When to kill a song.

[fiveways]

So yeah, when do you give up working on a song that is going nowhere?

I've been working on this track for 3 days and nothing good is coming of it.

I am thinking of breaking out the vocoder and if that fails....well....What do you guys think? Back it up and delete it? Just say **** it and delete it totally?

[TheGrinnan]

Nah, I'd save it--you never know when you can do something with it.

[TheWizard]

I use a 24 hour rule. If it sucks so bad and/or you were so drunk that you cant remember it, it couldnt have been too great.

[guy malone]

keep working on it, and if nothing comes out take parts of it. one time back when i was real into steve vai and satch and stuff i was trying to write a song like that, but it went nowhere. i had this real good part tho. so months later i wrote a song then put that part in. it worked out real good.

[BossMXRHarmonix]

Add a huge blast of fretwank and see what happens. You might hate it, but wank-rock fans will go ape for sure.

[skyneverclaimed]

Take out the parts that aren't so good... the parts (if any) that are pretty good.. save, you'll be able to find somewhere to sue them at a later time

[Crash]

Don't delete it, look at Verse-Chorus-Verse, Cobain was writing that song for years, and never really finalized it. Parts of the original to that song ended up being 5 or 6 other songs. If it's not going anywhere now wait a while and come back to it when you're in a little different head space.

[Alecto]

Save it. Put it away and let it fester for a while. You may come back to it and decide it's not so bad, or you may cannibalize it for other songs. You never know.

[VillageIdiot]

Leave it for a day or two.


Then come back to it, and see if its still ass. :D

[fiveways]

Originally posted by Crash
Don't delete it, look at Verse-Chorus-Verse, Cobain was writing that song for years, and never really finalized it. Parts of the original to that song ended up being 5 or 6 other songs. If it's not going anywhere now wait a while and come back to it when you're in a little different head space.

You mean "Verse Chorus Verse" the song off bootlegs, Or "verse chorus verse" as in the renamed "Sappy" that was released uncredited on "No Alternative"?

Either way, Both are great, and I think completed by the end.(Verse Chorus Verse being dropped from the setlist, then having it's name lifted).

Sorry about the nirvana questions....that song always get me because I never know what people are talking about unless it is on Nirvana boards.

[fiveways]

Originally posted by BossMXRHarmonix
Add a huge blast of fretwank and see what happens. You might hate it, but wank-rock fans will go ape for sure.

I even tried that (as sad as it sounds)

[fiveways]

Well, I backed it up. I can go back to it someday....maybe.

I love the fact my recorder is a simple USB dump to computer.

[joeinthebox1980]

Originally posted by gururyan
Put it on the back burner. Don't delete it. You may end up taking bits and pieces...or even just one little part from it and using it to construct a new song.

i write a ton of songs... but only a few ever make it to rehearsals... and there are many times where bits and pieces of other songs come together to make a completed song!

so keep it! :)

[scratched_acid]

Yehi agree. Many songs I have written for my band have had good moments,, but havn't quite been good enough as a whole song. Then one day you can be playing another song and realise that a section from that song you didnt like that much would fit great. You gotta keep everything you write in your mind, you never know when you might need it.

BTW 3 days is definately not enough, i have worked on songs at band practise for at least a month period.