Members Guvnor Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I'm beginning to get very frustrated trying to record this one song... I've had the thing for YEARS but I absolutely cannot record it to save my life. It's a folk-rock tune that I, originally, heard as having a very low-key arrangement, ala Dylan... something very sparse... And I've gotten 3/4 of the way done SEVERAL TIMES and felt the arrangement was exciting enough... NOW I've got an arrangement where the drums and bass are doing lots of fills and imbellishment. That felt exciting and different for a while but now I'm wondering if it's just over the top... I've also started layering piano, organ, multiple acoustic guitars... and now my voice isn't fitting anymore... Anyone else gone through similar headaches? How do you get out of your own way and just let the song flow? I'm getting to the point that I wonder if I even like the song anymore... I'm starting to feel separate from it but at the same time, I don't want to lose it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DukeOfBoom Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 you've been doing the whole thing on your own? when you're stuck like that, it's time to bring in a trusted outsider, even if that person doesn't know music theory and all that. just for the opinion and motivation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 I've had very similar experiences. Some songs just seemed to refuse to get themselves recorded. One day I realized that maybe only about 15-20% of my songs had even been recorded in any form. (And that was the start of my song blog, where I set out to do simple acoustic versions of each of my songs. Which at least got them all recorded [or thrown into the not-quite-there folder, which at least got them out of the way].) I would suggest simply finishing a song that's 3/4 done. (Since I work on the computer, I'm able to save versions of the songs as I go along with little effort, so I can always go back x number of steps and pursue a different branch if I want.) Even if brute-forcing the song to a finish feels, well, forced, and results in a far less than ideal recording -- at least it's something -- and you can go back and build on it, tear it down, start over, or whatever, but at least its off your front burner for the time being without being a big dangling question mark. Another thing I do to keep myself from going crazy: I try never to let myself get conned into thinking I only have one chance at a given song. You can end up overworking a song -- and, given the givens, it may well be one that's really important to you. It's one thing to put a small amount of effort into a recording project and end up with something that's not there yet or that just plain doesn't work... but when you've put in a huge amount of work and one day you realize it's this big monument to wrong decisions and misguided choices stacked atop each other... that's disheartening. I try not to put myself in a position where I get disheartened -- that happens enough without trying. And, actually, it's just some of these issues that pushed us to try to keep the focus here (in the SW forum) on songwriting and not performance or production issues (which are typically better suited to the forums devoted to them). But the problem of caring so much about a song one has written that he can't seem to be satisfied with any of his attempts to set in into a recording is one that probably a lot of us songwriters have wrestled with. You're far from alone, I suspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DukeOfBoom Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 Even if brute-forcing the song to a finish feels, well, forced, and results in a far less than ideal recording -- at least it's something -- and you can go back and build on it, tear it down, start over, or whatever, but at least its off your front burner for the time being without being a big dangling question mark. BRUTE FORCE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i always do that for the middle sections. this is where ripple editing on your daw is very handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted January 13, 2011 Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 Of course, when I say brute force, I'm really just talking about that 0% inspiration state where you have to make up for it with 100% perspiration if you even want to get it "finished" by even the loosest measure. And, while I've occasionally worked a bit and gotten a few nuggets out, I have to say that my best songs seem to just flow out. Or maybe flow through... I don't know if 'the muses' are real or all up inside my head (hell, got the whole world up there, already, there's room for some whispy, ethereal spirit types while I'm at it) but I've often felt like my best work comes, unbidden, from some other... something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guvnor Posted January 13, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks, guys... the comments are encouraging... Getting someone else in would be awesome, Duke... but I don't have any compatriates like that, unfortunately... And I think this particular song is RIPE for a good producer... I'd like to just sit back on this one and be the 'artist'... lol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DukeOfBoom Posted January 14, 2011 Members Share Posted January 14, 2011 Getting someone else in would be awesome, Duke... but I don't have any compatriates like that MOMMIES ARE GOOD FOR THESE SORTS OF THINGS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guvnor Posted January 14, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 14, 2011 haha.. I'll keep that in mind... thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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