So basically I have ZERO motivation for the past few months. I haven't been participating in any battles nor I have made any actual beats. When I try everything turns out like hot garbage or into something I've done a million times before. I remember the time when I was so excited everytime I would fire up my Maschine, now its just collecting dust. Any advice?
In a beatmaking slump. Any advice?
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Leopard Cohen
ILLIEN
Battle Points: 95
I think everyone experiences this sometimes. It sucks.
Here's what works for me:
Just fuck around and try making something in a different genre. It lowers my expectations since it's not my main jam. I've made some truly awful DnB or house music to work myself out of a slump. I still want to try punk or country. It's not something I'd ever put out there, it's just for me to challenge myself.
Related to above, a buddy put me onto this tactic - pretend like you're producing for someone else. Like, imma make a beat for Shirley Bassey - what would she sing over? K, some kinda big band vibe, that's not something I'd usually fuck with. Like above, working out my comfort zone but with no expectations.
Finally, sometimes I'll use a slump to my advantage. K, I'm not feeling it - what kinda housekeeping have I been putting off? Organize my sample library. Chop up some breaks and make drum kits to use down the road. Go digging. Make some loops. I've got a running list of things to sample - little snippets from TV shows, shit like that.
Good luck!
Here's what works for me:
Just fuck around and try making something in a different genre. It lowers my expectations since it's not my main jam. I've made some truly awful DnB or house music to work myself out of a slump. I still want to try punk or country. It's not something I'd ever put out there, it's just for me to challenge myself.
Related to above, a buddy put me onto this tactic - pretend like you're producing for someone else. Like, imma make a beat for Shirley Bassey - what would she sing over? K, some kinda big band vibe, that's not something I'd usually fuck with. Like above, working out my comfort zone but with no expectations.
Finally, sometimes I'll use a slump to my advantage. K, I'm not feeling it - what kinda housekeeping have I been putting off? Organize my sample library. Chop up some breaks and make drum kits to use down the road. Go digging. Make some loops. I've got a running list of things to sample - little snippets from TV shows, shit like that.
Good luck!
Same, maybe try a different genre, learning a whole new genre can feel new, not like doing the same thing over and over again, it also will give you some new techniques which can be used across genres, till eventually you realise music is music, regardless of genre, there are "rules" or guidelines that apply to all genres. I get in a rut often when composing and I'm not sure where to begin, in that case I will go to Tracklib and find some inspirational tracks to sample or an illmuzik sampleflip just to get past the initial creative block, that usually helps me. Another thing I have found always kills my creativity is making music for others, to their demands not for myself. Failing that, listen to some music from others. I find listening to music by others makes me want to make some music too.
OGBama
Big Clit Energy
Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
I've been in a slump too, but for me I think it's more than just the music because I feel burnt out from just tech in general.
What I've been doing lately is just trying something, like just making a drum track and messing around with that, rather than looking to make an entire beat. But I still have to get the urge to turn on the MPC to begin with. It's tough when there's distractions everywhere.
What I've been doing lately is just trying something, like just making a drum track and messing around with that, rather than looking to make an entire beat. But I still have to get the urge to turn on the MPC to begin with. It's tough when there's distractions everywhere.
Same here, but also having no time to make beats. So it's exacerbating the situation. Genuinely thinking it's time to call it goodnight on music making.
As far as the advice of 'try making a different genre/style' I find sometimes that's even worse, because you'll just be making straight goofy dogshit which will piss you off even more.
Sitting here tho, with a moment spare, like ' i should try and make a beat' but make the fuck what?
I'm tempted to take a 'speedrun' approach seeing as it's popped up a few times recently --- going to say to myself "20 minutes drums... go", then 10 minutes, tonal stuff, go. Oftentimes my best shit comes together very quickly, if it comes out shit, no beef it's to be expected, i dunno. Think it's maybe the only way im gonna get something out. Also... music oftentimes is a numbers game - so better get through those numbers quick.
Maybe give the rushed approach a go - though annoyingly may likely lean on old habits
As far as the advice of 'try making a different genre/style' I find sometimes that's even worse, because you'll just be making straight goofy dogshit which will piss you off even more.
Sitting here tho, with a moment spare, like ' i should try and make a beat' but make the fuck what?
