Does this communicate what I want it to?

When writing music we often get caught up in creating something that will be popular and that will sell and that people will want to listen to.

That can be useful if that’s the only goal you have, but if that’s not the only goal you have then you also want it to communicate something personal.

So you need to ask yourself “does this communicate what I want it to?” Even if it goes against convention or common practices. If that’s the idea you want to communicate then it needs to be written that way.

This isn’t to say that constantly going against the grain and against convention is always useful and good, but if it’s purposeful and the only thing that communicates the correct emotion or feeling is going against convention, then go against convention.

ISJ