Whether you're a performing musician or just a hobbyist playing at home, developing your own musical style is an important step toward becoming an independent and creative artist. That said, finding your own style, or "voice," as some people say, is difficult to do, especially if you have a great memory for other people's work. Check out the following tips that'll help you break free of existing trends and develop your own style of music.
Instructions
1. Listen to lots of music. Familiarizing yourself with existing musical styles is a good way to build a strong stylistic foundation for your own creations.
2. Pick a broad style that's particularly well-suited to your instrument. For example, if you're a saxophonist, choose a general jazz style that lets you take advantage of the instrument's broad range and fluid phrasing.
3. Improvise solos for your instrument. You don't need background music to write a good solo--just sit down, start playing and see what melodies come out.
4. Examine your improvisations for overtones of existing musical styles. Figure out what genres your music's closest to, then think about how you can expand upon their established norms and create an entirely new style.
5. Develop a theme or purpose for your music. Let your emotions and ideas guide your improvisations, until you've crafted an entirely new and original form of music.
