Cortuor
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The idea is when is it that you continue going or stop, that you are just not good enough at making music to merit continuing to put time into it?

My music just generally isn't meeting any kind of standards that I want it too and then I hear stuff that blows my mind and I have to ask, what is the point of continuing? The amazing music is there, and maybe time is just better spent doing something else, working at getting better at something I may already be better at than I am at making music with all the time I have put into it.

To keep this relevant, what is it that you used to determine whether or not you should continue, or is it that their hasn't been that thing and you feel there is something better worth doing for everyone, and yourself then wasting your time making music no one, yourself included, even likes to listen to that much.

Feryl
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[removed]

Last edited by Feryl (Feb 19, 2024 8:39 pm)

chunter
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Brunswick, GA USA
Cortuor wrote:

To keep this relevant, what is it that you used to determine whether or not you should continue, or is it that their hasn't been that thing and you feel there is something better worth doing for everyone, and yourself then wasting your time making music no one, yourself included, even likes to listen to that much.

The decision starts and ends entirely with you.

Those people who are better and those songs that blow you away? People made them, with equipment and skills you probably can access someday, even if you can't do it now. I'm not going to tell you about Ira Glass or 10,000 hours, because people are different.

It starts with some self-esteem, to like what you're creating even if it isn't exactly like what your heroes do, because at the end you're not supposed to sound exactly like them, you're supposed to bring something new. Maybe you have the fortitude to practice and become a master of your instrument, or maybe you don't. If you master your art, maybe others will appreciate it, maybe they won't. Do you enjoy it enough to carry on? You're not a better person for saying yes or worse for saying no.

VCMG
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California

Feryl said it well, but especially if you're comparing yourself to others and feeling discouraged instead of motivated, don't compare yourself to others.

jefftheworld
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Unless you're tone deaf or otherwise physically or mentally impaired in regards to your ability to make music I feel pretty strongly that anyone can make good music if they put in the time.

Everyone knows what 'good' music sounds like (respective to their own tastes). When you hear a song you instantly know whether you like it or not. Learning to write music has nothing to do with learning what 'good' music is. Writing music is a twofold process; learning how to identify what you actually like about the music and learning how to use your tools to make what you have identified as good.

Your first step should be to work really hard to understand the music that you enjoy. For some people that means classical training and for others that means just listening really closely to a lot of music. Once you understand some of the keys elements that make up a song you like you have to start experimenting or googling a lot of stuff in order to foster similar techniques.

Being honest with yourself is important in that you have to try your best to identify whether a particular melody, sound, or song that you're working on is something that you personally enjoy. If it's not, keep working at it, if it is then you've done it! Don't worry about what other people think, if you can objectively say that the music you've made is something good then that's what matters and there are certainly others who will agree.

Last edited by jefftheworld (Dec 20, 2014 4:43 am)

El Huesudo II
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Not to mention: No one's gonna judge you if you take a long break or don't release stuff often.

There's nothing wrong with letting a sketch or a whole song stew for a while, as a matter of fact it's good to do so: come back to them with fresh ears and ideas will start flowing back in.

Those songs you love, that leave you in awe? Instead of being intimidated and comparing yourself, say "this is cool, how's it done?" and take notes on it. Investigate, if possible listen to all the channels or tracks of the piece separately, and if you can get your hands on the source files then open them up and see how it's done directly in the software. All of those techniques are yours to use, to refine, and to spice up with your own take on the design and the sound you want to make.

Also: The long break can be as long as you want it. I took a 17 year break from music until I found chip music, and I'm taking it very very slow. It doesn't matter. Often other musicians, writers, visual artists and other creatives might say "treat it like a job"... That's not true for everyone.

Dire Hit
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Seattle, WA

If you can't outrace someone, take a different route entirely. I spent too much time chasing LSDJ masters like treyfrey and boaconstructor, when really I should have been trying to make something unique. Someone is always going to technically better than you at anything you do, but it's what you do with your skills that matters. Did I get good at LSDJ by copying better producers? Hell yeah I did. But I didn't write anything special or notable.

If you're finding that continuing to write music is an uphill battle you may be happier just walking parallel to said hill. I was certainly better off for it.

EDIT: I do not, by any means, think that trying to improve technically is bad. I'm just saying that there's more to music than how good you are at your chosen medium.

EDIT2: Also fitting that wmd albums are making you sad, that seems to be their job.

Last edited by Dire Hit (Dec 20, 2014 6:06 am)

PleaseLoseBattle
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Clermont-Ferrand, France

Very nice comments, this is why I love this community.
I just went through that not long ago, and after listening to some recent release which left me indeed in awe, I just felt that I needed to take a little break and I decided that when I'll come back, I'm going to spend more time on my songs.

ForaBrokenEarth
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Nottingham, UK

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn't have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You've just gotta fight your way through.”
Ira Glass

Brother Android
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TX

I think the question of whether you actually enjoy composing music is the only important one. Not whether you enjoy being seen as a musician, or whether other people enjoy your music. Loving it is the only good way through.

Not to say that you can take your feelings about it on a given day and universalize those. Everyone gets frustrated & discouraged with the things they love from time to time. But if you don't fundamentally enjoy the activity, it's okay - actually it'd be a good idea - to quit. If what you really enjoy is listening to music, or analyzing music, or hanging out with musical people, those things are all still open to you.

Finally, remember that your value as a human being doesn't stem from being the best at something or even good at something. Life isn't all economics, and it's okay to do something just because you like it.

JodyBigfoot
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Brother Android wrote:

I think the question of whether you actually enjoy composing music is the only important one. Not whether you enjoy being seen as a musician, or whether other people enjoy your music. Loving it is the only good way through.

well said, so many people fall in love with the idea of being a cool musician dude who has vagina on tap, but it will only work if you fall in love with the actual process and enjoy the rewards of putting the hours in.

especially with chip tune where a lot of it is tedious programming, trial and error, experimentation, if you dont love all that but you do love the idea of being a cool dude, its best to stick to DJing trap on a laptop or something else you can learn in a day

some people give up or get frustrated because their music or their band/alter ego "isnt going anywhere", I just like to remind them to question why they make music, to go somewhere or for the love of it

Alpine
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UK, Leicester

music takes time, everything takes time, its just about how much time you feel is worth investing into something. One thing s to try and make sure that you aren't just doing the same wrong thing again and agian, if you feel you are, then try and analyse what it is about your tracks that isnt like other tracks you like, what is it that you're doing wrong, or that your tracks lack.

don't worry about doing things really fast though, think about bands as well, most bands take about 4 years to write their first album, and that's why its so good.

DBOYD
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Oklahoma City, OK
ForaBrokenEarth wrote:

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn't have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You've just gotta fight your way through.”
Ira Glass

Best quote, seriously.

herr_prof
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There are lots of great musicians with shitty taste. Look at modern prog for example.

arlen
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If you enjoy it, don't stop. If you have a dream or a vision, keep working towards it incrementally and you'll get there. Yes, it's discouraging at times, but it's also rewarding at times. I've been discouraged plenty of time, taken plenty of breaks, and at this point in my life I do chip stuff because it can still be fun for me. I've spent the last year and a half trying to start bands and having them fail before anything good happens. Is that going to stop me? Probably not.

As with a lot of things in life, you just have to be persistent and determined to get where you want to be.

Cortuor
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Thanks for all of the fantastic responses guys. I think probably the best thing right now for me to do is give it a break. I'll probably just retire this name and come back with a new one eventually when I actually have something that satisfies me.