Members deluxe74 Posted February 22, 2009 Members Share Posted February 22, 2009 I CANN'T FINISH A GOD. DAMN. THING!!!! {censored}!!!!!!!!!! Ok, phew, I'm good.Lyrics aren't what's killing me, and it isn't the guitar/melody either, it's putting them together!Recording is the same {censored}ing story. I find myself putting down the rhythem tracks and then add some lead stuff for coloring (I have enough effects to draw from so my pallate is good), and I just can't write a {censored}ing lead part!! Nothing seems to have a purpose. Perfectionism is my greatest downfall. How do you guys get past this. Do you have any tips to 'just write even if it's infinetely stupid'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted February 22, 2009 Members Share Posted February 22, 2009 Perfectionism will kill creativity dead. post some lyrics and I'll play a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thrustin Posted February 22, 2009 Members Share Posted February 22, 2009 I Find it hard to write songs sometimes. It is frustrating. What I have found, is that if I just write about something really stupid, I makes it easier. Also, have a plan. If you can figure out a purpose for the song, that may make it easier for you. Most of my writing as of late has been in response to craigslist posts. People post dumb or offensive things, the other people post responses and it gets out of hand. Depending on the subject, I will quickly pen, and record a musical response to the whole argument. I believe that this is a good exercise, because there is a subject layed out before you. The plan can be easily though out. And, since time is of major importance, there is no time to overthink your composition. This is guerilla composition. You can check out some of my stuff @ http://www.myspace.com/willysingssongs WARNING: Adult Oriented Lyrics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wwwjd Posted February 22, 2009 Members Share Posted February 22, 2009 when you are stuck in a box, you gotta climb the walls to get out of it. Try rearranging things so they are all "wrong" and start again. turn the kick and snare into congas ONLY, and the bass into solo violin. just screw around. AND set a goal: I will screw it up, record it, and make a FINISHED MIX by 5pm today. or something like that. It will be throw away for inspiration only, and/or lead to a zillion other ideas. You may surprise yourself about what you can REALLY Accomplish If your song is lacking "Purpose" as you mention, maybe it should be shelved while you work on something that DOES have purpose to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Boydog Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 if the lead is all you're stuck on try something really simple, the "less is more" thing, Just play along with the song and it'll come out. Try fxs you don't normally use or do it dry then add the fx into the final mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LeonardScaper Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Dude! Just write...even if it's infinitely stupid. Not everything you produce will be good. But you need to keep producing to get something good. You can't let yourself get frustrated, man. Relax and have some fun....listen to wwwjd....do some different things and before you even know it you'll be listening back to licks you didn't even know you had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Disco Cat Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Meditate, relax, let go = ability renewal. Serious suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 I CANN'T FINISH A GOD. DAMN. THING!!!! {censored}!!!!!!!!!! Ok, phew, I'm good.Lyrics aren't what's killing me, and it isn't the guitar/melody either, it's putting them together!Recording is the same {censored}ing story. I find myself putting down the rhythem tracks and then add some lead stuff for coloring (I have enough effects to draw from so my pallate is good), and I just can't write a {censored}ing lead part!! Nothing seems to have a purpose. Perfectionism is my greatest downfall. How do you guys get past this. Do you have any tips to 'just write even if it's infinetely stupid'? Not a perfectionist here. I don't believe I've ever written a lead guitar part out. Even if it wasn't more hassle for me (I'm a notational dyslexic) that it's probably worth, I still don't thik I really want to be that kind of guitarist. But I'm sure that that kind of guitarist tends to have more coherent and consistent solos, don't get me wrong. It's just not me... Glancing above... I like the less is more thing. You don't cut to the essence of something by chopping it up in little pieces... When in doubt, play whole notes... listen to the surroundings... feel where it wants to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members u03am5 Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 I almost always find myself writing pieces over months or often years. If i find myself getting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deluxe74 Posted February 23, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Dude! Just write...even if it's infinitely stupid. Not everything you produce will be good. But you need to keep producing to get something good. You can't let yourself get frustrated, man. Relax and have some fun....listen to wwwjd....do some different things and before you even know it you'll be listening back to licks you didn't even know you had. This is what I need to keep in mind. That is exactly what I do... Get a cool idea, over think it, and I get nothing out of it, as opposed to something I may not like so much, or may even like. BTW, I love the quote in the sig:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ido1957 Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Stop overthinking and create something from start to finish and consider it done. Then repeat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deluxe74 Posted February 23, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Stop overthinking and create something from start to finish and consider it done. Then repeat... haha, I know what I need to do... I just seem to have trouble getting there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phoam18 Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 I almost always find myself writing pieces over months or often years. If i find myself getting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JetCityMatt Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 Stop editing yourself. All your editor does is shut you down and bring you to a halt. As a perfectionist I find it really hard just to write out lyrics without stopping and changing a line because its not good enough- and trying hard to remember the lines that follow so I don't forget them while I'm being a critic on the line I'm writing out. It's