How much do you listen to your own songs?

[ahjteam]

What I mean is that when you make a song and record it, be it either finished or demo level product, do you listen to it a lot? I mean I just noticed from lastfm that I had literally listened to my own songs thousands of times (2650 to be exact, and counting). There are a few points to this, mainly quality control... from F to E- :Smug:

1) if even I don't like it myself, it sucks, and nobody else propably won't like it either
2) its good way to learn the song to your backbone in case you need to perform it live someday and you can jam along with guitar etc
3) you can hear the errors more easily with repetition as they will start to point out at some point and start to annoy you a lot
4) I'm a narcistic egomaniac

 

[crosstalk]

I listen to a recently finished song for hours on repeat for several days. Then I never listen to it again. On the off chance I run across it again I usually find myself going "what the hell was I thinking writing that" or "I thought that mix was good?"

 

[digitalmikey]

I'm with you both. I must have written and recorded over 40 songs this year so far and each one after listening with fresh ears I get rid of. I just don't get it, I guess we are our own worst critics.

 

[iHate]

Too many times. Enough to make me crawl into a corner and cry about how terrible my skills are.

 

[Unavailable]

I don't even listen to stuff I mix, aside from the occasional history lesson for myself so I know what mistakes not to make again.

 

[jrt12]

i end up listening to songs i write alot, moreso when i just start a new song. for me its a big part of the writing process. but i dont listen to them exclusively, i do mix it up. i think its key.

i agree with the 3 responses above Unavailable. sometimes you end up trashign it. sometimes the very next morning, as a new day, a fresh listen and a sober mind discerns better. others may sit for months, and get thrown out the next time i listen to it. but the few that make it threw the repetitions, those are the ones i develop. i think listening to them helps all the thigns you said above (#1-4).

this is of course, excluding the special ones. the ones where you know right off the bat that you got something really good.

 

[Dylan S]

I'd listen to my songs a lot more if they were produced really well.

 

[Ermz]

I tend to listen to them fairly relentlessly after they're done. I usually have a break of a few days, so I give myself some downtime to forget and listen fresh. I find this is really important, and one of the cool things about sending something overseas to mastering. When it's back a few days later, you get to hear the track with their spin, and just have a totally fresh approach on the final product.

There is a point at which you only hurt yourself by over-listening though. You over-analyze and get stuck on microcosmic details, which I find is something that tends to plague a few folks on this forum. The idea is that you're painting an entire picture, not just trying to get the 'sky' to look perfect. If you over-listen, it increases your chances at obsessing, and generally becoming not so fun.

Once you hear it with fresh ears, identify immediately what you dislike about it, and note those things down mentally. In your next project try to improve on them... don't beat yourself up for not having sorted it out last time around.

 

[AeternusEternus]

A couple people I know still take my first album to the gym. I like to blast it every once in a while in the warehouse on truck days. Good for pumping you up. I wrote it cause it's good.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

I wrote it cause it's good.

This...

Ever since my first band broke up and I've been writing music by myself, I haven't written anything that I thought sucked later. My first demo has kick ass songs, even if the production blows.

 

[KeithTidd]

I listen to my own music alot. Stuff i mix, not so much.

 

[Jevil]

Once my whole work is done and album released I do not listen in months / years.
It is a big pleasure to listen to a very old stuff from time to time, songs I wrote in the 90's tracked in the 4-tracks Fostex tape recorders.

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

Relentlessly here also! After a few days non stop, I will never listen to it again until I accidently come across it. 10% of what I write that I listen to down the track still gives me that buzz and satisfaction. They are the keepers!

 

[GarethSE]

I listen to my band's tracks frequently, but the music's so out there I don't think I really care if anyone likes it or not. As long as I've got some music to listen to that I like the sound of then it's all good.

 

[Emdprodukt]

I love my stuff. A lot.

 

[kramer1309]

In all honesty, what motivated to begin recording was the fact that i wanted to listen to my compositions in a better tone than Guitar Pro's midi render

 

[Torniojaws]

A whole lot! The main reason for writing music like mine is that there's practically no other bands doing stuff like me So if I want to hear really fast industrial death/black metal with intricate riffs, melodic synths, electronics and deep growls, there's just no other bands doing it

 

[16S]

I listen to a recently finished song for hours on repeat for several days. Then I never listen to it again. On the off chance I run across it again I usually find myself going "what the hell was I thinking writing that" or "I thought that mix was good?"

unfortunately its the same for me...

 

[lilhermiejobo]

I probably listen to my own songs for about as long as radio stations play the latest top 40... so anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on how well I respond to whatever I've written. Some stuff is soon forgotten and re-visited later down the track.
I'd love to write some new stuff if I could figure out a way to make time and not be stupidly tired after work everyday that doesn't involve amphetamines.

 

[ItsAFugazzi]

I listen to my songs a LOT.

Mainly to try and work out if I'm any good.

Secondly, I listen the FUCK out of it when recording it. I feel I have to so that new ideas can pop in etc... Also, so I can grasp the song and figure which direction to take it in etc.