Trouble focusing on individual songs?

[hm11]

Hello all,
I think I have a problem. It hit me about 15 minutes ago after starting an idea for a song in my DAW. For years I've been fighting some kind of "writers block" where I will feel really inspired to make a particular type/style of music but never finishing it, then moving to another type of music to then be on the same vicious cycle of not finishing it. Nowadays Ive been making time for writing music, making beats, etc in efforts to "rekindle" my creativity. I've been observing this pattern for a long time now and I believe this is a big factor that's contributing to my 'slowness' when releasing music.. When it will make the most sense to record the vocals of song X, I'm in the mood to record song Y, but song Y is not even finished, hence my constant battle. After organizing my works to better see where I'm at I was able to map out like about 3 EPs; all songs and or beats incomplete.. In the surface it looks like a problem with organization but its more like not being able to "stay on track" with one song, I would have a propensity to think about future songs, if that makes any sense.

The reason why I'm putting this here is to ask for advice on what should I do? How should I even release music when I would have plans for an EP but then ideas from out of nowhere would come, and to not grow cold I write them, then I start making the beat, hopefully finishing it, then recording it..
how should i manage this? and to add complexity to this, all the songs in the EPs do not stand on their own as singles (since I thought about maybe releasing singles too) but as part of a project.

This whole thing actually feels like when you try to speak but people constantly wont let you finish your sentence; they talk over you. This is as best as i can put it.

[RyanH]

I have a very similar problem, but no solution as yet.

In my case, I get an idea and start recording sketches of the parts, then start trying to perfect the arrangement and the sounds. At first it's a lot of fun, but eventually trying to fine-tune it gets more and more boring and frustrating. In the meantime, a new idea comes to my mind and I start working on it so I won't forget it. Then the cycle begins again.

I have probably 2-3 albums' worth of unfinished songs that I think sound really good, and a bunch of people I've told about how much time I spend on music but with nothing to show for it.

It will be interesting to see other peoples' responses to your post.

[tavasti]

Someone is selling $$$ courses 'make more music fast', and from his marketing material it is possible see that method is this:

1. Generate plenty of ideas / starting points for song. You have this part already covered
2. Export all of your ideas to audio files, so that you can listen every song without opening it in DAW
3. Listen your songs, and select few (3-5) which are most potential
4. For every of those few songs, listen them again, and make plan what would be next, doable step to make them better. Step should be something you can make in 2 hours or something
5. Go thru all of those few songs, and make those steps to make them better, and export them to audio files to make it easier to listen them
6. Jump back to point 4, or if you have something ready to release, jump to 3 for selecting more material for your looping.

[erlkönig]

...to escape that trap with sketches, i usually invite different people for helping to develop a song. I found (for myself) that the reason for not continuing working on ideas that lie now for decades on my harddrives and DATs is simply the loss of an perspective from outside. Of course, sometimes it's hard to see an idea evolve in another direction, but in the end it brings a big value for the music and usually we have a good time personally. And if i don't like the direction, i'm always free to stop it.

[Linuxmusician01]

You're describing everything in my life...

Anyway, some say creating something is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. As an example you may want to try to listen to Roger Waters' original demo of 'Money' (is it in the immersion box set?). And then listen to what David Gilmour made of it for the album. Getting an idea or inspiration is the fun part (10%). Then it simply becomes work and you must experience some "pressure" (external or internal) to actually finish it (90%). It may help if you're a professional and you must finish an album in time.

So some hobbyists do not try to make a song and just noodle.

[hm11]

Thank you all for your replies, they all really do help. From what i read it sounds like the solution lies in embracing the process and taking on the discipline, or rather a better word would be responsibility to see these ideas through.

[hm11]

You're describing everything in my life...

Anyway, some say creating something is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. As an example you may want to try to listen to Roger Waters' original demo of 'Money' (is it in the immersion box set?). And then listen to what David Gilmour made of it for the album. Getting an idea or inspiration is the fun part (10%). Then it simply becomes work and you must experience some "pressure" (external or internal) to actually finish it (90%). It may help if you're a professional and you must finish an album in time.

So some hobbyists do not try to make a song and just noodle.

Sounds like gold, ill check that out.

[Linuxmusician01]

You're describing everything in my life...

Anyway, some say creating something is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. As an example you may want to try to listen to Roger Waters' original demo of 'Money' (is it in the immersion box set?). And then listen to what David Gilmour made of it for the album. Getting an idea or inspiration is the fun part (10%). Then it simply becomes work and you must experience some "pressure" (external or internal) to actually finish it (90%). It may help if you're a professional and you must finish an album in time.

