Finding time to create /make music

Soutilé

I understand that, you need to make your own time, to make things happen.

but, GUYS ?

how do you organise your time, to make music ?

do you have set: days, periods, times, etc...?

how do you manage it with/ in your day to day life?

I just spend more time thinking about making it, than actually making it.

It's always NEXT TIME, I WILL ,,,,

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JesterMgee

It really depends if it is something you do as a hobby or as a profession but often these days it can be a challenge as there is so much "going on" in life, or at least we think there is.

If it is something you do as a profession you do as you would any other job and dedicate time to it which takes discipline if you are your own boss.

If you are doing it as a hobby whenever you have the time, it comes down to actually making/finding time and again being disciplined to spend that time on it.

I've found that when I was younger back in the 90s/00s it was easier for me to dedicate loads of time to making music due to the fact there was barely any internet, no youtube, very little games to get into outside my old playstation and no kids/family/dog taking up my time. I had a simple job, simple life and could easily stay up on a Friday night till 3am noodling and composing stuff.

What I have found are some good ways to get yourself at least in the disciplined frame of mind is try and set some times where you will do something music related. I like to make lists for things so I waste less time trying to decide on things so make a list of things you want to get done that aren't actually making a song. General housekeeping things like:

Organise samples and presets in your library (clean it up and make it easy to browse)
Create some channel/effects racks for certain workflows
Make some starter templates with some pre-loaded instruments to get you going when you need ideas
Label tracks in your older projects you forgot to do and add some notes about your production
Sort the hundreds of projects you are working on into categories like "likely finish" and "never finish". Helps to clean up your distractions when trying to finish ideas.
Dive into a synth and learn how it works and play around with it.
Practice playing music pieces you like the sound of.
Learn how things in your DAW work more in-depth
Flick through instrument preset sounds and tag them as favourites
Create some beats or build some drum kits....

If you don't have a project you are working on or excited about and have no real ideas it often doesn't get you in the mood to create something and that's where you will probably "feel" like you want to do something but really have nothing in mind so "maybe next time". If instead you spend time doing all these kinds of things above it can sometimes spiral into a new idea or get you excited about a sound you have found or an effect you never heard before, but at the very least it will help maintain some discipline on applying some time.

Also, unless you have a dedicated thing you want to learn, try and steer clear of forums and YouTube in these times as that usually just leads to lost time watching endless tutorials often without you really learning much at all.

If you have been doing it for decades like I have, sometimes a break can help or a changeup of things. You may find that working in the same linear DAW feels boring or uninspiring so checking out another DAW or a different workflow can sometimes be interesting. I got into recording sounds, DJing and noodling round on Maschine, in Ableton Live, Reaper and even messing around with some old programs again I used back when I first started making music (Fasttracker II) just for a break from synths and plugins.

You may also have to accept the fact sometimes the reason we cannot really ever seem to get into something is we are not cut out for it. You may find some parts fun but if you never seem to have an idea, never finish anything, don't like to spend the time to learn anything in-depth or do any of the things I listed above then maybe you like the idea of making music more than actually doing it.

Nico_NI

Interesting topic!

I can add that you need to have an idea, a vision of what you want to do specifically.

When that creativity sparks, it's easier to find time and express it, and you kinda know where you're going which makes it easier moving forward. I've learned to not push to do music when my creativity/ideas/motivation aren't up.

Jeremy_NI

Yeah, it's sometimes complicated to combine work / social life / music making. It helps to have a setup where you can jam straight away and hit record when you feel something is happening.

When I know I don't have much time on my hands and no inspiration, what I'll do is create new sounds on one synth or another, record and cut samples for future use. Most of the time I end up fooling around for hours and it turns into a jam.

Uwe303

There are already really good posts here, for this interesting topic and Jester covered it very well. I have, for example, a second computer in the bedroom with my good old maschine mk1, if i can't sleep I'm noodling around with a synth or make a new project, i also use a cloud backup solution so all i save gets synced to my main computer and vice versa. So I'm always ready to go on all my projects. And of course I can take the laptop with me if necessary. Tried also apps on the phone but that was not my thing, maybe it works for others well. Take a break is what I do last few weeks, this can help of course to get new energy and ideas for creating something.