I'm tempted to take a 'speedrun' approach seeing as it's popped up a few times recently --- going to say to myself "20 minutes drums... go", then 10 minutes, tonal stuff, go. Oftentimes my best shit comes together very quickly, if it comes out shit, no beef it's to be expected, i dunno. Think it's maybe the only way im gonna get something out. Also... music oftentimes is a numbers game - so better get through those numbers quick.
Maybe give the rushed approach a go - though annoyingly may likely lean on old habits
My advice is get into producing different types of hip-hop artists, make a beat tape for sale, go to an underground hip-hop spot and check out artists you never heard of before or join a showcase where you can show off your beats. The reason why I say this because that's when creativity steps up in a big way and you're never half step or not wanting to display the best part of your beat making. If you're in your studio alone a lot of time you become unmotivated or damn near want to quit
Hey guys! Your feedback is much appreciated. Went in and cleaned my library a bit. Feels good, even found some nice old samples I completely forgot about. I think I should give Tracklib a chance because in the past every time I found something new like a new plugin or sample pack I would get excited to produce. I'm like a goddamn toddler 
Tried this out. Actually not half bad for first go. Did it to the letter too.. 20 on drums, 10 on tonal. Then another 10 on additional tonal. Spent 5 minutes on balancing just now.
Giving those limits too helps like you can just work for 20 mins, go away watch something eat dinner, come back to 10mins tonal.
I like what others have mentioned in terms of changing genres. In addition I like to do a couple other things.
1. Break Up Your Session
If you're like me, you may feel that all or the majority of the beat needs to be made in one session. This all or nothing approach to music is often where I find the motivation and inspiration fall short. Especially after a long work day, if I don't have a full idea or energy to get going, i often think to myself "what's the point of turning on Maschine?" Sometimes breaking up the process over a few days makes it more manageable. Let's say you heard a song on the radio you want to sample, maybe just use Monday night's session to pull out samples and get it time stretched and chopped. With respect to chopping, I also find "chopping out of context" really helps get the creativity going. Instead of chopping the parts you think you're going to use in the beat, just chop out "cool" or "interesting" one shots/samples. Tuesday night, come back and use Monday's chops to get a few patterns going. Again, no need to think about arrangement and "verse" or "chorus." Keep doing a few pieces night to night, and hopefully by the weekend, you're really just putting things together. This is my own extrapolation of a video I saw Eddie Leonard do.
2. Active Listening
I'm sure all beat makers have some active listening going on when listening to music, even when it's for enjoyment. But, I've found, sitting down with a pen and paper and making note of instrumentation, arrangement, chord progressions, changes, etc. Can really help to get your head into the game. This is especially useful if you're attempting a new genre. Get a playlist of a few songs you like, current or old, and make notes on the song. The great thing is, by time you're done, you've created a roadmap for yourself. The Pianote series of musicians hearing songs for the first time shows multiple "professional" musicians practicing active listening as described.
3. Bullet Journal
This is something I've mentioned before and borrowed for my corporate life. Date + Project name at the top of a page. And write down any and every idea I want to do/add/change with the beat. It can start from an inspiration I heard earlier in the day to any wild and stupid ideas that come to me while making music. Where this is handy, both in work and music, is that it gets the idea out of your head and allows you to focus on the singular task at hand. Example; say you're working your drums and "80's synth bass" pops into you head. Put a bullet point and write down the idea. Go through and finish your drums. Then try the 80s bass idea. If you like it. Put an X over the bullet to indicate it's done. If it's not quite there, put an > on the bullet to indicate it's something you want to come back to. If it sounds like straight dog shit and you question your musical tastes and choices, single strikethrough to indicate that it's now an "irrelevant" idea. The Bullet Journal works really well if you're splitting up your process over several days, or if you have limited time for music on a day to day basis.
While these are tools to overcome writers block, the hard thing to overcome is the lack of motivation. I've tried several different approaches for this and they are:
4. Time Blocking
Almost like going to the gym, I've tried blocking out a certain amount of time for music. Even if it's 30 minutes, just getting your ass behind the boards and doing something builds the habit and routine of "getting it done." If you have a static work schedule, pick your time allotment and more specifically, the time of day. If you don't have a static schedule, plan ahead. Make it a habit.
