Overcome the mid-project slump

Ah the mid-project slump… the moment you realize you’re going in circles on the same loop for hours… feeling like you have something with potential, but not sure what to do to take it home.

We’ve all run into it - and it sucks!

I’ve had it happen a few times even during paid projects where I have to get it done… so today I’d like to share 5 tips that help me whenever I’m stuck here.

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Tip 1: Simplify The Project

The first step to getting back in control is taking stock of what you actually have, and seeing it clearly.

How many tracks do you even have? Group them effectively.

I recommend grouping according to function, NOT instrument.

For example, put all the CHORDS in a CHORD group. Put all the MELODIES into a MELODIES group. Etc.

This will help you see your parts more clearly and what they are intended to be doing.

I don’t care if it’s a string or a synth… I care about what it’s doing.

Which parts are the weakest, and can you mute them or improve them?

Tracks often get out of control when we have too much going on, without a strong singular focus.

So listen to each part one at a time and ask “is this good enough?”

We need to identify the MAIN THING and make sure everything is serving that. Then make each element that remains serve the greater organism.

Turn off plugins like reverbs and special effects.

Sometimes all it takes is an excessive reverb to ruin the entire track.

Turn off your plugins and come back to basics of each track.

This will help you hear things more clearly so you can eliminate, reorganize, and clearly see your parts again.

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Tip 2: Bring The Entire Composition Into a Single Stock Piano Sound

There is nothing like lots of MIDI on lots of tracks that can make you feel out of control. You can’t hope to get in control if you’ve lost touch with what you’ve even written and how it’s interacting with the other parts.

To get in control, copy the MIDi from every single instrument track and paste them into ONE MIDI on a stock piano sound.

You will now be able to see your entire composition in one place.

Now you’re back in control.

Identify unneeded notes and reduce or delete them… tweak notes that might be out of key or are just bringing a weird vibe… nudge everything into place…

Then bring the parts back into their respective tracks.

Yes, this can be annoying, but sometimes this is the best way to get back in control of a project.

It’s going right back to the “Sheet Music” - or the sketch - and making fixes from the most basic foundational level.

TIP: If you’re in Logic, you can also just highlight every individual MIDI track and move notes from this view. Super awesome!

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Tip 3: Listen Quietly Through Small, Crappy Speakers

I remember a project I was working on for a client where I felt hopelessly stuck. I was going in circles for hours on the chorus, and felt like nothing I was writing was working.

Then I remembered this trick, and played my track quietly through my Mac Studio native speakers.

And I finally heard the problem.

My core chord progression hook just wasn’t good enough.

So I scrapped it, muted everything but the drums, and rebuilt it while listening through these crappy speakers.

A short while later, I had a much better hook and rebuilt everything around it… and it ended up being the approved track.

The small crappy speakers saved the day.

But why?

Because it’s so easy to lose touch when we can hear every detail through good speakers and headphones. It quickly confuses us, making us think our problem is in a detail, rather than something more obvious that’s hiding in plain sight.

Bringing things into low detail has a way of highlighting the most essential, standout parts - and this lets you fix them.

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Tip 4: Use Reference Tracks

Here I am talking about reference tracks again. Surprise!

Once again, they are invaluable for helping you get back in control.

If you didn’t start from a reference, it can be tricky to bring one in mid-project - but it’s worth a shot.

Use it to identify what elements need to be improved…

Is it your arrangement?

Is your core theme not strong enough or overcomplicated?

Are your drum patterns missing energy?

You can also take a different approach, and listen less critically.

Put on a playlist of similar songs and just listen like a listener…

Often this is a way for inspiration to strike in expected ways and give you fresh ideas.

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Tip 5: Get Distance

Take a shower.

Play a game.

Go for a walk.

Take a drive.

Make dinner.

Just get the hell away from your track.

There’s something about distance that can bring the answers to you…

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Give These a Try Next Time You’re Stuck

The mid project slump sucks, but you can absolutely overcome it.

Give these tips a try - I know they have helped get me out of many jams!