EXPERIMENT: Shitty Drafts Forever
An antidote to perfectionism and overthinking
Midnight Voice Memos ‘EXPERIMENT’ posts are quick, playful, and slightly addictive ways to jump-start your music-making brain.
Shitty Drafts Forever is an antidote to perfectionism, and over-thinking songs
It will help you
Get a song done, quickly
Get clear on obvious tweaks or improvements
Stop procrastinating because you don’t have good enough ideas
YOU WILL NEED
An unfinished song, a way to record, a way to listen
TRY IT
Finish your song and make a quick recording (30 mins max)
Do this as quickly as you can. It does not have to be good. Just give it the music and lyrics it doesn’t already have but needs. Time box this to 30 minutes if you find you can’t stop tinkering.
Listen intently to the song (15 mins)
Listen to your song recording as many times as you can. As you listen, pay attention for ideas that come fully formed, and make a list.
What new parts do you hear?
What changes do you want to make?
What needs to be removed and forgotten?Â
Take the list of changes and make only those (~)
Next, quickly record it. Now you either have a recording of your finished song or a recording with which you can repeat the shitty drafting process ... until you’re satisfied.Â