The "beat it or keep it" game

I want to share a game I like to play in my music production process I call "Beat It or Keep It."

This game helps me stay flexible and creative while still committing to progress.

The idea is simple: make something "good enough," then try to beat it with changes or different samples.

If I can't beat it, I keep it!

This approach keeps me moving forward while remaining open to new possibilities.

Let me show you how I use this game in three key categories:

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I start by writing until I’ve got a chord progression or melody that I like. I get it good enough that I’m pretty happy with it.
I then duplicate the MIDI, so I can always come back to it.
I then make changes one note at a time to see if I can “beat” my original idea. I try to reduce… and sometimes I go nuts!

Knowing I can just come back to my original concept lets me be free and explore ideas.

Then I just pick which I like better… if I can’t beat it… I keep it!

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I start by finding a sound that I like, that I feel is bringing good life. This could be for literally any sound, from a chord progression to a snare sample.
I duplicate the sound so I can always come back to it. ****
I go nuts, searching for new sounds, adding new layers, tweaking knobs…

If I can’t beat it… I keep it!

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I start by tweaking a plugin to where I’m reasonably happy with what it’s doing - let’s use EQ in this example.
I duplicate the EQ so I can always come back to it.
I go nuts with changes, exploring different frequencies, boosting more than I should, reducing more than I should, or making small refinements to see what happens…

If I can’t beat it… I keep it!

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This game is a fun way to keep moving forward while staying open to creativity and experimentation.

It allows you to commit to something while remaining flexible to improvements.

So next time you’re working on a track, give the “Beat It or Keep It” game a try and let me know if it helps you!