Something I tend to run into quite often while doing something “creative” (whatever that means, but that’s a blog post for another day) is not knowing where to go next.

I don’t really find it too difficult to start things (especially after I created a system for idea generation and capture), so the first few sessions of doing something (especially when it comes to making music) is fairly simple. I have a vague idea, and I can just put work into that one idea. I don’t need to flesh it out fully just yet.

The issue is a little later on, when the base of the project has been put in place and it needs to be fleshed out. Around this time, I get a little bit flustered, mostly because there’s so much I can do to my precious idea! I never really know which route (so to speak) is the best, so I get locked in a sort of stalemate. I’m extremely averse towards scrapping things and starting afresh (which I should probably change, but again, another day), so I want to find the best way in the first attempt, but the only way I can do that is by testing different things out. It’s a paradox.

In this state of stalemate, I end up just sitting on the project and basically abandoning it, because I never really know how to go further with it.

The Answer

I’ve figured out the solution to this problem, though - creating a system.

I think I thrive when I have systems to fall back on. An example of this is my study process: it relies quite heavily on the fairly robust (if I do say so myself) system that I’ve set up for remembering things and setting myself up for success in an exam. This means that I can focus on understanding and learning the material, because I trust that the system I’ve set up will solve the “exam” part of the puzzle.

I hope that setting up a similar system for music production specifically will help me make more music, more often. I want the system to provide a framework for how to create a song (in my style), so making a song will have a solid start and end point, and a concrete process in between. This means I can generate some sort of incentive - a solid end point for my song and an idea of how much work I need to do actually get there. This will also help me end a project without trying to perfect every single aspect of it, which is good, because progress is better than perfection.

It removes the uncertainty that comes with making music, and this, hopefully, means that I can actually start releasing more music (something that I’ve really looked forward to doing, after my decision to pivot my YouTube channel towards mainly music-related content).

The System

I think the first idea that I came up with was a “step-by-step” framework: something that tells me what I can work on next, no matter what part of the song I’m on at the moment.

Right now, the system is in a sort of Alpha stage, and ideally I’ll keep working on it as time goes on. Eventually, it should become a lot more robust and reliable.

Anyway, here’s the primitive system I came up with:

• Start with analysis: Listen to the idea(s) you’ve come up with, similar songs, reference mixes, and the original song (in the case of a cover). Make sure to make notes about what you want to replicate and what you want to alter.
• Chords: The chordal elements (pianos and guitars, primarily, although a different instrument may be demanded based on the type of song) lay the bed on top of which leads and percussion can be placed. They’re the components that dictate the emotional feel of a song, so they are the first to be put into place.
• Melodic elements: These elements are more complementary to chords. Lead elements won’t be recorded just yet, just auxiliary melodic bits (like arpeggios or strums).
• Percussion: these rhythm elements dictate the feel and groove of the song, which is important for setting the tone of the song. They may not be as important emotionally, but they’re crucial to how involved listeners are in a song.
• Lead: this is the final part of the “base” of the song. The lead is the centerpiece of the song, and contextualizes the other elements of a song. The lead may include vocals or instrumental leads.
• Texture and ear candy: these elements are important in maintaining interest and contextualizing shifts in a song.
• Mixing and mastering: the final step in making the song sound good and ready for release!

Do systems kill creativity?

Something that I’ve been thinking about is whether putting yourself in a box (which is basically what creating this kind of system is doing) limits the creativity of the artist.

Honestly, I don’t know the answer to that question. I think, logically, it must reduce creativity because it doesn’t allow for interesting ideas to be thought of (because it gets reduced down to a series of steps, not a process).

Often, though, the best art is birthed in a place filled with restrictions. So maybe creating your own restrictions (like I am doing now) can inspire new ideas that can be understood and contextualized better. For example, a new sound (like the sound of glass shattering) can be interpreted as ear candy or a snare sound depending on which part of the process you’re in (which, I guess, is both a good and bad thing).

I think the most important part of systemizing, though, is to not be completely constrained by the system. I should be able to alter the snare sound even after the percussion step is finished. I should be able to mix a few tracks properly even if I’m not at the mixing step yet. That will allow me to both finish projects as well as have new and creative ideas.

I think a few updates will be in order about how this “systemizing” idea pans out!

Thanks for reading!