Producers block

C

Clarintine

New member
Hello futureproducers crew,

I'm new to this site so sorry if this is in the wrong category or whatever.

Anyway, for the past 6 months or so I've been wanting to get some decent tunes together, hopefully tunes I'm satisfied enough to be able to send out as demos to people. However all I've managed to get done in the past 6 months is a few loops that I've uploaded to soundcloud and since then have had about 1 favorite and gathered dust.

It seems that every time I get the chance to sit down and make tunes, I just get tense and annoyed if I can't make ideas work. It's gotten to the point where I'll procrastinate because I'm afraid that if I try to make tunes I'll just piss myself off, but the most annoying thing is that i know have the potential and i can dream up tunes in my head which I think would be amazing if I could only just make it happen with the limited amount of gear I have, and as much as I come across as modest, to be brutally honest I'm pretty confident that I could make some decent tunes that at least someone would want to sign.

I have a feeling it could be that I rely heavily on sampling due to my lack of decent vsts but I've made decent tunes in the past, what went wrong? I've also seen other people replying to other people's questions of a similar nature and they suggested to lay off making music and to get inspiration, although I've been doing basically nothing but listening to various genres of music for the past 6 months, and it definitely inspires me, it's just the process of converting my inspiration and ideas to the D.A.W and getting good tunes out of it.

Am I just being too hard on myself?
If anyone has had any similar experiences, advice would be appreciated. cheers.
 
People starting out often confuse a lack of knowledge for 'creative' or 'producers' block. The media has drilled this idea into peoples heads thats its easy to make electronic music. Thats so people will believe it and keep spending money on trying. The reality is you should be in books rather than your daw for the first year or so. Thats how I did it, obviously its not the only way but I absolutely love it this way. Production practice is slow at first but once you get get started on working hands on your progress is so crazy that it keeps you extremely motivated. Because you know that to do. At least thats how it works for me. Ever since I started hands on work I cant finish a project without wanting to restart because I'm learning and getting inspiration from everything I do and getting better with ever hour I work so its justifying all the research ive done and making up for the time I didn't spend trying to figure everything out hands on by trial and error.

In short, spend some time researching and learning from a structured source rather than trying to learn everything through trial and error. I honestly believe I'm about 2 or 3 years ahead of where I should be because of the approach I took to learning and how long the average person says it should take to 'catch on'.

I cant even remember what the question was about, I'm basically just blogging now haha. DO LOTS OF RESEARCH :angel:
 
Last edited:
I've been producing for the past 4 years or so and I know my way around my D.A.W, it's just that I'm expecting perfection and I can't seem to make the tunes I want to. There was a 6 month period last year where I didn't make anything due to being wrapped up in other stuff. Could that be it?
 
Clarintine said:
I've been producing for the past 4 years or so and I know my way around my D.A.W, it's just that I'm expecting perfection and I can't seem to make the tunes I want to. There was a 6 month period last year where I didn't make anything due to being wrapped up in other stuff. Could that be it?
Click to expand...

Thats the problem with people learning production these days I think (kind of weird saying that since I'm learning production these days), they all assume you just need to know your way around the DAW so they spend all their time learning about DAWS and how to make fancy noises rather than learning music theory and studying song arrangements..The stuff that will actually give you the motivation to use the DAW.. Sorry for assuming you were new, its just that your opening post seemed like it was being written by someone who was new (uploading only song clips and wondering why you arent getting likes, etc, etc..)...but maybe that just proves my point more. Maybe you need a different approach to how you're learning if its been 4 years. Im gonna stick to what I originally said. What have you done for training besides for learning your daw? Because of all the important training I can think of right now that you need to make good music, knowing your DAW isn't very high on my list. Its kind of just an expected skill you should have. Its the other skills that are gonna make you motivated to make good music once you get more familiar with them.

What have you done as far as music training or theory training? Think about the times you arent just sitting on your daw trying to make loops, what are you doing?
 
I prefer to experiment than to study theory, I'm not really into structure and song arrangements, I want my music to be inconsistent and unconventional. However now that you've mentioned taking a different approach you've got me thinking. It could be that I'm taking it too seriously.
 
Last edited:
Clarintine said:
I prefer to experiment than to study theory, I'm not really into structure and song arrangements, I want my music to be inconsistent and unconventional. However now that you've mentioned taking a different approach you've got me thinking. It could be that I'm taking it too seriously.
Click to expand...

Learn some theory. I've found learning theory makes my music much more diverse.

Once you understand the theory behind the music you're listening to, you can copy it. Once you can copy it, you can see where there's potential for experimentation, or combine aspects of different genres. There are no 'new' ideas in music anymore: everything that sounds innovative is just a combination of things that haven't been combined before.

Not just traditional music theory either: learning sound design and other aspects of production is really fun and useful.

P.S. Can we see your soundcloud? It might help us give you some starting points for things to investigate
 
Last edited:
I played Piano for about 12 years. But as i had to write my own chords, i thought it didn't really help me after all.

You need to know some of the basics about scales, chords (triads, seventh, ninths) and basic chord progressions (i use the circle of fifths to find scales that work) otherwise you will not get your ideas done very quickly, and that is what makes it fun.

