Getting motivated on your own music recording projects.

[Nick Sevilla]

Hey all,

I am finally, after years of saying so, making my own stuff. Mainly songs from the year I was born, covers of them. To get the part of the "making a new song" pressure out of the way.

I am still finding it hard to be motivated to get some of it done. I have never really been "on the other side of the glass."

What do you do when you are in a a rut or otherwise not motivated?

[trodden]

Interested in what other say.
But your idea is pretty cool one! very cool. I would love to attempt something similar just to get moving.

I'm way behind on key/synth parts for the new blackQueen record. Pete and I have been in a rut getting it done for the last three years. Part of the reason is I know half of what I create will be asked to take out or turned way down. So it's hard to jump in with my sleeves rolled up and get to work. But when I do, I usually have a fucking blast, which also leads me to being apprehensive to even start!!! I have the tendency to get in bands where I'm always dealing with a clash of creative visions or egos. It's almost as if I'm just around to make the record, organize the tours, figure out the technical crap, and organize all the admin stuff. HAHAHA!!! I'm used to it anymore.

I've been wanting to do my own stuff, ambient/electro or synth-punk stuff for years, but just don't have the god damn time for myself. Working 50-80 hours a week and getting old doesn't help.

[andychamp]

Unless you're extremely experienced (or jaded), you could try and see it as an opportunity to try new technical approaches, without the pressure to justify the time to paying clients.
But that's an idealistic proposition, as I know from experience.
When I get really serious about one of my own creations, the last thing I want to think about are technical options, I just don't want to spend time in that half of my brain.
But the proposed attitude is always there as a fallback when inspiration and motivation fail me, to extract at least some fun from the process.

[trodden]

Unless you're extremely experienced (or jaded), you could try and see it as an opportunity to try new technical approaches, without the pressure to justify the time to paying clients.

This is a great suggestion!

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I find setting a goal and a deadline really helps. Make the goal realistic and achievable. Like 6 songs recorded, mixed and mastered by _____date. I think this is why the RPM challenge is so effective (and fun).
I'm currently taking some writing classes from The School Of Song (highly recommended). Each week has a lecture and homework to write a song that week using the tools discussed in the lecture. Having the weekly deadline has really kicked my ass.
It also helps to allow yourself to do something that isn't "great" as long as you're actively creating. It's easy to abandon a project or never even start if your bar is set unrealistically high. Admitting that some songd might not be the best is very freeing. You can throw them away when you're done but finishing them is really valuable and makes starting the next one that much easier.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

Good topic.

I picked up the guitar again at the start of the pandemic, and I play all the time now. I've written at least a dozen little ditties so far, and I come up with new stuff all the time. So that's all great.

What's not great is I have basically zero interest in sitting down at the computer and actually making a record. I just want to sit on the couch and play, so that's what I do. I don't feel like I'm in a rut, because I have a great time playing, and if I have time I'll play all day long...but I don't have any motivation to do anything beyond that.

So I dunno. I don't have any good advice to give. Doing covers is a good way to start, because at least you already have a song, and if you pick some diverse covers, that can open some doors cause you'll do some things you normally don't, different chord progressions or rhythms or whatever.

Maybe get someone else involved? A friend of mine wanted to do a metal version of one of his songs, but he didn't really know how to play metal and I sort of do, so he subcontracted it out to me and I made a new song around his vocal.

That was super fun and I had no problem at all sitting down at the computer and putting in the hours to make that. Putting a song/mix together is still my favorite thing to do, I love the process, I just lack the motivation to do it for my own stuff.

[Nick Sevilla]

Some cool ideas so far. I hope more people chime in, I hop this helps everyone. Cheers.

[T-rex]

I just finished helping a friend of mine set up his project studio. He's full on mid life crisis and has bought a ton of cheap and cool keyboards that he always wanted when he was younger. He's been in set up mode for like two years and when we got everything tested I MADE him play something on the spot, and overdub something on it. It was partly to make sure he knew how to do it, but also cause I think he wants to create but is terrified of starting (he's a bit of a perfectionist). So having someone to help get you moving helps.