Hope you all are finding your time and have fun, having fun is, for me at least, also very important.

tribepop

It helps to definitely have a routine and a convenient setup so that you can jam as quickly and easily as possible when the time strikes so you’re not wasting time hooking up gear, troubleshooting software, etc.

However, for me personally, I’ve found that creativity doesn’t run on a fixed schedule. You can block out X amount of time to do stuff but that doesn’t mean it will be productive. I have a “to-do” list that has tasks for in progress songs so that I can at least chip away incrementally on things otherwise I find that I load up a song and get hyper focused on one thing and don’t make much progress after the time is up. Some people have actual schedules for the week so for example: Mondays - sample curation and library management, Tuesdays - Sound design, etc. You can find examples of these schedule on Pinterest and blogs.

I saw a motivational thing that was basically saying that instead of thinking about having X amount of time to do something, try thinking about tasks in terms of energy expenditure. Sometimes I get random bursts of energy that don’t always align perfectly with whatever arbitrary schedule I’ve setup so instead I try to be aware of when I’m feeling more productive so that I can squeeze out more during those sessions. Also don’t forget to take frequent breaks. I’ll usually get up and go outside with my dogs for 5-10 minutes every hour and it really helps me stay fresh.

Walt Hubis

@Nico_NI wrote:

I can add that you need to have an idea, a vision of what you want to do specifically.

I think this goes to prove that the creative process is a unique, individual process.

I provide post production on podcasts, which includes editing the podcasts as well as providing introductory music. I'll do the podcast first, which gives me a sort of feel for the vibe of the podcast. The last part of the process is where I start to compose the music.

I have no idea whatsoever what I want when I start!

I'll graze. I go through some random patches until I find something that catches my attention and then start to build on that. Or maybe just noodle on the keyboard for a riff. As often as not, I'll get part way through and realize it's just not working, and start all over again.

The big issue here is the resistance: a blank sheet of paper is intimidating. I frequently have to force myself to get started. Almost invariably, once I start, I get into it and the joy of the creative process takes over.

Jonny Visan

I love this conversation. I also have been making music professionally for over 2 decades & I agree with everyone’s reality here… but Jester really touched on something that seems to affect me the most.

“I had a simple job,” he wrote. I find that when my work was either all about music or not at all, but simple, I’d be more creative in the studio. Now, my job uses a lot on my brain all day and when I finally DO get into the studio, I’m unable to be as creative as I dreamed about all day. I can imagine all the songs but don’t have the energy to put it “in writing”

Basically I’ve come to this conclusion (with your help)- If this is a part time music making situation, the other job should be something that helps your creative flow rather than something that makes a lot of money without helping the creative process.

I’m off to make some music! (And find another job?)

tribepop

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/28470#Comment_28470

I’m basically in the same boat, my day job is a software engineer so I get paid to do mental labor but it doesn’t really lend itself to much creative thinking (at least in the fun kind of creative thinking). So I’m always in search of some other way to stroke that creative itch because my main career isn’t doing it. On the other hand, I don’t think I would like be a music producer full time because then it would just feel like work and would start to be a grind.

LXNDR_BE

What @JesterMgee says, so true.

I am re-entering into producing since I got my Maschine MK3 2 months back but I tinker with electronic music since round about 1985 (yes '85) back than I was totally unorganized and my arrangement su**.

What I learned so far and it seems to work is:

make a schedule per week (4 or 6 hours) where you make / produce SOMETHING (may be a sketch, an idea or just a nice synthpad or drumloop) and really add them to your calendar. You can be flexible for social stuff or other things, but aim for 4 hours and plan them into one week
If you make a song and you get the feeling it is bad - FINISH IT nevertheless - just make a 4 Minute version - but it helps to get more comfortable with arrangement - just imagine you produce it for some other guy - because if we produce for us, we tend to wanna be TOO perfect.
Don't use all the synths you can get, you need (My Mantra: I don't need more VSTs)
- ONE Monophonic (Monark)
- One Polyphonic (Massive OR Massive X)
- maybe One Additive (Razor)
- maybe One other (FM8, Prism/Spark or Blocks)
If you have some free time, have a look at some masterclasses or tutorials, BUT NOT WITHIN YOUR 4 hours, it will only make you drift.
Be also aware, you do not need 800 Kick Samples, you can make a whole song just by the sample of a spoon that dropped. LESS IS MORE and you learn the power of the sampler
and then learn those synths you have
I am not there yet, but at least this is my roadmap, now I only need to follow my own rules 😁😁

JesterMgee

I'd probably also add from my own experience starting out relatively young in my mid teens, what I lacked at the time in technical ability I made up both in enthusiasm and also inspiration.