hard but we have to just ignore our critic. No one is going to judge what you've written or created- only you will see it. We need to stop trying to write down ONLY the stuff we deem good enough to keep and write EVERYTHING that comes to our mind instead. Then you have a lot of ideas to draw from. This is hard for me. More than one of the songwriting books I have says to just free-write, free-associate on your song topic and write a page of every random thought you think of related to that topic. Then after you are done you have that pallette of stuff to draw from. We have to stop trying to write the lyrics down in their final form and instead write EVERYTHING and plan to rewrite and rewrite to refine out the good stuff.Not easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gayforjesus Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 everything i do is perfect. i am burdened by awesomeness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fenderbender66 Posted February 23, 2009 Members Share Posted February 23, 2009 I Find it hard to write songs sometimes. It is frustrating. What I have found, is that if I just write about something really stupid, I makes it easier. Also, have a plan. If you can figure out a purpose for the song, that may make it easier for you. Most of my writing as of late has been in response to craigslist posts. People post dumb or offensive things, the other people post responses and it gets out of hand.Depending on the subject, I will quickly pen, and record a musical response to the whole argument. I believe that this is a good exercise, because there is a subject layed out before you. The plan can be easily though out. And, since time is of major importance, there is no time to overthink your composition. This is guerilla composition.You can check out some of my stuff @http://www.myspace.com/willysingssongsWARNING: Adult Oriented Lyrics! Dude, that is some great stuff you're doing. Love "Craigslist is full of..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members King_For_A_Day Posted February 24, 2009 Members Share Posted February 24, 2009 Remember in the movie "Amadeus" when Salieri is looking at Mozart's manuscripts and he comments about there not being any corrections and Mrs Mozart says that all the manuscripts are first drafts? It just flowed out of Wolfie's pen onto the page without any need for revision? And it's the most perfect music that the world has ever seen? Well, I'm not Mozart and neither are you. It's 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration for us mortals. Much good advice above. Don't edit. Get it all down on paper first.Write quickly (as fast as you can).Don't edit till you're done.If you get stuck, skip that line or verse and move on. Get it down.Swtich things up. Everything and anything.Don't edit till you're done.Play simple. Write stupid.Meditate and relax.Don't edit till you're done. You guys must be somgwriters or sumfin. PS. "Amadeus'... What a great friggin' movie!! What do you mean you've never seen it?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tedster Posted February 27, 2009 Members Share Posted February 27, 2009 When you drive in your car, do you have tunes on? Turn 'em off. Listen to what's playing in your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Taylor Davis Posted March 2, 2009 Members Share Posted March 2, 2009 What I do is to RECORD COVERS. I'll record two or three covers and do it all myself. Rythym tracks, drums and vocals., second and third guitar parts, etc.. then, after you have a feel for HOW SONGS ARE PUT TOGETHER, decide on a GENRE for your song. after you have genre in minde the rest should fall into place. if you're still haveing problems LEARN a few more covers and just practice recording those. I do the main rythyms FIRST and then add first vocals and then drums and then the rest of the fill ins. learning and recording covers will show you firsthand how songs go together. a lot of times I'll study covers in a set genre(DELTA BLUES for instance) until I can CREATE an AUTHENTIC original in that genre> useing the tricks and techniques learned. Study recordings of covers to finde out how they were recorded and record like the olde rexcords were recorded. once you know HOW to write and record songs it's easy. easy i say!TD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted March 2, 2009 Members Share Posted March 2, 2009 Taylor's got a good technique there. One of the ways we learn is by imitation. It doesn't mean we have to stay within the boundaries of what we studied -- although a good strategy is to study a number of varied approaches in order to broaden one's horizons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tspit74 Posted March 2, 2009 Members Share Posted March 2, 2009 Perfectionism sucks. I don't even bother with it. It's hard to get something perfect when I'm barely adequate at any one aspect. I have limited skills and a low tolerance for trying more than 3 takes of anything. If it's sloppy on the 3rd take, it stays sloppy. If I was better, it might bother me a lot. I take a, "this is where my abilities are today," acceptance approach. It's also why I don't get stage fright or even remotely nervous when I perform (on drums). I'm as good as I am right now and nothing's going to change that. If I don't want to suck, I should work harder. Now get on with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted March 2, 2009 Members Share Posted March 2, 2009 I do the Taylor thing as well - record covers, and use them to work out some of the issues in my originals. And I'm not a perfectionist, but I am uncomfortable with the levels of suck that I exhibit on a regular basis. I do "get on with it", but I should probably work harder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members samtrips Posted March 2, 2009 Members Share Posted March 2, 2009 And I'm not a perfectionist, but I am uncomfortable with the levels of suck that I exhibit on a regular basis. Heheheh, me too! Just listening to your soundclick page, some seriously cool stuff on there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted March 3, 2009 Members Share Posted March 3, 2009 Thanks! Checked out "A New Turf". Liked it a lot - minus the surf/reverb guitar it reminds me of Mission of Burma. I was an 80's punk and this was exactly the kind of music I listened to at the time. A few years ago my brother-in-law got me the "Children of Nuggets" box set for Christmas - you should definitely check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members samtrips Posted March 3, 2009 Members Share Posted March 3, 2009 That box set looks awesome, thanks for the recommendation man! Got a birthday coming up (fairly) soon, might get it on the list... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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