I also like the writer's block advice of "start writing the absolute worst book ever written. It's a lot easier to edit SOMETHING, than stare at NOTHING."

Also, the technical thing is a real blocker. Several times I've sat down to do something only to run into some little issue that stopped me cold. So my advice would be get a session template set up with a mic, guitar, whatever ready to go all the time. Where you can just open a new session and start playing when inspiration strikes.

[drumsound]

First off, I'm NOT a songwriter. I like to do things where I do all or most of the parts. I don't have a clue how MIDI works, so I have to actually play each part. It's easier now then in the 4-track days because I can edit easily between takes (Thank you Playlists).

A few months ago I did a really quick, really fun thing basically for shits and giggles. I play as a dance accompanist in the mornings. The teacher came up was a combination that shifted from 5/4 to 4/4. I liked the hand drum groove I came up with in class, It was funky and fun. So I decided to see if I could make a 'band' version as if James Brown ever wrote in mixed meter. I banged it out in an evening, so that it could be used later in the week.

I haven't done anything of my own since, and that was the first in a long while.

I've been threatening to do a solo record called "Songs I Like by Bands I Hate" for quite a while. I'd have to put in a lot of time learning each song, and getting my guitar, bass and keyboard chops in better shape, so... you know how that goes.

Here's the JB thing: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0cy_0OMHVl ... BiNWFlZA==

[T-rex]

Here's the JB thing: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0cy_0OMHVl ... BiNWFlZA==

That sounds awesome, I love James Brown and of course the drums sound great.

[kslight]

I think sitting down and just doing “anything” is helpful. But I’m the last person to give these beans to, I find it incredibly difficult to find time to do music these days without a deadline (my main business partner effectively ghosted me, my other music partner literally ghosted me, + divorce, etc).

[vvv]

I change or try new instruments (just bought a cheap 3-legged steel guitar), or amps, or pedals ...

Gear, for me, is an inspiration. I like tracking with one bass, and then a different one, using the same chain.

For example, yesterday was 40th Anniv Squier jazz into my PF50t, Brick, dbx160XT paralled with a VC3Q. I used a Killface pedal on the choruses.

Today was a G&L L2000, same chain on two songs; the sounds are so cool.

Planning onna different bass tomorrow .. (I'm doing a rare solo EP, as I've been doing band stuff for some months now.)

Sometimes even mics or rackmount stuff - I love breaking out a tube mic I've not used inna while (this project is all M-Audio Luna).

The music comes from just playing with the gear, especially on bass, but also rhythm guitar, occasionally a vocal melody. Last week I wrote 4 usable progressions in about an hour. I know they're usable because I've already recorded three.

The lyrics, well, there is a reason I have a creative writing degree. I find words, phrases, sentences in books and news stories that hit me and off I go.

I'll usually develop the music and lyrics, and then fit them over drum tracks I get anywhere and everywhere,

But mostly gear, and

[drumsound]

Here's the JB thing: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0cy_0OMHVl ... BiNWFlZA==

That sounds awesome, I love James Brown and of course the drums sound great.

Thanks, man. It was really fun to do!

[A.David.MacKinnon]

having someone to help get you moving helps.

get a session template set up with a mic, guitar, whatever ready to go all the time. Where you can just open a new session and start playing when inspiration strikes.

Two great points here. Having another person involved can really help move things along. For me it make whatever the project is feel more real and pressing.
I would also strongly second the idea of having things set up and ready to go. I did this when I was writing and recording a TV soundtrack. I always had the kit, piano, bass and guitar amps mic'd and had 2-3 mics on stands, patched and ready for whatever was happening. It's immensely helpful to be able to walk into the studio and be rolling on on idea really quickly. Setting up the gear, and mics, and getting a session up and ready takes time and can kill the momentum.

[Mark]

Good topic.

What's not great is I have basically zero interest in sitting down at the computer and actually making a record.

Have you considered going dawless?