[Sing4me88]

Very interesting thread. I guess it'll depend on why you write too. If you write for your own pleasure/listening then I suppose in writing to your own tastes you won't/don't have to be objective - you'll simply have to like to a certain degree what you've written. At the other end of the spectrum if you are writing commercially to a brief then I think the task of self-assessing how good the song is  gets more difficult. But, and it's a significant but, at that stage you'll likely be working with/for someone who won't be too shy in telling you how good it is or isn't, how if does or doesn't match a brief and whether or not it makes the grade. There's £ involved so don't expect any kids gloves to be put on and told something is great and a future hit if it just isn't....

[Martinswede]

I depends to what end I want to review my music.
Can I determine if others will like my songs? No...
Can I determine if I can do a better job? Yes.

When I look back at what I've recorded earlier I see strong correlation between the life I lived and the music I recorded. It's bad, but when I think that THAT GUY could write those songs it lifts my spirits.

With more time and effort we can all do better.

[Max32]

My problem has always been ... say I make a cool synth part of a song that I'm really pleased with, and I'm thinking my song is pretty good so far.
Then when I listen to the song later, I think it sucks. I think this is probably because earlier I only paid attention to what I liked about the song, the synth track, and neglected how the instruments sounds together, as a whole. Sometimes I only pay attention to the parts I liked the most, and I don't listen to the song as a whole. This is an ego-thing.. I've heard a quote - in the context of writing - that when you start to love what you have made, you must throw it away and forget it, because that means you are not viewing things objectively any longer, and from then on everything you do will be shit.Can someone else relate?

[Skub]

I've heard a quote - in the context of writing - that when you start to love what you have made, you must throw it away and forget it, because that means you are not viewing things objectively any longer, and from then on everything you do will be shit.Can someone else relate?

That appears to be a cool soundbite Max,but it wouldn't work for me at all. If I didn't like the end result,I would throw it away. Maybe it's written from a commercial perspective,but I just do it because I like to. 

[Martinswede]

I think it's good to be subjective when you create. You can be objective the rest of the time.
The bad thing is nostalgia. Memories are always messed up.
If you find an honest way to express whats in your mind and skip the judging part you might find some happiness. Sometimes it's a study, sometimes it's a masterpiece.

[Krysoe]

Extremely interesting topic but in order not to overcomplicate it, it's a lot about me what mood and state of mind I was at that time when the melody or lyric came to me for the first time.
Quality does not lie in what others thought about the interpretation of this state more if you feel yourself are faithful to yourself and the feelings that inspired the composition.

When man first grabbed the drum - it was then to keep the beat or to express his feelings in the heart.

You will always be the strictest judge.

[S.T.C]

i've got a song that i've written and sung. I've been under the impression that it's quite good, until that is i got a quote off a guy on Fiverr to take it to the next level. Now i keep playing it to see if i'm just deluding myself that it's worth demoing.

At the moment, i still think it;s got something, but is it 'great' enough..i don't know!

I suppose what i'm saying is, if you wouldn't spend a bit of£ on it , it tells you something.

[PopTodd]

I suppose what i'm saying is, if you wouldn't spend a bit of£ on it , it tells you something.

It might only be telling you that you need a bit more cash in your pocket.

[Sing4me88]

I guess I'd tend to look at it from the opposite perspective; if the song was 'great', as opposed to just 'good', surely someone with a bit of commercial nous and contacts about them would jump on the chance to come in on a co-write basis and take it to the next level? If you are still undecided as to whether it's worth spending £ on and the guy off Fivvr is sticking the boot in price wise rather than suggesting a co-write maybe this particular song isn't the 'one' to take YOU to the next level - of course, I haven't heard it so I'm only surmising on the basis of what you've said. If that's the case then it might be better just treating it almost like a vanity project rather than as a commercial venture that has to be taken to the 'next level' at considerable cost, and if so it'd probably be best collabing with some of the talented peeps on hereon a co-write basis.