# What’s the worst track you have composed that you thought was great at the time?



## Mark Stothard (Aug 9, 2020)

Inspired by the ‘Share the best work/piece of music you have ever written’ thread. I thought it would be interesting to hear what tracks you composed at the time that you thought were awesome, but looking back now, they kinda suck.

The attached has to be mine. I submitted this around 5 years ago for a game and was really upset when I didn’t get chosen.

listening to it know makes me cringe. The mixing is awful, as is the structure, so guess those doing the choosing knew exactly what they were doing.

I not long purchased Action Strings at the time and thought I was great, so splashed it over everything.

Come on, cough up your duds.


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## ScarletJerry (Aug 9, 2020)

Hardly a dud - doesn't sound horrible. It could use some better balance and mixing, and a better sounding brass library, but it's not terrible.

Here is my worst - some of the instruments have timing issues, and I'm playing the string chords like an organ at time. Also the cello is too loud, and the whole piece needs to be remixed and balanced. I am still proud of the Kirk Hunter horns that pop in around 2:40. I thought they sounded awesome at the time, and still hold up today.



Scarlet Jerry


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## AR (Aug 9, 2020)

*

Today I would do it totally different*


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## Mark Stothard (Aug 9, 2020)

ScarletJerry said:


> Hardly a dud - doesn't sound horrible. It could use some better balance and mixing, and a better sounding brass library, but it's not terrible.
> 
> Here is my worst - some of the instruments have timing issues, and I'm playing the string chords like an organ at time. Also the cello is too loud, and the whole piece needs to be remixed and balanced. I am still proud of the Kirk Hunter horns that pop in around 2:40. I thought they sounded awesome at the time, and still hold up today.
> 
> ...




Hi ScarletJerry, Thanks for sharing. As it is, it is destined for the Duds hall of fame Along with my track, I guess due to what you have stated above, but also due to how disjointed some of the instruments are. However, the melody is top notch and instruments you have chosen for this are spot on. This seriously has a lot of potential. Have you ever thought of going back and finalising it by tweaking some of the stuff?


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## Mark Stothard (Aug 9, 2020)

AR said:


> *
> 
> Today I would do it totally different*




if this is the worst you have composed, then I would love to hear your best. What is wrong with this exactly?


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## ScarletJerry (Aug 9, 2020)

Mark Stothard said:


> Hi ScarletJerry, Thanks for sharing. As it is, it is destined for the Duds hall of fame Along with my track, I guess due to what you have stated above, but also due to how disjointed some of the instruments are. However, the melody is top notch and instruments you have chosen for this are spot on. This seriously has a lot of potential. Have you ever thought of going back and finalising it by tweaking some of the stuff?



Yes, I've definitely thought about revisiting this composition. I can easily fix the timing issues, and I have much better sounding instruments in my collection now. I would keep the Tina Guy cello as the lead solo, but I have to mix it better. It's fun to go back and revisit old compositions to see how to improve them.

Scarlet Jerry


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## asherpope (Aug 9, 2020)

Whatever I thought was good a fortnight ago


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## FinGael (Aug 9, 2020)

What are these tracks you people keep talking about? I thought this all was about collecting libraries. Go figure.


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## PerryD (Aug 9, 2020)

FinGael said:


> What are these tracks you people keep talking about? I thought this all was about collecting libraries. Go figure.


 Collecting isn't nearly as fulfilling since they stopped selling libraries in those colorful boxes. :/


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## FinGael (Aug 9, 2020)

PerryD said:


> Collecting isn't nearly as fulfilling since they stopped selling libraries in those colorful boxes. :/



True, true.


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## Tinesaeriel (Aug 9, 2020)

This is definitely the one. It's over 4 years old now. At the time, this was the most I could do in terms of writing and orchestration. I'm a huge fantasy fan, and I love fantasy film music, especially the works of James Newton Howard, and this was my first attempt at trying to emulate him. I don't know if I was super successful in that regard, and the mixing/mastering is terrible, but I do actually like the themes I was able to come up with for this piece. 

