8 Tips to Help You Find Your Musical Style

Everyone begins their musical career by taking music lessons. Each budding musician has a “favorite genre” of music that they adhere to at the beginning of their career. You’ve always had a general idea of the musical direction that you want to take, right?

As you develop as a musician you are exposed to different styles of music, which encourages you to experiment with different sounds, genres and instruments. All of these are beneficial, as they not only get you out your comfort zone, but also allow you to better know yourself and what musical identity you want to pursue in the future.

Since music is not governed by strict rules, it can be difficult to find your own unique sound, particularly in an age when millions of artists are competing to make their mark. Here are eight tips for finding and developing your own sound from music experts.

What is “Musical Style?”

Musical style is a concept that describes how people express themselves through music. The term can also refer to a musical genre. This is determined by the type of sound that a piece of art makes.

A musician can develop their own musical style using different techniques of melody, harmony and rhythm. You can choose from the hundreds of musical genres that already exist.

Indie, hip-hop and pop are all hybrids of music, as well as metal, country and jazz. Finding a genre that fits your personality and skills, as well as being unique, is the real challenge.

Listen to Different Music Genres

You must have been instructed by your City music teacher to listen to different genres of music during your City music lessons. You’re being told to listen to different music genres to learn about them.

You can learn everything you need to know about your genre of choice once you have become familiarized with it.

If you choose rock as your musical style, you will also need to explore the sub-genres that make up rock. Metal, alternative rock and hard rock are all examples.

Listen to Songs You Like and Dislike

Listen to songs and pieces that you love and learn why. Also, find out the musical style of the artist.

You should also listen to music that you dislike, and analyze it. You can ask yourself which part of the music you dislike. What about the composition? Is it the composition?

You will discover your unique musical taste and your signature sound. You can also apply to your music the positive and negative practices you learn.

Follow the Musician You Admire

You can follow artists that you admire and like. You don’t want to copy their style, but you can learn from it and perhaps emulate it.

You can learn the song compositions of Aretha’s songs, or watch YouTube performances of Dave Grohl. You can take note of their vocal style, the genre they perform in, and any subjective emotions that you feel while listening or watching their performance.

Let your musical influences and idols inspire you as you discover your own style. You can incorporate pieces of your favorite musician’s style into your chosen or own musical style, even if they are in a different genre.

Test and Error

You have to break some egg to make an omelet, as the saying goes. You have to perform or cover hundreds of songs before you find your own style. It’s okay to do that!

Early in your career, it’s perfectly normal to fail and then fail again. You will learn what styles suit you. Or, what your target audience likes and dislikes.

It’s not like you were born a musician or singer. You had to take music lessons and get the necessary training .

Be Consistent

Modern musicians are often recognized by the sound of their signature, which becomes their “branding“. This is because their music style is consistent, and allows their audience to remember it.

Take Taylor Swift for example. Taylor Swift’s music, particularly her older songs, has such a distinct style that you can tell if it is hers even if it is not your favorite.

Be careful not to confuse consistency with repetition.

Follow Your Purpose

Understanding your purpose puts everything in perspective, and helps you quickly discover your musical style. Your journey as an artist is crucial in defining your goal; your purpose, in turn determines your musical style.

If you want to make music that appeals to a modern audience, then focus on the current hottest style of music and take that into consideration. If you are currently working on music that you love, you should choose what you enjoy.

Consider your purpose and use it to help you find your musical style.

Be Patient

It takes time for your signature sound to emerge, as it is a combination of many factors: your personality and musical experience, along with micro-tweaks that are influenced by your individual music taste.

Your musical style will change as you develop and grow. Be patient, and realize that it will take a lot of time to find your own style.