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Have you ever
asked yourself or been asked by other people questions like
these: "What does my music have that really makes it different
and unique from anyone else's?" or "What sets you apart
from every other musician out there trying to make a name
for themselves?" Well, if you are like me, then you have
not only had these questions come up, but put much time
and thought into them while trying to prove and understand
what really separates you from everyone else.
However, to truly understand what we wish to learn, we must
define its true meaning. In this case, Unique is the word
we shall try to understand. The dictionary defines 'unique'
as: "being the only one of its kind: without an equal or
equivalent; unparalleled."
This article will go into depth on how to answer and approach
these questions, as well as, how someone can help themselves
find their own uniqueness.
First of all, let it be known that I am not one of those
instructors who will downsize the importance of actual technical
practice and tell you that all someone ever needs to learn
is how to hold the guitar and have a good time. I am a strong
believer that the more you learn and know, the greater your
playing skills, composition abilities, and distinctiveness
are going to be.
1. "How do I know if I am Unique or have my own sound?"
A brilliant musician, and mentor, Tom Hess, once told me
that he first found out that he had his unique style when
his other guitarist turned to him one day at practice and
said, "Wow, you really have something special bro, no one
sounds like you."
Needless to say, when another musician notices that you
have your own sound, then that is a definite sign of uniqueness.
However, what about all the people who have never had anyone
tell them that their sound is different? To this question,
I say don't worry.
First off, every single decision you make, or lick you play
in life will write a completely unique chapter in the story
of your life. No one else can copy that word for word. The
hardships you had to go through or the decisions you have
made not only form you as a person, but as an expressive
musician and will further your creative abilities uniquely.
Next, if one truly worries about how unique or different
they sound from another musician, then their head is in
the wrong place! One must always remember that the true
meaning of music is for self-expression. Worrying about
somebody elses' playing will only hinder your own. I must
point out though, that there is a big difference between
wanting to learn and evolve as a musician and getting upset
at sounding like a certain musician and then changing for
that reason. Changing because some of your licks sound like
another person's is what will waste your time and only hinder
your growth. Tom Hess, never worried about sounding different
from everybody else, he just kept practicing, learning,
and playing what he liked until the one day he was told
that he had something special.
2. "What can I do to help develop my own sound?" Now that
you have learned to not worry if you currently sound cliche'
or not, I have some advice for you that I have learned and
use in my own musical experience.
First of all, it is perfectly fine to reach outside of what
you would normally play or hear in search of something new
and exciting. It is called musical exploration and I highly
recommend it to anyone who is looking to expand their musical
mind. Go through many different genres of music, ranging
from Hip Hop and Bluegrass to Classical and Metal, and listen
to them all closely. Some of these musical genres you may
be disgusted with and that is ok, because you have just
eliminated a genre that you do not wish to add to your own
personal style and have come that much closer to completing
your goal of self realization and self-expression.
However, there will also be genres or parts of genres, that
you wish to play and learn more about. Studying these elements
would be highly beneficial to the development of your unique
style. Remember, some of the greatest musicians have listened
to and been influenced by music that is much different than
their own compositions. Steve Vai was first influenced to
start playing music by the musical "West Side Story," and
anyone that listens to Vai's music knows that they both
sound completely different. I have found that improvisation
within rhythms, progressions, and keys that are not that
well known to you, can help develop that 'unique' sound
for you .
For example, if you are used to and comfortable improvising
in a 4/4 blues progression of : A7 - I7, E7 - V7, A7 - I7,
then try something completely different than that. Perhaps
try a 6/8 Classical progression of : A - I, Bm - ii, D -
IV6, E - V, G#dim - vii*6, A - I. (Suggesting you have the
technique and theory knowledge to play in this new progression.)
In conclusion, I want you all to remember two things from
this article, that will be highly beneficial throughout
your musical career. Don't worry about sounding different
from someone else, but if you are on the path of self- expression,
I advise you to open your mind and listen to music that
you would normally never think about.
About
the author
Kyle Hicks, stage name Kole, is a solo musician, guitarist/backup
vocalist for the band Enigma, Music Composition and
Theory student at Indiana University, and a guitar instructor.
He has been trained by some of the top professionals
in the music business; two of those instructors include
Tom Hess and Steve Fulnecky. He has already composed
and recorded his first demo cd consisting of 3 original
songs and plans to finish his first record in the near
future. |
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