I want to know the Secret!

[Pinkstar]

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one, I feel it's almost embarassing to ask this kinda question but it's a huge problem I have and usually many of you have some really great advice. While I'm highly creative; I'm extremely unorganized.

I'm having a hard time FINISHING a track; I mean truly finish it and put it somewhere as a track available for licensing. Like boom! Done! I can start at least two tracks every day, which I often do and my folders fill up with more unfinished songs that have great potential. Result, I get overwhelmed and start another new one. (I know it's pathetic, hahahaha) Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp!

Anyone has any some great advice for me on how to:
A) Organize and store my music so I can easily access it AND most importantly
B) Finishing a track


I look forward to hearing your ideas. (And I'm sure there will be plenty of funny ones, hee hee)

J

[ottlukk]

J:
As a fellow procrastinator, I really, really felt like putting this off 'til tomorrow, or next week, or even next month . . .
I write in little chunks, hoping to hit on a hook with potential. I have a "card" (5" by 7") notebook on my nightstand, in my car, at work . . . the individual cards are detachable from the notebook . . . if I get a theme I like, I keep working it off & on. I'll have several themes going at the same time. I then go through my various cards, and throw the various scribblings into a file of hanging folders, each identified by the hook I'm working on. Some files will end up with 30 to 40 lyric ideas, some with only a few. I pick the fattest one -- the lyrics are all there, it's just a matter of constructing them into something appealing.
The downside is that I stall going through the fat files, 'cause it''s so much easier to free-associate and throw some lines into that small notebook. To sit down and actually construct something -- well, that's work. And I also think (in my case) it's the fear that you won't come up with anything good.
Hope this helps.
Ott

[rnrmachine]

Hi J,

I have MANY unfinished projects so I know exactly where you are at. Some of them are my best work and who knows the real reason why they are not done. I could speculate till the cows come home... and I don't have any cows!!

The good thing is, I do finish projects and get them submitted so I am not at a point where I can't finish anything. I am sure you finish some stuff too... I think the biggest reason is.. IF we had a collaborator, when we hit that "wall" we could just pass it to them, then when they send it back we might find new steam to "get-er-done". (BUT what if they see I am not as good as they may think I am? What if they steal my Idea? Then there is the spotlight hoggers... I'd rather fail then share credit!) I know a collaborator would be very helpful for me. But that also involves things that are not fun. File transfers etc... and we're up to our neck in those "not so fun" things to do. Force yourself to look for that next part. If you do not know theory well enough to think of it then sit your ass down at your piano or grab a guitar, whatever your instrument of choice is. Then open a book or go online and try every proper theoretical move until you find your next part. Don't stop scribbling down new Ideas just don't let them A.D.D. you.

I used jog ALL the time, years back, and often I would find it taking every ounce of will power I had in me to continue. Force myself, don't let myself stop now. Well one day I said.. F++k this and I stopped running. HAHA Thankfully music is much more fun and it is often a simple matter of kicking myself in the ass and getting it done. At least it isn't running around the block 20 times just to burn a friggin chocolate bar.

Rob

[Len911]

I'd be a hypocrit if I offered any advice. Overwhelmed, always interruptions, trying to do too many things at once,lol. I know I just need to focus now, and if I am going to be just another one hit wonder, maybe just work on that one hit and keep re-writing it until I am finished. It is difficult when you try to wear all the hats. There is always something you stumble on and learn and have to learn more. My organizing song and project files went to heck after I started preambling everything 111111aaaa so it would be at the head of the pack and I could save time searching, now they all are like, competing to be the number one listing. When a song seems to be better than the one that was unfinished before, I tend not to go back to the other song. I think that's what I'll do, just write one song.
I think I might have solved my dilemma in these ramblings, sorry if it didn't help you,lol!!
Fwiw, I've never been into organization. By the time I get something organized, it just gives me a false sense of accomplishment, when in fact I've done nothing. If I had a day planner, I know I'd spend all day thinking up things to write in it, and the day would be over.
Honestly, I've never met anyone that was always busy that I thought looked intelligent or interesting. Ok, well, maybe the thought of that keeps me from organization, afraid it might ruin my self-image. I am gonna stop, I think I am starting to sound like Andy Rooney.

[ottlukk]

I think we should all chip in and buy Rob a cow.
Ott

[elser]

Let me know if you find out that secret! You can always send it to me in a sealed envelope if you don't want it to get out.

I always struggle with keeping up the initial enthusiasm that comes with creating a new tune, I get an initial idea, melody, riff or something and then go at it for awhile convinced it's the best thing I've ever written.