It's supposed to be the first in an album of 12 orchestral pieces dictating a fantasy story, sort of a story album? I dunno; I'll probably go back and re-do this this and the other 2 pieces I made for it and then try and finish it at a later date.


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## Mark Stothard (Aug 10, 2020)

Definitely has a James Newton Howard feel to it.

I enjoyed this actually, especially the part from 3:30. The section from 4:30 was even better.

Apart from a bit of muddyness from the 1min mark and maybe some separation needed, it Doesn’t sound like there is too much to do to get it finished. Would be great to hear the reworking of this.


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## AR (Aug 10, 2020)

Mark Stothard said:


> if this is the worst you have composed, then I would love to hear your best. What is wrong with this exactly?


maybe this one here...


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## ashh (Aug 10, 2020)

I think I would find this thread more compelling if each submission included the reasons for the change of heart.


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## AR (Aug 10, 2020)

Okay, so here's the story behind that Skybound track: This piece is v32 (out of 36 versions). The producer and director wanted me to write somthing in a epic style before hiring me. A Hollywood composer (who later then worked with Hans Zimmer in that same year) was in talks also to get the job. Lucky for me (back then), good for him (today). Well I wrote a piece, made 3 slighltly different versions of it and sent them over. They fell in love with it right away. I got the job. And then the problems started... got emails like this: "Could you use the "tick", but leave out the brass?"...."Could you write something for the brass with some different instruments?"....Ok, I did that. A few emails later...."Okay, we want that brass back, but don't change that tune with the new instruments."....so well, after maybe v22 or so, I didn't recognize my composition anymore. 
I remember Harry Gregson-Williams giving an interview about a director (which I consider one of the greatest of all time), where he mentioned going to the preview screening and hearing his music being (I think he used the word) "castrated" :// 
I kinda understand HGW. I think every film composer has a similiar story to tell. That's why this posted Skybound piece is one of my worst nightmares


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## Mark Stothard (Aug 10, 2020)

Certainly does sound like a nightmare. I guess that is part of the job, but I wouldn’t be able to handle it.


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## jbuhler (Aug 10, 2020)

PerryD said:


> Collecting isn't nearly as fulfilling since they stopped selling libraries in those colorful boxes. :/


There’s still a certain joy to be had in filling up SSDs with libraries and reorganizing them.


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## Keith Theodosiou (Aug 10, 2020)

When i wrote this, i thought i had writen something really great and dramatic. I even thought i was really cool syncing the tanks in the vid with the music.

Now i know better lol!!


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## ashh (Aug 10, 2020)

AR said:


> Okay, so here's the story behind that Skybound track...



I'm not sure that would appeal to me. I mean, sure, money but I'm guessing you didn't envisage making that kind of music when you began your career?

Do you have more say over the end result these days?


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## dariusofwest (Aug 10, 2020)

This track. Pretty much an extended tutti passage. I used to be so proud of it but I hate it now lol. Especially the sample work X_X-


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## Germain B (Aug 11, 2020)

I choose this one. It was an exercise for a cliché epic simple melody (first piece on Cubase, coming from Linux).
I had fun composing the building but I can hear the short climax anymore. And it's really poorly mixed (and I'm still really bad at mixing).


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## ashh (Aug 11, 2020)

Keith Theodosiou said:


> When i wrote this, i thought i had writen something really great and dramatic. I even thought i was really cool syncing the tanks in the vid with the music.
> 
> Now i know better lol!!



It's funny how our opinions change over the years. I am thinking a lot about magic (all lowercase) these days. Before anyone ticks the nutcase box next to my name on their forum spreadsheet (? ...! ...!?), let me explain.

Magic. It's just Faith. A belief system. It's what lives at the sharp edges of life, in the corners and wrinkles. It's what we iron out as we get older. It's what we stop believing in because it's not what adults do. What a shame.

Can you remember what the person who made this track felt and thought? I bet they had a ball making it.