So some hobbyists do not try to make a song and just noodle.

Sounds like gold, ill check that out.

Even professionals jam and noodle just for fun.

Finishing a song is simply long and hard work that you may not enjoy all the way. Even some professionals find it boring. I think it helps if you must finish a song for an album. Take the example from the demo for 'Money' (by Pink Floyd from the album "Dark Side of the Moon") again (link Youtube). To me it sounds horrible! I wouldn't have used that for an album or a single! But if you're in need of a starting point to produce something in the studio, the studio costs a lot of money, you're on tour, you only have a day or two to decide what to use, your manager is bitching about time and money, you're tired, etc, etc. Well, maybe you have to.

Sometimes it doesn't really matter what you use to finish a song, as long as it's finished. We non-professionals (I carelessly assume that you are, sorry) have the luxury that we can postpone everything and anything and as a consequence we will.

Remember that every artist (be they painters, directors musicians, or who-ever) never considers the work that we adore to be "what they intended" or finished. Roger Waters re-recorded "Dark Side of the Moon" recently and it is the most hated album of all time. The original, may it not be to your or my taste, is unassailable the world's favorite. Same goes for Star Wars. To the world's eyes it's perfection. George Lucas however keeps on fiddling with it. They even tried to make a 3D version of Pac Man for crying out loud!

I guess we have to reluctantly work on something for a long time after the 10% inspiration. Even if it's in 7/4 time signature and you can't make heads or tails from from it. Turn it into a blues song, switch to 4/4 for the parts you add and get on with it. Worse case scenario it's that one song everybody skips on the LP, but at least you can move on to the next song and clear your To Do List.

Have fun making music and the best of luck to you!

[olivia]

ciao hm11, i hope your are having a stunning weekend wherever you are and doing whatever you do.

my impression (take it or leave it) is that you may have wrongly indentified what you feel to be you 'problem'.

so the struggle and tension you feel (and that you consider to be your 'problem') when you sit down and try to work in a linear way to complete a song (as you explain you are trying to do), may simply be because you are someone who instinctively works best (in accordance with your nature as a creator) in a non-linear way.

working in a non-linear way being breaking down a big and overwhelming linear project into seprate smaller projects, that can be worked on in a non-linear way. each existing in various stages of completion, all open and available to you at any one time.
from which collection or 'pool' of parts and ideas, you can eventually draw from one resolved song, by mixing and matching according to mood and taste.

therefore the current bog you feel you are stuck in and making no progress with, may ultimately be a symptom of self-inflicted 'organisational issues' as a consequence of trying to work in a linear way when you are a non-linear creator.
in which case, you may want to think differently about (or at least experiment with) how you organise your workflow, by separating things out a bit more, and trying to work in a less linear way for a while?

as a first step, perhaps try separating out what you may consider the 'verse' part from the 'chorus' part (if your song can be divided in that way).
work on the verse as a thing on its own (away from the chorus) with a spirit of its own and a mood and dynamic of its own.
and work separately on the chorus similarly. so you have two threads or streams (each containing a separate idea) to skip between and work on simultaneously, rather than have all your eggs and all your frustrations in one basket you feel duty bound to slog away at, with ever decreasing returns (because stress is the mortal enemy of creativity).

let them expand or shrink, and grow in all directions (add things infront of them or after them), if that is where they seem to you to want to go.
maybe you will eventually decide to rejoin them as chorus and verse once you have worked through and resolved each as separates.
or maybe they will become two things, one of which you can finish now, and one which will remain unfinished until a late date.

and when you feel yourself getting frustrated with one. take a break and try working on the other.
working on two things simultaneously that you can move between as and when you get stuckwith the other, will reduce your stress levels and jump you out of your linear groove into a no-linear way of working that you may find is more suited to your nature.

finally give this 'in discussion' with brain eno some consideration (whether you care for his music or not).
the way he explains the way he works as a film score composer follows a similar idea to what i describe above (keeping many unresolved pots of ideas on the stove at once). maybe his explanation of what he does and why will resonate with you better than i have tried to describe here

another important thing he touches upon here is that of creators who work exclusively in the digital sphere suffering from something i call 'option paralysis' or 'option overload'. this may also be a part of your 'problem'. again not really a 'problem' in you, but a problem inherent in the tools you use.

