Finishing Songs Options

[Cosmin Lupu]

Finishing the album with Voodoo, made me think of a little silly thing: 'What if not everything in there is as good as it could be?'

This mentality is healthy and not, in the same time - I guess it's good to try to make each note matter, but at some point you have to realize that you will eventually have ideas all the time and trying to 'take things to perfection' can be a deadly trap!

I always hated finishing a song, just because 'it needs a bridge and it's done'. Some things take a little more time to be completed, if of course, you want everything to be awesome from A to Z.

The question is, how tedious are you with your creations? Have you ever felt like a finished song doesn't have all that it needs to be truly good? What did you do then?

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[zeus]

I think in almost every song I've made, I can pick out a couple different things that I wish were different.

When I was playing with an old band a few years ago, I would listen to our demo one instrument at a time. I could always pick out something I thought could be improved on, especially guitar But perfection just isn't realistic in most cases. The most critical listener is you, and a lot of the stuff you notice won't be recognized by a majority of other people.

Just my 2 cents. I've had this feeling several times.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Kristofer Dahl]

Great topic!

I actually push myself to "only see the problems" in my songs. One day when I am old I know I'll sit back and just enjoy the music and 'remember the times' - but for now I just have to find errors/problems in what I do so I can improve for the next tune!

And if I ever have to push myself to come up with a section for the song 'just because' - I would probably skip that song in the end. However if I was under time pressure to put an album together I would of course think differently.

I realize I am hard on myself - and I do it because I think I am strong enough to handle it. For some people this kind of thinking can result in negative spirals though, where they start to honestly believe that they suck (whereas they are in fact amazing musicians - because they push themselves so hard)

So you have get to know yourself, and choose strategy accordingly! The goal should be to find some kind of balance between self punishment (for lack of a better word) and reward.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Ivan Milenkovic]

Well, I always get that feeling, but album is suppose to represent a past point in time, where you expressed yourself. Now is another time, where you should make up more songs, each album is getting better and better. Previous releases are as good as they could be at that point, which is normal, there is no "perfect".

Having said that, some bands did remaster or completely redo some of their old albums, and it's always nice to hear new versions where they are more experienced and mature musicians, but that doesn't change the "magic" or that initial release, it was original and fresh then, yes lots of things can be done to make it better, but it's a frozen moment in time, which has it's value on it's own.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[JD_]

So you have get to know yourself, and choose strategy accordingly! The goal should be to find some kind of balance between self punishment (for lack of a better word) and reward.

Great Advice...

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[thefireball]

Great words here. I am always finding stuff wrong with my music because I am constantly learning and improving in song writing and mixing. But I have so many unfinished songs!

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Daniel Realpe]

I think that when you only give way to good ideas, it's hard to feel like you are pushing yourself. So the hard thing for me is to decide if something is good because maybe by the third time I listen to it I might change my mind, but if something really convinces me, I won't be trying hard to modify it.

I get really picky with the mix though, that can be a punishing process for me, because it can be so relative sometimes

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!