subject: Finding Yourself As An Artist And Musician [print this page] We've all began out somewhere as musiciansWe've all began out somewhere as musicians. I began studying to play guitar by playing old Metallica music and songs. I had never taken a class in my whole life so I had no one really to instruct me. Now, six years later, the style of music I have played has become significantly different. This is because I let myself go.
Letting yourself go needs any type of detachment from what you are used to playing guitar. Now you may say to me, "Well you've only been playing guitar for about six years, what gives you the right to tell me how to discover my style?" You're right, I have no right. But I can tell you what my encounter was like and you can take from it what you want.
Like all of you I began by enjoying and playing my popular favorite songs. It's very challenging to crack out of the rhythm of composing bad scams of your preferred bands just because you really like them so much. This is not to say that you can't create and compose in their style, but composing a spin-off of "Master of Puppets" by Metallica and considering it your new style is extending it. This is because it's not your own style. Believe in me, I know.
Let me describe then what I mean by composing in their style. You can sound like them to some level, as most performers sound like other performers. Even the really excellent ones control their impacts from somewhere. Radio-head, for example, seems to demonstrate some impact from Pink Floyd, and artists like the Purple velvety band. The factor that distinguishes the actual performers from other performers is that they sound new and clean, and fresh.
The next phase is to pay attention to as many different kinds of music in the category you in which you concentrate. Even better, pay attention to music that's out of that category. You will see and listen to your music style change. The more you listen to, the more you are influenced. And just keep composing as much as you can. This is the only way you will get better.
Finally, it's a chance to let yourself go. Let yourself compose what you want to compose, not what your preferred and favorite band wants to to compose. All the impacts you have may blend into one, or you might discover yourself composing absolutely in a different way. There is no fast way, but gradually you will discover the direction and path.