What helps me in the moment (i am just starting to learn how to make good beats) to get over that frustration:

Sort your samples so that it doesnt last longer than 3 minutes to find the samples you like, or set up a Session Preset which isn't blank when you load up your DAW.

Make short sessions, hear some tracks you like. While hearing, analyse the drumloop and the elements you like.

Set you a limit for about 1 h and try to get your idea done as fast as possible.
After that period take a break. And come back with fresh ears and listen to the stuff u made (it's not gonna be a finnished track)

If it sounds shit, delete it. And start again. You will learn how to make producing more efficient and less frustrating this way.

If it sounds quite nice, stick with it and go on.

How many time did u spend in your DAW? Because there is this rule everybody mentions, that u have to work about 5000 h to get good at something. 4 years mean nothing, if u only make music 1 day a week. If you didn't already spend that time, so spend more time in your DAW.
 
Satinsunday said:
How many time did u spend in your DAW? Because there is this rule everybody mentions, that u have to work about 5000 h to get good at something. 4 years mean nothing, if u only make music 1 day a week. If you didn't already spend that time, so spend more time in your DAW.
Click to expand...

that would be the 10000 hour rule

and it is allied to the 24 hour rule

24 hours to acquire a new skill

10000 hours of practice and application to have it as an unthinking part of your skillset
 
I'm the same right now. Everytime I start something I discard it because if I last more the 5 minutes and I feel like it's going nowhere I wont continue. That's been happening too often.
 
I think what separates a real producer from a bedroom producer is the ability to finish and put stuff out there. I'm not raggin' on ya, I've done the same thing myself for years - sit around thinking that I could be making the best tracks ever, if only I could get past whatever obstacle I've created. The truth is that you are your own obstacle. I don't know if you're taking it too SERIOUSLY - that's the wrong word - but more like the fact that you are so certain you're totally there but just for this one thing - is something that needs to be ditched. Eat a big piece of humble pie, like I did, and accept the fact that maybe you still have a lot of learning to do. This is stuff people have already said - work on your theory skills, spend hours putting yourself in a self-regulated "university" where you have a structure of various things you want to learn.

I have a 17 year career that somehow still meanders on. By no means am I famous, but I haven't had a non-music job in 8 years so I consider that successful even though I still have "ramen months" when touring is lean. There are definitely times when I want to be lazy and resort to the same thoughts - oh, I have the greatest tracks inside of me, it's just this pesky *excuse* that's the problem - but that's exactly it. It's an excuse. The reality is that electronic music is constantly changing alongside the landscape of technology it's mired in, and even as a SEASONED producer you need to be constantly learning and adapting. I used to make Drum & Bass, but got bored by its rules and structured-ness. So I began chasing the musical dragon.. always trying to get inside and learn the newest styles. Not so I could jump bandwagons. Just so I could continue to add learning and challenge and forward movement to myself as a producer. Right now I'm loving the 80s/Future Bass sound and I recently had to admit to myself I don't 100% understand the layering, so I'm in a self-imposed "program" of dissecting the many synth sounds, effects processing and arrangement choices that hallmark the style. I think perhaps you just need a new program :)
 
Your problem sounds like perfectionism not creative block - I make DnB and other EDM , I study and research a lot ' I don't hav creative block I am a perfectionist so like u sometimes I just don't dare sit down and make music ' since I understand my daw inside out and all my plugins and all my theory ' when I feel like that I just learn and research more ' so basically I find myself in same situation all the time , I think u hav to know what music u want to make ' u can't just endlessly experiment - if ur happy with a loop ' export it out with the key and bpm and then decide wheree that cud fit into ur work ' if u then think heavy loop needs a heavy beat ' concentrate on making a beat ' then. - just try combine all ur. Idears into whole works in ur head ' I find as a perfectionist and procrastinater its not good to have 30 tracs on the go ' try keeP it down to just 5 or less ' anything that is too far from ur idea of perfect just delete it ' but keep coming back to ur 5 tracks which are on the way to being perfect ' keep building them up ' keeP listening back - and keep track of where its going - if it strays away from perfection go back a step ' I save as new document most times I go back to a tune ' listen to previous version ' if it hasn't improved try again next time' only when u knOw its improved do u then delete the original -
 
Dude's right. It's not just about knowing what sort of effects to use or what kind of synth to reproduce. When I get stuck in rut I usually don't try to think about it. I watch some movies, read books (off-topic books, so nothing about music-production or anything) and that gets my thinking going. I might try create a track based on a single mood, or a thought - so that's how I know where to head out when producing a track. Also, there a stickied post somewhere on this forum that talks about The Gap (I just linked it for your ease). And also I would recommend this video (also not about music-making but really relevant)
 
I usually set a timer for say 15 minutes work on drums then 15 minute break and so on so that I only worry about one thing at a time and that helps a bit
 
Ceiiu said:
Dude's right. It's not just about knowing what sort of effects to use or what kind of synth to reproduce. When I get stuck in rut I usually don't try to think about it. I watch some movies, read books (off-topic books, so nothing about music-production or anything) and that gets my thinking going. I might try create a track based on a single mood, or a thought - so that's how I know where to head out when producing a track. Also, there a stickied post somewhere on this forum that talks about The Gap (I just linked it for your ease). And also I would recommend this video (also not about music-making but really relevant)
Click to expand...

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the link to The Gap video, very motivating.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top