How can I produce music without the thought of impressing someone or for the sake of fame?

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Hey,

I have produced music on and off for about 10 years. But most often when I get a good idea down and I feel it has potential to be a great song, my mind turns into perfectionist mode with thoughts of impressing others with my music, comparing the songs against other similar songs or simply for the sake of fame.

I do music for fun and I enjoy every minute of it. But these thoughts pop in every time I make music and then I fall into a perfectinist trap where I have to perfect every small details until i'm satisfied.

Tips?

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just do it?

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dasen wrote: Fri May 17, 2019 4:08 pmI have to perfect every small details until i'm satisfied.
If you are not satisfied without perfecting every small detail then why would you not do so?

Some people throw stuff together and are happy with the results, while others need to sculpt every last detail until they feel it is right. No different to other forms of art where some painters are happy to slap, daub or literally throw paint at the walls, while others have a far more exacting style.

Neither way is incorrect, and a lot of it depends on genre as to how far down the rabbit-hole you can go. Also, if you are just putting something out as an acoustic jam or modular synth jam, then it is unlikely to call for much polishing, if any at all.

Personally, I have spent far too much time having to excuse all of the things I don't like about my music. I have the option to just throw stuff out, and let go of my misgivings about the results, or ensure that I never let anything 'out' until it is the best I can do at that moment in time. In the end, I am resigned to never putting anything out again unless I feel that it matches my expectations going in.

Again! Neither way is incorrect, and there is no judgement against people who have different approaches.

Ultimately, If you get joy from the process of making the music to the potential you feel it has, then just keep going. Maybe look to other artists that have that same meticulous process. Here are some examples that really exemplify that precision. Every tiny click is exactly where it is supposed to be:

BT - Somnambulist

This song holds the Guinness World Record for most vocal edits in a single recording. It has 6,178 edits all done completely by hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iFizEkfEAQ

The acapella version:

https://soundcloud.com/bt/bt-somnambulist-simply-being

edIT - Ants

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j81fYZVvFh4

Trifonic - Parks On Fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4R1nl_UbSk

Amen Tobin - Journeyman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se7w6pqBBxg

Another artist that just blows me away is Imogen Heap. All of her albums are available as deluxe versions that contain the original versions, along with the instrumentals. Becoming familiar with the songs and then listening to the amount of detail that goes into the music is a real education in arrangement, and how using delicate hints and constant evolving of textures can really make a song so much more interesting. That she engineers, and produces it all in her home studio makes it so much more of an incredible achievement, imo :tu:

Imogen Heap -- Goodnight and Go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk8EtvBnaJA

Instrumental version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbcntTBzBEU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui-DxSx8iek

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The mental game of music shouldn't be underestimated.

I struggle with this as well - I try to trust my instincts and know when I should be creating and when I should be studying. You want to avoid normalizing self-doubt as part of your creative process. If not, at a certain point your brain will automatically get on a "self-doubt" train every time you sit down. Sometimes it's best to step away from creating, and just study. Check out a tutorial, read a book, transcribe some ideas from a favorite song.

Meditation and mindfulness can be helpful for quieting your negative thoughts. The concepts in Effortless Mastery https://www.amazon.com/Effortless-Maste ... 8&qid=&sr=can be applied to creating, I would definitely check it out!
not really a martian - not really from here. tryin to learn everything I can about how humans make music.

FL20 and Live 10

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Make music when under the influence of the substance of your choice: you'll either be having too much fun, or be too disoriented, to care.

For a longer-term solution, pay close attention to who you become when such concerns control you, and decide if you really want to be that person. You may find that being that person helps you achieve your goals, or you may find that you hate that person. Either way, it'll give you the power to choose, and it'll be a hell of a lot faster than learning to laser focus your mind (which is itself invaluable -- just not relevant here).
Wait... loot _then_ burn? D'oh!

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Just do what I do. Make music that won't definitely impress anyone, and you don't even have to dream of becoming famous.. Makes you free from lots of stress :hihi:

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Or maybe start three similar threads on the same day, and then not bother to respond to any of the answers :tu:

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BT - Somnambulist

This song holds the Guinness World Record for most vocal edits in a single recording. It has 6,178 edits all done completely by hand.
Good thing BT got a chance to create Stutter Edit so we don't have to do it all by hand anymore :tu:
Blog ------------- YouTube channel
Tricky-Loops wrote: (...)someone like Armin van Buuren who claims to make a track in half an hour and all his songs sound somewhat boring(...)

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el-bo (formerly ebow) wrote: Thu May 23, 2019 5:53 pm Or maybe start three similar threads on the same day, and then not bother to respond to any of the answers :tu:
maybe the fame got to him :(

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vurt wrote: Thu May 23, 2019 6:00 pm
el-bo (formerly ebow) wrote: Thu May 23, 2019 5:53 pm Or maybe start three similar threads on the same day, and then not bother to respond to any of the answers :tu:
maybe the fame got to him :(
No photos! :x :hihi:

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vurt wrote: Thu May 23, 2019 6:00 pm
el-bo (formerly ebow) wrote: Thu May 23, 2019 5:53 pm Or maybe start three similar threads on the same day, and then not bother to respond to any of the answers :tu:
maybe the fame got to him :(
I'm impressed :hihi:

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dasen wrote: Fri May 17, 2019 4:08 pm I do music for fun and I enjoy every minute of it. But these thoughts pop in every time I make music and then I fall into a perfectinist trap where I have to perfect every small details until i'm satisfied.

Tips?
Ignore those thoughts, it's the only way to be happy, they will never stop and you will be always chasing that stupid carrot feeling you are never good enough, it's a rabbit hole, you will end up with suicide if you reach the end of that hole, but never the carrot.

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Or you could enjoy the sensation of satisfaction making it as perfect as you can do with the skills you have now. You can only do anything in the moment as well as you are skilled and equipped to.

Actually no other time really exists so do the best you can/want to now.

There is also happiness for some to know they did everything they could have done at the time they made a specific track.

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Synthman2000 wrote: Thu May 23, 2019 6:57 pm
Actually no other time really exists so do the best you can/want to now.
indeed, all that exists is "now".
anything else is imaginary :)

live in the moment.
its a gift.
that's why its called the present :)

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