Have you ever...

  • Thread starter Thread starter FoulPhil
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FoulPhil

FoulPhil

Well-known member
Have you ever spent a ton of time practicing, rehearsing, song writing for weeks or even months and you just seem to not be bringing it home? Have you ever recorded yourself with a cheap camera or webcam and then listened to how it sounds and wanted to just quit playing music because it sounds like shit?

If so what was your personal experience and what did you do to overcome?
 
Yes. I just shrug it off and keep playing. It's not like I missed an opportunity to become famous or anything.
 
If its for practising its ok at any time. You change your music forever.
Not being satisfied with yourself after watching your live performance, different story!
 
I sometimes hate the song I've just written, but it's finished. I'll do a little acoustic demo for a reminder and move on. I just make a point of finishing the song, even if I don't like it because they're be something I do like about and maybe it'll be used again at a later date in another song. I don't get downhearted because the shite I just wrote is not No57 in the charts material. No point.

I've never video'd myself but I have been video'd live. It sounded just like I remember the night. I was full of cold and still sounded like, me.

Music is fun, first and foremost. Anything after that is a bonus, for me.
 
IMO this would be due to a lack of confidence in yourself or your ability, which fits me perfectly. I've been recording for almost a year and don't have 1 completed project or 1 recording that I sit back and think "hey that sounds great".

I think when you're still completely lost in the process you second guess most of what you're doing. Those who have been recording a while and figured out their work flow probably feel more comfortable. I would bet more of the newer people are closer to how I feel.
 
Greg_L said:
Sure, no one's better at Greg music than Greg.
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I'm sure there had to be a time when you first started or something and it didn't sound so great lol...


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For me it just seems weird. For example when I'm first writing a song and it just sounds bad ass and I'm like "holy crap this is bad ass", but then later after I get it down it seems like I can't get that "holy crap" factor back or something. I'm not trying to record or anything just jamming, writing songs and rehearsing. Sometimes I get frustrated and it feels like I can't do it right lol. I keep screwing up, making mistakes and I shouldn't be. It feels like I'm putting a lot of time into it, but maybe I need to invest more time or something...
 
FoulPhil said:
I'm sure there had to be a time when you first started or something and it didn't sound so great lol...


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For me it just seems weird. For example when I'm first writing a song and it just sounds bad ass and I'm like "holy crap this is bad ass", but then later after I get it down it seems like I can't get that "holy crap" factor back or something. I'm not trying to record or anything just jamming, writing songs and rehearsing. Sometimes I get frustrated and it feels like I can't do it right lol. I keep screwing up, making mistakes and I shouldn't be. It feels like I'm putting a lot of time into it, but maybe I need to invest more time or something...
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Its in an artists nature to question their own work, in a situation like yours I'd suggest throwing together 3/4 tracks and getting a listening group together. they can be anyone friends family strangers, as long as you can get an accurate and honest response off them. Everything will be brand new to their ears and they'll hear things you missed or ask, what about doing it this way? and it'll help turn that "its alright I guess" song into an album ready track.

Just make sure they're honest with you. Flattery doesn't encourage art it encourages ego
 
GazEcc said:
Its in an artists nature to question their own work, in a situation like yours I'd suggest throwing together 3/4 tracks and getting a listening group together. they can be anyone friends family strangers, as long as you can get an accurate and honest response off them. Everything will be brand new to their ears and they'll hear things you missed or ask, what about doing it this way? and it'll help turn that "its alright I guess" song into an album ready track.

Just make sure they're honest with you. Flattery doesn't encourage art it encourages ego
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Yeah I don't know many people who'll be honest lol... Most of them will say it sounds good even if it's off a little.
 
FoulPhil said:
I'm sure there had to be a time when you first started or something and it didn't sound so great lol...
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Sound so great then, or sound so great now? When I was 15, it all sounded great because I didn't know any better. Now I'm experienced enough to know real quick whether something is worth pursuing or not. There's lots of stuff that I start and don't finish because it's not doing anything for me. Usually it's lyrics. I'm always happy with my music and arrangements. Lyrics are the only thing that keep me from pumping out a song per day. I don't consider that failure or anything. It never gets me down. Nothing ever gets me down. I'm tough.
 
Greg_L said:
Sound so great then, or sound so great now? When I was 15, it all sounded great because I didn't know any better. Now I'm experienced enough to know real quick whether something is worth pursuing or not. There's lots of stuff that I start and don't finish because it's not doing anything for me. Usually it's lyrics. I'm always happy with my music and arrangements. Lyrics are the only thing that keep me from pumping out a song per day. I don't consider that failure or anything. It never gets me down. Nothing ever gets me down. I'm tough.
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I hear ya man. I need to just keep writing and not thinking so much about it. Just let it all naturally fall into place.
 
FoulPhil said:
I hear ya man. I need to just keep writing and not thinking so much about it. Just let it all naturally fall into place.
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Yes. This. I'm a big believer in gut instinct when it comes to songwriting. I go with my gut. I don't think about anything. Lol. I simply try to write songs that I want to listen to. I don't care if it's juvenile or simple or sounds like something else. I do what my natural instincts tell me to do and as long as I'm happy with it, it's good enough for anyone else. As far as performing/tracking/mixing goes, I try to do the best I can. With songwriting I fly by the seat of my pants, with tracking/mixing, I take my time and try to do things right.
 
It's sometimes hard to know how to help because for someone like me, the solution is generally leave it, think about it and then get back to it and it'll work ~ eventually. I know that no matter how long it may take, I will overcome the feeling of being shat upon by this song. I will be the shitter !
Time, patience and perseverance really are the keys but they just sound so boring and undramatic.
 
grimtraveller said:
It's sometimes hard to know how to help because for someone like me, the solution is generally leave it, think about it and then get back to it and it'll work. I know that no matter how long it may take, I will overcome the feeling of being shat upon by this song. I will be the shitter !
Time, patience and perseverance really are the keys but they just sound so boring and undramatic.
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One of my biggest frustrations is working on music every day for hours and hours sometimes and still feeling like I'm not getting anywhere. Seems like it shouldn't take so long lol...
 
That's kind of the problem for most people who lack confidence. You listen and you don't think it's good. You get some family/friends to listen and they tell you it's good. Then you think they are just saying that because their nice and don't want to make you unhappy. It just goes and goes. I've had MAYBE 8 people hear anything I've done (unless more people listened to my posted thing here and didn't comment) and gotten ok replies. I'm not the next Jason Mraz or anything but either way even with positive comments I listen back and only hear the flaws. I keep trying though, and hope at some point I start hearing things I like instead of things I dislike.

GazEcc said:
Its in an artists nature to question their own work, in a situation like yours I'd suggest throwing together 3/4 tracks and getting a listening group together. they can be anyone friends family strangers, as long as you can get an accurate and honest response off them. Everything will be brand new to their ears and they'll hear things you missed or ask, what about doing it this way? and it'll help turn that "its alright I guess" song into an album ready track.

Just make sure they're honest with you. Flattery doesn't encourage art it encourages ego
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You guys are too hard on yourselves. Even the most popular songs of all time are fucking dumb as hell when you break them down. Lighten up, kick out some jams, and just enjoy it.
 
Greg_L said:
You guys are too hard on yourselves. Even the most popular songs of all time are fucking dumb as hell when you break them down. Lighten up, kick out some jams, and just enjoy it.
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Good advice man :thumbs up: sometimes you just have to go back to jamming for fun and just let the cards fall were they land.
 
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