Can you relate? Finishing touches

[YellowT]

So the situation is:

You are working a whole day to finally finish this beat. I mean, you really have to force yourself to do it, since it has been on your harddrive forever, and it is cool but far from done... it has potential.
At the beginning of the session you are really feeling it - you can get really into the stuff you are doing - maybe you even stand up and dance a little, basicly enjoying your product.
then the tweaking starts, hours pass by. After a longer time the fascination of your track is wearing of, you're not so sure about the stuff you're doing anymore.

Fast forward another hour or two, you are putting the final touches to the thing. By now its hard work. You don't like you track anymore. You feel all of its weaknesses but almost no strenght in it. You feel it is lengthy and boring, but you force your way through. You finish and upload the thing, post about the track here and wait for reactions.
After posting you listen to your track one more time and literaly every imperfection ( you are hearing MANY imperfections at this state) causes you doubt and physical reactions ( no joke, I start you sweating of fear in every lenghtiness).
you are sure by now - the track is shit, and not in a good way.
you go to bed to finally get some sleep. next morning, first thing you do is check the track and its BANGING again, you really like it! Somehow all the lengthiness and the boredom is gone and you are really relieved.

Can you relate? Happens to me every now and then. The sweating is the weirdest part...

[V-F!]

As soon as I have one little feeling I don't like the beat I trash it. I also work really quick, if a beat is taking more than a couple hours it probably is no good and I'll trash it. I just never hesitate to trash a beat if it's not dope and work quick so it doesn't get boring.

[YellowT]

well the thing is - if I like the music at the start (after the first hour) usually the outcome is ok. compressing everything I wrote above into one sentence: I become overcritical over time. to the point were I am really tired of my own creation. the next day I can dance to the same beat again...thats what I wanted to say.


I also trash lots of stuff ...

[admbmb]

Ive had a thing where I throw some emcees some beats and then they come back a year or two later wanting to record over an old beat I'm "over". The worst is revisiting that track to do edits when you arent feeling your old style as much. Am I making sense?

I hate when you have the opposite. You are really digging a beat you made, going to sleep with a smile on your face. Then the next day, you hit play and start wondering who the hell you were last night.

[V-F!]

I hate when you have the opposite. You are really digging a beat you made, going to sleep with a smile on your face. Then the next day, you hit play and start wondering who the hell you were last night.

Haha ya that happens some times, thats the worst.

[a.D.]

No doubt- being overcritical of your work has always ben a major trait in any talented artist,in any genre...that self doubt is needed to eventually reach your potential. For peole that swear to god they got the hottest shit after sitting down & working for an hour-they probably don't. Personally I never take under 3-4 hours to make a beat- may sound crazy to some-but I've been known to sit working on one beat for 12 hours straight. And still trash them sometimes,lol. But whether your workflow is fast or slow-when you think you're done,you should always analyze it after-even if it's a couple days later,and think how it could be improved-it usually can-even if the improvements are subtle-those subtle changes can sometimes make a huge difference. & everytime you sit down to make a beat- you should go into it trying to make the best shit you ever have- or at least the best you ever have in the particular style or sound you're going for at the time,that should always be the goal imo. Bottom line though-all the greatest artists that have ever lived have never seen their work in the same light as those that look at it as great..or genius,whatever.Insecurity is one of the most important tools any artist (or just any person in general,really) can posess.

[Les Braun]

Ive had a thing where I throw some emcees some beats and then they come back a year or two later wanting to record over an old beat I'm "over". The worst is revisiting that track to do edits when you arent feeling your old style as much. Am I making sense?

Perfect sense!
Rappers are the prima donnas of hip-hop, always waiting as long as they can until they finally send something in. I hate that shit!

[V-F!]

you should always analyze it after-even if it's a couple days later,and think how it could be improved-it usually can-even if the improvements are subtle-those subtle changes can sometimes make a huge difference.

If I go back to a beat and think it needs subtle changes I usually trash it haha. I'm on to that next shit already, if it stands the test of a couple weeks listens and I still like it then it;s a keeper. I've been doing destructive creation though, I sequnce live with track mutes and effects tweaks to 2-track . I find if I go back and try to re-perform it later it usually is never as good as the first inspired performance where I am really into it.