Today I wanted to try Baby Audio Ba-1 synth. I had a nice melody in my head.
I took the time to create a MicroKorg patch for the main synth.
I took the time to select the drum sounds from Goldbaby's MPC60 pack.
Then I found a nice brassy sound from Ba-1 to put on top.

...but as the project got bigger, my ideas just dissolved and I lost interest in this track. Does this happen to you?

 

Yes, it happens to me often. But I gotta tell you that I like what you have there... the melody. Keep the melody on-hand for another production?

 

It happens more than we care to mention. Sometimes they come back.

 

When the idea vanishes halfway, it means you overestimated it: maybe it wasn't that good. File it under the "unfinished projects" folder

 

lovely sound man, i love it!
the sound is great but (IMHO) i think you don't know/you're not sure what to do with it, that is why the "idea vanished".
what about an ambient piece, 4mins long, some good pads, some break, etc. etc. your goal shouldn't be to make the project bigger, but to finish it. we get closer to perfection (never reach it) when there is less and less stuff to remove, not when we cannot add anymore. we can always add more. i can already hear the track going forward building up with mroe and more layers, with the brass getting louder and more prominent, while the omnipresent melody below keeps playing the wonderful melody, the bass filter opening up around 3minutes and exploding into the final movement where all elements are at their maximum power

wish you would finish this!

(snare should be softer i feel for this idea)

 

maybe the realest thing I've seen posted here

step away for a bit; walk outside, sleep some. Other times, playing it on repeat 1000 times over a few days unlocks new passages within

 

Just the opposite here, the more the song builds the more ideas I get. As always to each their own.

 

Honestly - step away from any piece you write that generates this feeling. Size is irrelevant. As the author it is natural to be too close to it. A couple of weeks to a month later, your ears are able to hear more clearly and what needs to be there, removed, or added. No shit

 

I love the 80s feel but not sure about the 808 trap style bassdrum, sort of reminded me of a song I heard on YouTube and watched his tutorial of how he produced it which was very interesting and is a very catchy song... I would work on it more as it's a nice melody and hope you find inspiration to finish it
How I made my song - "On my way" (80s italo/synthwave) - Part 1 (youtube.com) by lukas lundh

 

I have a hard drive full of melody/harmony parts that I knock up on the piano in a couple of minutes, and then I file them away. It's a useful resource for the times when nothing is happening. If your tracks are going off course, stop and go back to the beginning bits that you liked. That's why I compose on the piano, as its neutral and the idea can be moulded into anything.

 

Last edited: Mar 16, 2024

Yes it happened to me a lot, until I decided to record on my phone any idea that come. Obviously I still lose some ideas but less than before.

 

Sometimes thinking can get in the way of creativity. The writing process many times is hijacked by the myriad of decisions that really have nothing to do in the task at hand but are but mere decorations, like spending more time on the wrapping paper covering the box instead of the gift inside (searching at length for synth sounds, drum samples and the like). That's when it is highly beneficial to have the ability to play an instrument well to be able to express your idea as the basis of a composition. Playing keyboards with both hands might be a good start or another instrument which one chooses as the foundation of your musical skill. Getting the parts all down and mostly finished will free you up later to embellish the parts that have already been written with strings, synth sounds or sample based instruments. That doesn't mean that you can't add parts as the process rolls on when ideas strike, but rather that the song is formed and is now mostly already complete.

 

When I find an interesting chord progression and associated rythmn I record it.- I use a zoom r24, as its a standalone bit of hardware, doesn't need to wait for a computer or have any distractions.
This allows me to get the sound down fast. I can do a quick mix/master on the same machine using built in eq curves to shape the sound. If I like it , I'll re-record another version with tweaks on the same machine and maybe add some more layers.

whether I like it enough to pursue perfecting it or not, I've now got the idea saved to an sd card, and I can come back a year from now with fresh ears and say, hey, lets work on this some more, or "what was I thinking??" . in any case its handy to have an archive of ideas and compositions, sometimes you just use a piece over and change the tempo and phrasing.. you never know ....

 

A few things which helped me-

Create a template. This can help you in many ways. "Oh, I could add this..."

-Kick
-Sub
-Snare
-Clap
-Hats
-Percussion
-Drum "Candy" (AKA layered FX)
-Pad
-Chord
-Melody
-Arpeggiator
-Vocals
-FX
-Glitch
-Test Audio
-Test MIDI

Not all of these need to be used, obviously.

Make "A" version, then "B" version. Copy loop to another section, take away an important element, and make something new. Add pad instead of chords, add arpeggiator instead of melody, etc.

Drum variations. Add a kick, take away hats, snare or clap breaks.

Use your voice, or "sing" possibilities in your head of where your idea could go from where it is.

Experiment with what you have. Duplicate a track, let's say chords. Put an arpeggiator on it. Change the sound.

A song doesn't need much. A lot of really good songs just repeat 8 bars, with tiny variations here and there.

What you have is a very good starting point. I would suggest using different drums, but that is just personal preference. Our hobby is limitless, which can be overwhelming, but you just gotta go for it. You don't have to know what you're going to do. Just experiment. That's half the fun! By the time you're finished, you will be telling yourself, "Wow, I can't believe I made that!"