When I was young I had a lot of friends and being a country boy, we were always hanging out after school and on most weekends listening to music, discussing bands and spitting rhymes with a dream of becoming what we loved. This constant road of new discovery really got the juices flowing and as I left home at 18 and started venturing out into the world of festivals, clubs and partying and experiencing all those highs and then the complicated lows that life had to throw at me it helped to spur on new discoveries in my own music. It was also great to have that group of friends you could show some new project to and get that instant feedback.

FF to me now in my 40s and that's all a distant but still clear memory and I don't really discover new music as much, I am still going to concerts but rarely as much and only really to see the bands I missed out on the first time round and the partying has shifted to my kids gatherings.

Needless to say the inspiration hasn't completely dried up but does certainly fade over time and although I can still surprise myself sometimes it's not as magical as it once was nor is that dream ever going to be reality of me and my young mates hitting the road to tour or being the next Deadmau5e, not that it was ever a chance but a dream is sometimes all one needs to keep going.

Nico_NI

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/28470#Comment_28470

@Jonny Visan said: Basically I’ve come to this conclusion (with your help)- If this is a part time music making situation, the other job should be something that helps your creative flow rather than something that makes a lot of money without helping the creative process.

Interestingly enough, I could not tell if starting to work at NI enhanced my creativity or not yet.

Back when I started, I was extremely enthusiast with the idea that it's going to bring me so much inspiration, knowledge and many new tools to play with and create a ton of tracks way more easily. I remember saying to my colleague "all of this will boost me so much for my personal music project". He replied "you know, when you work all day for this industry, the last thing you want to do when you get home might actually be doing music".

After one year I can say with confidence I do feel inspired and creative during work, I still learn technical knowledge on music production, but my studio productivity eventually did not increased much. Why? Because, aside from professional life, at the end of the day your personal life and genuine artistic expression are also playing a huge role in this game. Bottom line, having a creative day job that you like can help, but is not determining in making you more productive.

It's a matter of balance, managing to sparkle new inspiration, pursuing a vision, a dream, a taste, a colour.

Nico_NI

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/28510#Comment_28510

Great list of advice! I can really relate to most of this.

It reminds me of a thread we had a few months back on advices you'd give to your newbie self.

⚠️ Warning, tips goldmine ⛏ ⚠️

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/315/share-advice-youd-give-to-your-newbie-self

veer2011

regarding "I can add that you need to have an idea, a vision of what you want to do specifically.

I think this goes to prove that the creative process is a unique, individual process."

"I have no idea whatsoever what I want when I start!"

I have always been slightly disturbed when hearing that you have to have a vision - it's simply not true - music isn't a confining art like building a house... I have had times where I have a constraint of what I want - tempo-wise, mood-wise. But really, I just start noodling around and wait for something to click. It might be the reason why some of my stuff can be really experimental and why my sound isn't homogenous. I feel the benefit of this method is that the pathway to the end result can find itself. For my workflow I'll play parts over existing tracks and let the playing trail out to introduce a new path to move the song, whether that's a bridge or a sort of second half.. and once I've done that, if I don't have something flowing right then and there, I park the track and revisit it soon after... somewhere down the line the remainder will surface as I am reviewing it. The problem with this method is that it can mean I have no deadlines per se, and therefore that track might be around a long time or never finish unless I then force it. However, some of what I feel are my best tracks have used this method. I feel it can result in a blend of different episodes of creativity or mood rather than needing to be prescribed before I begin. Reducing that pressure allows you the freedom to jump start.

Nico_NI

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/28583#Comment_28583

I agree with your comment and feel the need to rephrase my saying, I should have say that having an idea and a vision of what you want to do helps being productive. It's more about being conscious of what inspires you in music (with so many genres) and who you want to be as an artist, what aesthetic you want people to feel when they listen to your sounds. At least, that's the way to go for me, but I also totally respect and value the free exploration of an individual's musical expression, without any pressure or guidelines.

Soutilé

Thank you EVERYONE FOR, this Sea of life Experiences, Shared generously.🙏

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