5. Goal Based
Similar to breaking up the process over a few days, approach the process with small, manageable goals, that can be checked off in a progressive manner. This way works better for me and this is how I manage my professional work and finances. Start backwards and break it up. Let's say you want to have a beat done by week's end. Chart out your time blocks and what you may work on during those time blocks Monday through Sunday. Of course, with creativity you can't force the process - but I find being more specific helps.
Monday = 30 minutes = Inspiration
-what are you listening to and what do you want to try. Sample mining. Monday's time block can be active listening and doing a study of a song, or listening to a few records and getting sample ideas. Leave those records out on your desk for later in the week. I also like watching beat making videos and tutorials. I need to be careful as this becomes a slippery slope where I'm just watching and not doing anything.
Tuesday = 45 minutes = Chops
-fairly straight forward, use this time block to chop up records from Monday. One shots, loops, whatever. You can even do some sounds design, mangle and process chops to get some cool new sounds for later.
1. Break Up Your Session
If you're like me, you may feel that all or the majority of the beat needs to be made in one session. This all or nothing approach to music is often where I find the motivation and inspiration fall short. Especially after a long work day, if I don't have a full idea or energy to get going, i often think to myself "what's the point of turning on Maschine?" Sometimes breaking up the process over a few days makes it more manageable. Let's say you heard a song on the radio you want to sample, maybe just use Monday night's session to pull out samples and get it time stretched and chopped. With respect to chopping, I also find "chopping out of context" really helps get the creativity going. Instead of chopping the parts you think you're going to use in the beat, just chop out "cool" or "interesting" one shots/samples. Tuesday night, come back and use Monday's chops to get a few patterns going. Again, no need to think about arrangement and "verse" or "chorus." Keep doing a few pieces night to night, and hopefully by the weekend, you're really just putting things together. This is my own extrapolation of a video I saw Eddie Leonard do.
2. Active Listening
I'm sure all beat makers have some active listening going on when listening to music, even when it's for enjoyment. But, I've found, sitting down with a pen and paper and making note of instrumentation, arrangement, chord progressions, changes, etc. Can really help to get your head into the game. This is especially useful if you're attempting a new genre. Get a playlist of a few songs you like, current or old, and make notes on the song. The great thing is, by time you're done, you've created a roadmap for yourself. The Pianote series of musicians hearing songs for the first time shows multiple "professional" musicians practicing active listening as described.
3. Bullet Journal
This is something I've mentioned before and borrowed for my corporate life. Date + Project name at the top of a page. And write down any and every idea I want to do/add/change with the beat. It can start from an inspiration I heard earlier in the day to any wild and stupid ideas that come to me while making music. Where this is handy, both in work and music, is that it gets the idea out of your head and allows you to focus on the singular task at hand. Example; say you're working your drums and "80's synth bass" pops into you head. Put a bullet point and write down the idea. Go through and finish your drums. Then try the 80s bass idea. If you like it. Put an X over the bullet to indicate it's done. If it's not quite there, put an > on the bullet to indicate it's something you want to come back to. If it sounds like straight dog shit and you question your musical tastes and choices, single strikethrough to indicate that it's now an "irrelevant" idea. The Bullet Journal works really well if you're splitting up your process over several days, or if you have limited time for music on a day to day basis.
While these are tools to overcome writers block, the hard thing to overcome is the lack of motivation. I've tried several different approaches for this and they are:
4. Time Blocking
Almost like going to the gym, I've tried blocking out a certain amount of time for music. Even if it's 30 minutes, just getting your ass behind the boards and doing something builds the habit and routine of "getting it done." If you have a static work schedule, pick your time allotment and more specifically, the time of day. If you don't have a static schedule, plan ahead. Make it a habit.
5. Goal Based
Similar to breaking up the process over a few days, approach the process with small, manageable goals, that can be checked off in a progressive manner. This way works better for me and this is how I manage my professional work and finances. Start backwards and break it up. Let's say you want to have a beat done by week's end. Chart out your time blocks and what you may work on during those time blocks Monday through Sunday. Of course, with creativity you can't force the process - but I find being more specific helps.