Brian Eno on Exploring Creativity https://youtube.com/watch?v=JUL8kNYmgsA (use the invidious or piped front end to avoid google)

good luck and i hope you can find a way of resolving your struggle one way or another.

Olivia

[hm11]

ciao hm11, i hope your are having a stunning weekend wherever you are and doing whatever you do.

my impression (take it or leave it) is that you may have wrongly indentified what you feel to be you 'problem'.

so the struggle and tension you feel (and that you consider to be your 'problem') when you sit down and try to work in a linear way to complete a song (as you explain you are trying to do), may simply be because you are someone who instinctively works best (in accordance with your nature as a creator) in a non-linear way.

working in a non-linear way being breaking down a big and overwhelming linear project into seprate smaller projects, that can be worked on in a non-linear way. each existing in various stages of completion, all open and available to you at any one time.
from which collection or 'pool' of parts and ideas, you can eventually draw from one resolved song, by mixing and matching according to mood and taste.

therefore the current bog you feel you are stuck in and making no progress with, may ultimately be a symptom of self-inflicted 'organisational issues' as a consequence of trying to work in a linear way when you are a non-linear creator.
in which case, you may want to think differently about (or at least experiment with) how you organise your workflow, by separating things out a bit more, and trying to work in a less linear way for a while?

as a first step, perhaps try separating out what you may consider the 'verse' part from the 'chorus' part (if your song can be divided in that way).
work on the verse as a thing on its own (away from the chorus) with a spirit of its own and a mood and dynamic of its own.
and work separately on the chorus similarly. so you have two threads or streams (each containing a separate idea) to skip between and work on simultaneously, rather than have all your eggs and all your frustrations in one basket you feel duty bound to slog away at, with ever decreasing returns (because stress is the mortal enemy of creativity).

let them expand or shrink, and grow in all directions (add things infront of them or after them), if that is where they seem to you to want to go.
maybe you will eventually decide to rejoin them as chorus and verse once you have worked through and resolved each as separates.
or maybe they will become two things, one of which you can finish now, and one which will remain unfinished until a late date.

and when you feel yourself getting frustrated with one. take a break and try working on the other.
working on two things simultaneously that you can move between as and when you get stuckwith the other, will reduce your stress levels and jump you out of your linear groove into a no-linear way of working that you may find is more suited to your nature.

finally give this 'in discussion' with brain eno some consideration (whether you care for his music or not).
the way he explains the way he works as a film score composer follows a similar idea to what i describe above (keeping many unresolved pots of ideas on the stove at once). maybe his explanation of what he does and why will resonate with you better than i have tried to describe here

another important thing he touches upon here is that of creators who work exclusively in the digital sphere suffering from something i call 'option paralysis' or 'option overload'. this may also be a part of your 'problem'. again not really a 'problem' in you, but a problem inherent in the tools you use.

Brian Eno on Exploring Creativity https://youtube.com/watch?v=JUL8kNYmgsA (use the invidious or piped front end to avoid google)

good luck and i hope you can find a way of resolving your struggle one way or another.

Olivia

WOW, quite the reply, thank you Olivia!
Since after making this post I ended up somewhat embracing a non-linear approach to the process and after I started doing that I began to notice how other ideas would come along but for a potential different part of the project kind of like solving a puzzle. But the fact is, I did not get stuck, i had a constant rhythm to completing the song. I will check out the video you posted it will serve as a learning experience.. I also started researching demos of famous songs and i began to realize that a lot of these demos that i listened to were not complete works but capture the mood/idea of the song, to me implying the nature of the "puzzle solving" of production.. here is an exmaple: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obvf95aCyWs

Again, thank you for your reply.

[Stream-plunk]

The way you approach making music—your "why" and "how"—might be the key to unlocking your creativity.

When you use words like "plan" or "project," you’re stepping into the realm of professionalism. That’s not a bad thing, but it comes with structure: goals, timelines, and deliverables. While this can be useful, it may also create pressure that shifts your focus away from the joy of making music.

On the other hand, a hobbyist approach invites you to treat each piece of music as a unique, organic creation—free of labels or overarching plans. This can make the process feel more personal and inspired.

For example, setting a vague goal like "I want to make an EP" might not spark much inspiration. Instead, try to vividly imagine the sound, mood, and message you want your music to convey. Formulate your vision in your mind as you go.

Be bold. Be yourself. Don’t worry about fitting in—there are no rights or wrongs in music. If it sounds good to you, it is good.

