How can you develop your own unique musical style?

As a music producer and sound designer, I think most important is to distinguish yourself as an artist sonically. Finding your own pallet of sounds that define your sound and stick to it. You mix those elements like paint within a framework that makes your works coherent sonically. Use a certain effect on your vocal (not auto-tune) that sets you apart. Bring certain elements into several songs as a point of recognition. If every song you create sounds totally different you will never develop your own sound. Best practice is to write it in a spreadsheet. Sounds you use, effects you use, settings etc. Also the mastering should be similar. Have fun and experiment!

A great way to start creating your own unique sound is by firstly listening to your favorite artists and taking the elements you like the most, analyzing them, understanding them and applying them in your own experiments and compositions. Once you get inspiration for your favorite flavors and parts from all of your favorite artists together, you create your own unique recipe or literally become a "filter" of the music or creative process "through" you and your entire life experience.

On the creative journey, take in as many techniques, influences and inspiration as you can find. Then hone your own voice, and allow your unique creativity to come forth, even if (and especially if) it pushes the boundaries creatively.

As a music educator, I include repertoire from all genres in my lesson plans, and these days one song can be heard in different styles… it makes for a pretty intelligent discussion of the music.

Developing Your Unique Musical Style: Explore different genres and styles Find your influences and analyze what makes their music unique Experiment with instruments and sounds Develop your ear and melodic sense Create a concept or theme for your music Write from the heart and be authentic Try unconventional harmonies and chord progressions Play with rhythm and meter Collaborate with others and record yourself Stay curious, open-minded, and patient By following these steps, you can develop a unique musical style that reflects your personality and creativity!

There are so many different things you can try in music, and each thing plays a part in how the music sounds stylistically. - Sound design (play around with synthesizer presets, then try making your own! Even record some sounds with a suitable microphone and apply various effects and manipulations to the audio) - Chord voicing (how you build chords drastically affects the resulting style of the music) - Rhythms and timings (Rhythmic style is a massive part of music's styles) - Melody making (Find out just how well you can capture whatever energy or emotion you want, with the power of melody) - Instrumentation (There's a lot you can do with any instrument or combination) Think outside the box too! There's more you can experiment with!

This is one of my absolute favourite things to do. Exploring different sounds, different instruments, different techniques and different approaches. The possibilities become endless and fascinating!

Experimenting with instruments, scales or modes is the most popular way to produce music these days. Gaining knowledge about synthesis to tweak and customize your instruments is a big plus. That would allow you to produce original sounds never heard before.

Usually, each genre has different techniques, and developing them on your chosen instrument takes time, effort, and practice. However, once it's learned the different styles provide hours of enjoyment.

This is very true as well. Naturally I have a really good ear for what sounds good. I recently picked up the guitar and I’m learning it on my own without instruction to start. I’m decent with the keys naturally. I’m in my experimental phase with instruments as a composer. Looking for some instruments that could include any wind type instruments, drums, more string instruments etc. Voice notes on the phone come in handy when I want to create sounds on the fly whereever I’m at. Whether if I’m in a Music Store, studio, in the inner city or shooting around in a basketball faculty. The world is ours and is our sound playground. The possibilities are endless.

Songwriting is a fantastic journey. Writing your own lyrics has so many benefits: from making sure what you expressed with sounds is matched with thoughts and concepts that are an actual fit, to having the chance to experiment with storytelling. Remember, lyrics are personal when they come from your core, and yet personal does not mean one has to share one's most intimate dreams, fears and whatnot in a song. The ability to write from different perspectives and to enter the dimension of the character of the story you want to tell is personal too. Just like we need to try different sounds, genres, and instruments, we also need to try different storytelling styles and ways to put lyrics into music.. It is a wonderful journey indeed.

Writing lyrics comes naturally to your music and it can have a huge impact on your track. Though it has to be meaningful, it will be deep if you write from your true life experiences. More importantly, lyrics should March the the mood of music.

Some people are born with genius like Prince, George Michael or SRV but most of us have to be inspired by others' music. Practice thousands of hours to master your voice or instrument and have to work very hard. This will form a strong basis when the time is right to find your own style and if you do ... you're lucky! Most of the musicians will not. Just keep working hard en enjoy making music!

Listen to your heart, don't try to copy others. - Write your own melody. - Compose it in your style. - Arrange music, the way you want it sound. -> Most importantly, Sing in your original style / texture. Don't try to become someone else, be yourself. -> Repeat this process, till you succeed.<- Hence, you can develop your own style.

Writing your own songs can only happen when you understand the techniques of the genres you're writing in. But all students of music should experiment with songwriting it builds experience in how music works.