Monday = 30 minutes = Inspiration
-what are you listening to and what do you want to try. Sample mining. Monday's time block can be active listening and doing a study of a song, or listening to a few records and getting sample ideas. Leave those records out on your desk for later in the week. I also like watching beat making videos and tutorials. I need to be careful as this becomes a slippery slope where I'm just watching and not doing anything.
Tuesday = 45 minutes = Chops
-fairly straight forward, use this time block to chop up records from Monday. One shots, loops, whatever. You can even do some sounds design, mangle and process chops to get some cool new sounds for later.
Sorry, I had a shower thought after I made my original reply...
...This is more of a "philosophical" approach and are a couple ideas I've also borrowed from my corporate life and self development books I've read over the past couple years.
Outcome Goals vs. Identity Goals - "Atomic Habits" by James Clear
This is a concept that really resonated with me when I was reading the book. For context I was starting the 75 Hard health challenge; aside from exercising, eating clean, and reading everyday- no booze - was something I knew I was going to struggle with. That's where this concept really helped. In the context of Fitness, and Outcome Goal would be something like "I want to lose 20 pounds" where an Identity Goal would be more like "I want to do/eat in a way that I will be leaner." That shift from what thing you'll be holding onto at the end of a journey; to living the journey and doing the things that someone 20 pounds lighter would do was a massive a-ha moment for me.
In the world of music, you can think about "I want to make a 10 track album by December" as an Outcome Goal. The Identity Goal is "I want to be a person who makes music enough to have an album's worth of music by December." You're shifting the emphasis from the Result to the Behaviours.
Process & Organization - "Getting Things Done" by David Allen
I've always been a fairly organized person, specifically with the use of my Bullet Journal, but that was almost entirely in a work setting. My personal life was quite the opposite and sort of a brute force approach. My days off were just doing as many chores, tasks, errands that I could but with no real rhyme or reason. This is fine if you have set recurring tasks (Monday is house keeping, bank, and groceries, Wednesdays was barber, car wash, dry cleaners) but leaves you scrambling when the unexpected and one-off tasks pop up. Again, the Bullet Journal did wonders to help me get my personal life as organized as my work life, but I took a lot from this book to further systemize my tasks, and tackle bigger projects. I may not use the systems as rigorously as outlined in the book, but the few pieces I incorporated into my existing task management has worked wonders. This book is definitely worth a read as it focuses, and provides plenty of examples of systems and Process.
Workflow is a word that's almost become taboo in the Online Music World, as there are a ton of "workflow hack" videos out there. But, I truly believe it is a key part of any process...even music. You can benefit by having some sort of system and process in place in the music world. Personally, having Maschine routed templates to Logic are a huge lifesaver. Having a defined, repeatable system to track from the MPC 100 to Logic is another "process" that has saved me time and headache. I know people have arrangement templates, and mixing presets. These are all thins that will allow you to focus more on the abstract and creative part of music rather than minute "technical" details.
Behaviours + Process = Results
This is something my old boss used to preach! It's also a mantra I took with me as I moved up the corporate ladder and even when I completely changed industries. If anyone has worked in a corporate setting, you know the term KPIs and Metrics. What my boss taught me is that you Behavioural metrics and Result metrics - not dissimilar to Outcome/Identity Goals. What makes good behaviours translate to good results is calibration...something you cannot do unless you have a Process!
The applications of this philosophy are near endless. I've also found that applying a broad concept like this to smaller, finite, tasks is incredibly helpful. Historically, I always had shit mixes. The Identity I adopted was that of "oh well, I'm just a hobbyist mixing in headphones." Obviously my Result was shit mixes. Even when I did attempt to get better mixes, I didn't have a process. I'd watch a video try it, not get the desired result, then abandon ship. However, once I committed to a mixing process, and worked it, they eventually did get better. The Behaviour or Identity of "I'm proud of my music and want to present it in that way" coupled with persistence, calibration and a process that can be understood intimately, and tweaked to fit my needs lead to better mixes!
All this to say, when in a slump (low sales for a month, put on a few pounds of fat, not making as much music) taking some time to re-align, figure out your desired Identity, it's associated Behaviours, and a trackable Process can be very beneficial to the long term journey.
...This is more of a "philosophical" approach and are a couple ideas I've also borrowed from my corporate life and self development books I've read over the past couple years.