But the more I work on it, the less inspired I feel. For this reason, I'm trying to work very quickly, really go with my instincts and try not to over think anything. Get all my tracks down while I'm feeling that initial vibe and then go back and fix things that need fixing later.

I think it's helping...I think

[t4mh]

Ok, Goals...the talk! Ya know, a lot of people are goal driven even though they don't realize it. Its a goal to get out of bed, get dressed and off to work whether you realize it or not. Just apply it. A lot of people think that they have to have a muse or some sort of idea that comes to them by magic. Its more like a muscle you excersise and train. Probably, you're like me in that everything you've ever done WELL in you're life, you learned to do a little piece at a time. Applies to your job, trade, profession, whatever... So apply THAT to your everyday music making.

Set a goal with some little goals that you can meet. Like if you know that you have a song that you want to write and it will have lyrics, a melody, guitar, bass and drums. Break that up into small chunks. Today I will write the lyrics. Next day write the melody. Next day write the harmony or chord progression and so on. Then once you know what you want to record, today I will record the bass part, next day the drums and so forth. Your overall goal should be to finish the thing in say 2 weeks. If you're like me you'll get caught up in the thing and finish it half the time. But as soon as you finish it start another and never let up.

It took everyone of us a while to learn to tie our shoes! But if we didn't stay on it we never would have gotten it done. There is no magic secret, just work. But you'd better really love the work.
HTH
Keith

[glender]

I scribble a lot on paper that's where everything originates from. All my ideas start out on a pad. But if a song is not coming together it's tossed into the trash without any reservation. There's a lot of ideas that sound good but two weeks later you're like "What am I a retard" I''m never going to develop that. Those are the ones that have to go, get them out of your life. And if you have piles laying around chances are pretty good they're all duds consider some serious spring cleaning.

There's always a few that have potential. With me it's about the hook and the story line. If I like these two elements I think about the song and start collecting ideas, much like Ott. Once I have a solid Chorus and a couple of verses and the song is still strong in my head (I'm not sick of it) Then it's time to transfer the lyrics (in a word doc) to my computer. I'll leave an unfinished song on my desktop until it's complete, then it goes into a folder. As far as the melody it's usually captured on a digital recorder that I try really hard to carry with me at all times.

If the song is "a go" the melody eventually finds it's way into my little 4 track recorder. Once the song is complete it gets put into an Mp3 folder on my computer. So I have the lyrics and cord charts in one folder and the mp3's in another folder, all neatly stored on my hard drive. It's pretty easy to go back and look at or listen to any song I want after that.

I always back up those folders to memory discs from time to time. Very important once the paper trail is gone. I use two back up sources. The key is the soul searching and getting rid of the junk.

[mazz]

I don't think there's one secret, and I think it's an ongoing process of constantly refining. I wouldn't consider myself the most organized person but here's some of the strategies I've developed, for better or worse:

1. I create a folder by year on the root level of my audio project hard drive.

2. I create sub folders by library and/or client/project and one for "drafts" or "experiments".

3. Once I finish a piece that didn't have a title to begin with ("reality cue 003", for instance), I come up with a title and rename the project folder, the project file and the final mix file.

4. I bring the final mix into iTunes as a 24 bit wav file and put in my metadata such as library, genre, etc. From there I create my mp3s in different formats.

5. I make a "smart playlist" in iTunes for each library/client and one for all of my music and one for "my music 2010" etc.


On the composing front (I don't write songs or lyrics, can't help there), I find it's very useful to have a goal for the piece up front, even if it's a project/library request. For instance: "This piece will have a hip hop beat, a synth pad and a synth bass and then break down to a basic beat and a little bell and then repeat the A with the bell from the B section added. It will be 112 BPM in the key of A minor, the B section will go to C major. It will be between 1:15 and 1:30 and will have a button ending." Leave it at that, don't add any more. Then decide you'll mix it in one hour and come back later and tweak it for another hour and put it to bed.

Pick your sounds ahead of time and then stick with the sound palette you've chosen. If you need a new sound, figure out how to make it by editing the sounds you've already chosen.

Just a few ideas that work for me.

Still working on: Making a consistent schedule for composing with a list of styles, etc. that I want to write. Getting my composing space set up for efficiency, I'm considering renting an office or a space in a rehearsal studio.

Good luck, you'll find your own way.

Cheers!

Mazz

[rnrmachine]

I think we should all chip in and buy Rob a cow.
Ott

ROFL