I don't know how I overcame it. I didn't truly overcame it, in fact. I just continued to find ways to make my productions better and while producing, i've decided to keep "make what you want to hear, whatever it takes" thanks to which, in time, I manged to gain knowdledge and improve my overall skill.

quote:

Originally posted by wayfinder jesus, you've been working on this for a YEAR? it must feel like an absolute chore by now to even open the project file. no matter how good the result is going to get, it will not live up to expectations. a year!! and how can you justify to yourself any changes in it when you've put so much work into it sounding the way it sounds now?! this is a toxic cul-de-sac my friend. here's something that helped me when i was starting out. make a complete track but give yourself just one hour. then do it again - with the same basic track idea. and then do it again. wait a few days. do it again. one hour. same hook. you can even use the hook from this track that you posted. it doesn't matter so much i promise you, you do that a few times, after a while these one hour experiments will start to sound really good. you don't invest so much time and energy into them that you're hesitant to outright scrap stuff that doesn't work. in fact when you have so little time, it encourages you to work fast and loose and practise judgement, what works and what doesn't. so you will get back to production and be able to decide when you're done, or quickly know what's keeping the track back and follow through with the necessary changes. good luck!

Great advice here!

God, I've had/have the same problem! It seems that i just can't release some half-breed in to this world, especially by my hand. And if I do something, it must be perfect, or nothing. I don't know how I overcame it. I didn't truly overcame it, in fact. I just continued to find ways to make my productions better and while producing, i've decided to keep "make what you want to hear, whatever it takes" thanks to which, in time, I manged to gain knowdledge and improve my overall skill.

quote:

Originally posted by wayfinder jesus, you've been working on this for a YEAR? it must feel like an absolute chore by now to even open the project file. no matter how good the result is going to get, it will not live up to expectations. a year!! and how can you justify to yourself any changes in it when you've put so much work into it sounding the way it sounds now?! this is a toxic cul-de-sac my friend. here's something that helped me when i was starting out. make a complete track but give yourself just one hour. then do it again - with the same basic track idea. and then do it again. wait a few days. do it again. one hour. same hook. you can even use the hook from this track that you posted. it doesn't matter so much i promise you, you do that a few times, after a while these one hour experiments will start to sound really good. you don't invest so much time and energy into them that you're hesitant to outright scrap stuff that doesn't work. in fact when you have so little time, it encourages you to work fast and loose and practise judgement, what works and what doesn't. so you will get back to production and be able to decide when you're done, or quickly know what's keeping the track back and follow through with the necessary changes. good luck!

Great advice here!

i feel like i kinda do the same thing, like over work things. i feel like progressively you will get faster and faster and making tracks

I forgot to mention that I have no experience when it comes to music theory, except playing guitar for a year or two. So I guess that might be part of my issue as well, I go by ear, all the time. I'm not even sure if I want to dive into the whole theory thing, cause I feel it will affect the outcome of my future tracks for better or worse. I usually try to convey and capture a feeling or setting. Kinda like a theme song for a game or a movie, but at the same time kind of dancey.

What do you guys think about the track itself, and what do you think about when you hear it?

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