Outcome Goals vs. Identity Goals - "Atomic Habits" by James Clear
This is a concept that really resonated with me when I was reading the book. For context I was starting the 75 Hard health challenge; aside from exercising, eating clean, and reading everyday- no booze - was something I knew I was going to struggle with. That's where this concept really helped. In the context of Fitness, and Outcome Goal would be something like "I want to lose 20 pounds" where an Identity Goal would be more like "I want to do/eat in a way that I will be leaner." That shift from what thing you'll be holding onto at the end of a journey; to living the journey and doing the things that someone 20 pounds lighter would do was a massive a-ha moment for me.
In the world of music, you can think about "I want to make a 10 track album by December" as an Outcome Goal. The Identity Goal is "I want to be a person who makes music enough to have an album's worth of music by December." You're shifting the emphasis from the Result to the Behaviours.
Process & Organization - "Getting Things Done" by David Allen
I've always been a fairly organized person, specifically with the use of my Bullet Journal, but that was almost entirely in a work setting. My personal life was quite the opposite and sort of a brute force approach. My days off were just doing as many chores, tasks, errands that I could but with no real rhyme or reason. This is fine if you have set recurring tasks (Monday is house keeping, bank, and groceries, Wednesdays was barber, car wash, dry cleaners) but leaves you scrambling when the unexpected and one-off tasks pop up. Again, the Bullet Journal did wonders to help me get my personal life as organized as my work life, but I took a lot from this book to further systemize my tasks, and tackle bigger projects. I may not use the systems as rigorously as outlined in the book, but the few pieces I incorporated into my existing task management has worked wonders. This book is definitely worth a read as it focuses, and provides plenty of examples of systems and Process.
Workflow is a word that's almost become taboo in the Online Music World, as there are a ton of "workflow hack" videos out there. But, I truly believe it is a key part of any process...even music. You can benefit by having some sort of system and process in place in the music world. Personally, having Maschine routed templates to Logic are a huge lifesaver. Having a defined, repeatable system to track from the MPC 100 to Logic is another "process" that has saved me time and headache. I know people have arrangement templates, and mixing presets. These are all thins that will allow you to focus more on the abstract and creative part of music rather than minute "technical" details.
Behaviours + Process = Results
This is something my old boss used to preach! It's also a mantra I took with me as I moved up the corporate ladder and even when I completely changed industries. If anyone has worked in a corporate setting, you know the term KPIs and Metrics. What my boss taught me is that you Behavioural metrics and Result metrics - not dissimilar to Outcome/Identity Goals. What makes good behaviours translate to good results is calibration...something you cannot do unless you have a Process!
The applications of this philosophy are near endless. I've also found that applying a broad concept like this to smaller, finite, tasks is incredibly helpful. Historically, I always had shit mixes. The Identity I adopted was that of "oh well, I'm just a hobbyist mixing in headphones." Obviously my Result was shit mixes. Even when I did attempt to get better mixes, I didn't have a process. I'd watch a video try it, not get the desired result, then abandon ship. However, once I committed to a mixing process, and worked it, they eventually did get better. The Behaviour or Identity of "I'm proud of my music and want to present it in that way" coupled with persistence, calibration and a process that can be understood intimately, and tweaked to fit my needs lead to better mixes!
All this to say, when in a slump (low sales for a month, put on a few pounds of fat, not making as much music) taking some time to re-align, figure out your desired Identity, it's associated Behaviours, and a trackable Process can be very beneficial to the long term journey.
Last edited:
Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
@BiggChev Dope posts, very detailed!
I agree that just setting aside the time to do it is very important. It can be applied to working out every day, or just working on a beat. Right now I'm working on just getting some drums down, but other days I just listen for samples and when I find something I put it aside and make a note so I can just get to it right away when the creativity drive finally hits me.
I agree that just setting aside the time to do it is very important. It can be applied to working out every day, or just working on a beat. Right now I'm working on just getting some drums down, but other days I just listen for samples and when I find something I put it aside and make a note so I can just get to it right away when the creativity drive finally hits me.
thekoolkrush
Beatmaker
Battle Points: 44
Go watch some old school movies then go listen to ghost face pretty Tony album