Digital audio workstations (DAWs) are amazing tools. Those little colored pieces you move around are like puzzle pieces, fitting exactly where and when you want them. But remember: patience is key. Struggling with a song for 15 minutes? That’s not a struggle—it’s part of the process.

Here’s a personal insight: I once believed I’d done everything there was to do in music. After 27 years, I stopped making music for a while. Then, during the COVID lockdown, I decided to shift my focus—not inward, but outward. I started exploring the work of singer-songwriters with extensive catalogs and asked myself: what makes them unique? Could I borrow some of their strengths to enhance my own creativity?

Here are some examples of artists and what I learned from them (you’ll likely find your own inspirations):

Code: Select all

Lisa Hannigan: Dark, authentic, and warm—like a friend and a "sweet sorceress."
Jonathan Richman: Enthusiasm, humor, and timeless lyrics full of charm and spirit.
Aldous Harding: Opposite of Lisa in some ways, but with a clear, deliberate vision—almost like a modern Karen Blixen.
Andrew Bird: A mix of complexity and simplicity, cleverness, and humble dedication (plus, keep a dictionary handy!).
Arthur Russell: A blend of bubblegum pop and Buddhism—experimental, perfectionist, and beautifully scattered.
Iris DeMent: Honest, heartfelt, and grounded. Her sincerity can move you to tears.
Nanci Griffith: A masterful storyteller with confidence in her delivery.

The takeaway? Reflect on your identity as a songwriter. What can you learn from others while staying true to yourself?

The trick: You don’t have to define it or force it. Just let it happen.

[folderol]

I've got a number of unfinished compositions. It doesn't bother me. Occasionally I'll play them through as they are. On rare occasions I'll then have an idea to add to them. I do that then put them back. Flying Dutchman which I posted here recently is a good example - started in the 1990s!

There are other times when I wake up with something running round in my head, and I know I must get up and record at least the main melody immediately or it will be lost. I actually find that a bit annoying!

I think the most important thing is not to let yourself get stressed and don't try to force it.

[Impostor]

https://app.gptzero.me/app/ai-scan:

[folderol]

Hmmm. I was a bit doubtful about the wording

[hm11]

The way you approach making music—your "why" and "how"—might be the key to unlocking your creativity.

When you use words like "plan" or "project," you’re stepping into the realm of professionalism. That’s not a bad thing, but it comes with structure: goals, timelines, and deliverables. While this can be useful, it may also create pressure that shifts your focus away from the joy of making music.

On the other hand, a hobbyist approach invites you to treat each piece of music as a unique, organic creation—free of labels or overarching plans. This can make the process feel more personal and inspired.

For example, setting a vague goal like "I want to make an EP" might not spark much inspiration. Instead, try to vividly imagine the sound, mood, and message you want your music to convey. Formulate your vision in your mind as you go.

Be bold. Be yourself. Don’t worry about fitting in—there are no rights or wrongs in music. If it sounds good to you, it is good.

Digital audio workstations (DAWs) are amazing tools. Those little colored pieces you move around are like puzzle pieces, fitting exactly where and when you want them. But remember: patience is key. Struggling with a song for 15 minutes? That’s not a struggle—it’s part of the process.

Here’s a personal insight: I once believed I’d done everything there was to do in music. After 27 years, I stopped making music for a while. Then, during the COVID lockdown, I decided to shift my focus—not inward, but outward. I started exploring the work of singer-songwriters with extensive catalogs and asked myself: what makes them unique? Could I borrow some of their strengths to enhance my own creativity?

Here are some examples of artists and what I learned from them (you’ll likely find your own inspirations):

Code: Select all

Lisa Hannigan: Dark, authentic, and warm—like a friend and a "sweet sorceress."
Jonathan Richman: Enthusiasm, humor, and timeless lyrics full of charm and spirit.
Aldous Harding: Opposite of Lisa in some ways, but with a clear, deliberate vision—almost like a modern Karen Blixen.
Andrew Bird: A mix of complexity and simplicity, cleverness, and humble dedication (plus, keep a dictionary handy!).
Arthur Russell: A blend of bubblegum pop and Buddhism—experimental, perfectionist, and beautifully scattered.
Iris DeMent: Honest, heartfelt, and grounded. Her sincerity can move you to tears.
Nanci Griffith: A masterful storyteller with confidence in her delivery.

The takeaway? Reflect on your identity as a songwriter. What can you learn from others while staying true to yourself?

The trick: You don’t have to define it or force it. Just let it happen.

Thank You, Its looking like this is part of the self-discovery journey of the artist. I'll embrace it