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## ProfoundSilence (Aug 11, 2020)




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## Keith Theodosiou (Aug 11, 2020)

ashh said:


> Can you remember what the person who made this track felt and thought? I bet they had a ball making it.


The funny thing for me when i am composing something new is, it always seems to be great at the time and i always enjoy what i am writing (otherwise i would stop if i thought it wasn't good). Most of my music i do like even after a few years but some of them when i listen now, don't seem to do it for me anymore lol


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## Mark Stothard (Aug 11, 2020)

Keith Theodosiou said:


> When i wrote this, i thought i had writen something really great and dramatic. I even thought i was really cool syncing the tanks in the vid with the music.
> 
> Now i know better lol!!




thanks for sharing. I’m not going to lie, but I liked the syncing of the tanks shooting. Made me smile a little bit.


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## Mark Stothard (Aug 11, 2020)

dariusofwest said:


> This track. Pretty much an extended tutti passage. I used to be so proud of it but I hate it now lol. Especially the sample work X_X-




it’s strange isn’t it. I have quite a few too where I was really proud of tracks I composed at the time, only to now be really embarrassed by them (I still do this now). Why do you think this is? Is it because we get a little better with each track produced? Or that we learn to appreciate music and understand it better as time goes by?


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## GNP (Aug 11, 2020)

It's not so much the composition, as opposed to how I mixed it.

I often listen back on my older stuff and it's mostly the mixing that makes me wanna vomit several lifetimes.


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## Mark Stothard (Aug 11, 2020)

ashh said:


> It's funny how our opinions change over the years. I am thinking a lot about magic (all lowercase) these days. Before anyone ticks the nutcase box next to my name on their forum spreadsheet (? ...! ...!?), let me explain.
> 
> Magic. It's just Faith. A belief system. It's what lives at the sharp edges of life, in the corners and wrinkles. It's what we iron out as we get older. It's what we stop believing in because it's not what adults do. What a shame.
> 
> Can you remember what the person who made this track felt and thought? I bet they had a ball making it.



"Can you remember what the person who made this track felt and thought? I bet they had a ball making it."

Surely this has to be the main aim? With life throwing so many obstacles in your path, having fun always has to take priority where it can.

In my musical journey, there is no better feeling than when composing something that is giving you so much fun. I’ve only had this two times in my life and both tracks turned out terrible, but working on them gave me so much satisfaction. I couldn’t wait to boot up the DAW and get straight in day after day. Like a page turner if you will. 

A lot of the other times, it feels like a chore to me. I’m not sure why this is. It’s like I’ve got to compose, because that’s what I do, but I don’t necessarily want to.


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## ashh (Aug 11, 2020)

Mark Stothard said:


> "Can you remember what the person who made this track felt and thought? I bet they had a ball making it."
> 
> Surely this has to be the main aim? With life throwing so many obstacles in your path, having fun always has to take priority where it can.
> 
> ...



I love that feeling of looking forward to getting back to the music.


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## Rodney Money (Aug 11, 2020)

Definitely this one which is a brass choir version of the hymn Holy Holy Holy. When I 1st worked on it I went against my own judgement trying to please people here on V.I. because I thought they liked bright brass so dummy me mixed muted trumpets with open trumpets for more bite throughout, but then people commented how everything sounded good except for the trumpets. In anger or disgust I deleted the entire Cubase project just wanting to start over which I never did. Now that this piece has been played and commissioned by live ensembles I also hear the missing counter-melodies, organ, and piccolo trumpet part playing this high cool antiphonal part. Anyways, here’s this piece of crap:


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## SupremeFist (Aug 11, 2020)

I feel like this thread is a great opportunity for humblebrags.

*posts amazing piece*

"Oh yeah, that is such a turd, yawn, my new stuff is so much better"


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## Cheezus (Aug 11, 2020)

Can't believe I actually thought this piece of shit I wrote was good:


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## eph221 (Aug 11, 2020)

This is without a doubt my least favorite, and I just did


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