How to Avoid The Sunk Cost Fallacy When Writing Music

[@georgepapageorgiou8609]

I would like to add another important factor to consider: Once you are satisfied with the way a finished song sounds, LEAVE IT BE! Stop trying to make it more “perfect”. Write something else.

[@OneManAndHisSongs]

Thanks for the feedback - it's certainly a topic I should cover in detail, since I have a somewhat different approach: I actively enjoy re-working a piece of music, but only after an extended period of time, (in terms of months or years), during which time I learn all the things about the original that I dislike. I have a very hedonistic approach to music composition - if something is fun, I think it's fine to do, and I find re-working old songs fun!

[@DaveDickens]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on song writing. I agree with most of what you say although my approach is a little different. I treat Cubase as my scratchpad for musical ideas, so I usually spend a couple of hours recording elements of a song (instrumentals in my case). These could be a melody idea or a chord progression combined in a simple arrangement. I use a hand full of instruments playing perhaps a couple of variations (eg verse/chorus). Then I forget about it for a couple of weeks (sometimes months). If I feel the idea is good when I listen back to it, then I will carry on and finish it. Your point about finishing a piece is very valid. Music is subjective. I have often listened to a professionally produced piece and thought - did they really think that was good. Of course, its my opinion. My point being, the piece you produce may not meet your standards, however, for someone else it may be the best thing they have heard and its a shame not to put it out their. Sorry for the long comment, thank you for your videos I really enjoy them. Cheers Dave

[@OneManAndHisSongs]

Thanks for the feedback Dave. I like your idea of a cooling-off period after your initial idea. It serves a similar function to my 'sleep on it' principle, but extended, and therefore less prone to honeymoonitis. One issue I have with waiting too long before picking up a piece I've started is that I forget how I did it, and it takes me ages to re-learn! (I have a brain like a sieve and a musical ear to match ;))

[@FondueBrothers]

I'm glad I found this video, you make some good points. In your exaple you talk about wasting time trying to find a suitable snare sound, I'm just about to ditch a project because I thought i would use a smpler to create my own drum instrument from scratch using random samples. what a total disaster and waste of two evenings.

[@OneManAndHisSongs]

Well, that sure is a perspective! I'm trying very hard at the moment to actively enjoy any task I do. I know it sounds utterly trite to even say such a thing, but it's incredibly easy to notice that you've just spent the last hour in frustration and/or boredom. If you're doing a thing for fun, it should be fun, and I quite enjoy the challenge of finding a way to make things be fun, and stop the moment I notice that they're not. (Browsing snare samples is not fun for me, so I've stopped doing it. It took me too long to realise this. Way, way too long....)

[@mandanglelow1442]

I've taught this to my students for years and never new it had a name. I tell my students that when Led Zeppelin were writing and recording the song Stairway to Heaven they certainly could have continued being creative with it but at some point you have to say okay it's a done song. The same for Kashmir or any other musical work.

[@mandanglelow1442]

Also, try picking just 3 good sounds and then chose the one you like best and move on. Over thinking kills inspiration and creativity.

[@R1PPA-C]

Talking about time spent on a project you've just reminded me to find that plugin that tracks time spent in a project!! moving onto to tip 2 about falling out of love with elements and re-evaluating them, I have an ongoing issue where over time I'll start disliking parts of a project...(usually main parts / leads / basslines etc ) I'll rework them and think I've made huge improvements but when I revisit them further down the line after a good ear rest I then back track and start thinking that the original was better ( I keep running versions of exports for analysis ) I seem to be stuck in this loop which is giving me huge anxiety, feelings of failure and what seems to be self sabotage which had got me to the point of having maybe 20 or so projects that at one point were ready to be mastered but now feel completely lost to the archives Edit - I've commented too early in the video as usual, tip 4 you saying you spend 20 minute chunks of time has just really helped me, for the past few months I thought I was losing my drive to produce (there's underlying reasons why I thought this also ) as instead of spending hours and hours at a time in the studio, I've started spending an hour here then going and doing something else, then coming back and trying again, I always make progress but I was scared that I aren't making as much progress as if I was spending my usual amount of time at the desk, so again thank you ! Faith restored

[@jasoncruizer]

You are aware you can do versioning ! You can release an EP, and just have the EP contain multiple versions of 1 song.

[@R1PPA-C]

@@jasoncruizer that wouldn't really help my situation unfortunately I'd rather put out the best version of a project and be happy with that one than throw 3 or 4 diluted versions with a hope for the best attitude with mediocre feelings about them

[@OneManAndHisSongs]

I have a slightly different take on versioning: at any given time I prefer to put everything I have into one definitive version; only with that single-minded clarity do I avoid dividing my energies and second-guessing myself. BUT, I often revisit old projects 12/18 months later, have a dramatically DIFFERENT vision of the 'one truth', and re-work the piece accordingly. You'll see this in my released content on this channel: different versions of the same song, mixed and produced over distinctly separate periods of time. I reserve, (absolutely and without exception), the right to do anything I want with any piece of music I ever write, but in any given moment I have a very singular frame of mind. This is (for me, at least) the best of both worlds.

[@NeilBaylis]

This sounds as though you've been hanging out in my brain recently.

[@OneManAndHisSongs]

Ah, the allure of fallacies: they seem so reasonable :)