Collaborating with other fellow artists is a wonderful way to expand our minds and see our musical expression enriched by different perspectives, and by different ways of approaching a composition. I personally love seeing what another musician brings out of a tune, and how a song can be completely transformed when different minds get together. Furthermore, I believe that collaborating internationally can really take a track to the next level, as we all have diverse music backgrounds, and are also influenced by our own different cultures as well as languages, particularly with songwriting.

Collaboration develops skill, working knowledge, and understanding… so go for it! If you have experience, share it. If you have skills, expand them. Never stop learning.

Never ever stop learning, never be afraid to collaborate with others, always dare to collaborate with others, always invite a new perspective, a fresh perspective.

It's so much easier to produce outstanding music when you find people to collaborate with. While releasing your music you must show your interest in collaborating with other fellow musicians, writers, composers for future projects with writers, composers etc. It adds a unique value to your music, especially if you collaborate with artists from other regions.

Now depending on which genre your are collaborating with you would need to be smart about it. If you’re are an artist that wants to do a collab with Hip Hop artists who rap about robbing and killing people you might want to take a smart approach into that collaboration. Hip hop is very broad tho. Hip Hop in general has a rugged and tough guy stigma that may draw certain attention to your brand that you might not be ready for. Just a heads up for other genres who look to approach certain artists.

Above all this enjoying it is the most important part of music. It is a serious skill to learn but an enjoyable one if you put in the time to practice. Music develops both sides of the brain in children and can repair brain injury in adults. It develops self-confident and creative individuals who can face and conquer challenges.

Having fun is very important. Especially if you look to create for the commercial space. This is the type of music that is played where people usually have a drink in their hand somewhere having a good time. There is music for every mood. Staying true to yourself and your sound is very important in this very copy cat driven world. Sometimes what’s hot might not work for you in the long run. It is okay to adapt to the times for sure tho. But make sure to do that in a way that still represents who YOU are!!

H.C. Andersen once said, "Where words fail, music speaks", and this sentiment resonates deeply. Your music is your unique mode of expression. When composing, allow your emotions to flow freely, and above all, relish the process. Don't be preoccupied with rules, logic, or the recognition of your music; those considerations can come later during the refinement phase. The initial step is all about you and embracing the joy of creation. Enjoy every moment!

To love what we do is crucial, especially when we talk about artistic expression. Music is art. When we love what we create, then we tap into an endless stream of possibilities and we can find ourselves in our own creations. Remember to be yourself and to keep in mind why you are making music in the first place. When you enjoy what you do, when you are passionate about your process and experience, then what you create will reach the heart of others, and with time your uniqueness will manifest itself.

Verdade. Como dizia Bruce Lee, a atividade mais importante do ser humano é se expressar. Isso é ser humano, ser gente. Os músicos são privilegiados porque tem uma ferramenta óbvia para isso.

Strive to be unique, relentlessly unique, one of a kind, consider that everything has been done and then start from nothing... and everytime you perform, let it be the first time, as if you've never played that instrument before, as if you've never been a musician before that day, before that performance.

My latest composition emerged from an improvisation. I allowed my emotions to flow freely while at the piano, capturing the moment through a recording. The initial phase was pure enjoyment, where I immersed myself without constraints or rules. Subsequently, the process shifted to refining and transcribing this creation. This phase is less enjoyable but enlightening, as it reveals instances where unconscious adherence to certain rules occurred during the improvisational play. The most rewarding choice in this creative process? Recording my improvisations; it's during these moments that I discover the most intriguing fragments, later evolving into complete tracks.

Gosto da ideia de que precisamos conhecer bem as regras do jogo para distorce-las, quebrá-las ou moldá-las como bem entendermos. Existem várias receitas prontas na música, como harmonia e condução de vozes, e estilos musicais diferentes são diferentes formas de lidar com essas receitas. Como em uma língua qualquer onde existe a gramática, depois os dialetos, gírias e, dentro disso, existe a sua forma de falar aquela língua. Conhecer bem teoria musical e dominar um ou dois estilos pode ser uma boa base para encontrar sua própria forma de fazer música.

Developing your own musical style takes a lot of listening! It comes from what kind of music you most enjoy listening to and/or what you grew up listening to. It’s also important to note that developing your own musical style takes time. Music styles can change as you grow as a musician and as you learn more techniques. To start developing your own style you should just create and keep creating! Also don’t worry about fitting in to certain styles of music because they are popular. The music you create is based on who you are and what you represent. Developing your own musical sound is very similar to developing your own artist identity.

Finding your very own style is a process. The more you write, compose and produce, the more you learn to find your unique voice and style. It could be the way you play the piano, the set of layering, your voice, the production style, the way a song sounds. It’s nothing that happens over night. So hand in there, be you, don’t copy someone else’s style. And most of all be patient and consistent. 🫶🏻