For me that "doesn't all your music sound the same" is the pain point that I had to get over. I know what I like - a lot of drones, some ostinatos, minor scales/chords, and if I could, more mid-eastern influence. But I always think "I might need to change this up." "I should be trying something else so it's not all just this." and so on. Sounding like someone else would be a compliment to me. I remember sharing a game track I was working on with a friend and she said it reminded her of a scene from FF7 - I was like what really?? So, sure, say I sound like Niyaz or such - I'd be ecstatic. I'd just feel like "it all shouldn't sound almost the same" but that answer "I write what I want" - weight lifted.
This has come to me at just the right time in my life, my need to be wholly unique has really restricted my compositional output and has made me doubt the master’s degree I’m currently pursuing. Thank you :)
When someone said for Serbian singer-songwriter Djordje Balasevic that all of his songs sound the same, he replied that all the Einstein formulas looks the same to him - not everything is for everyone.
“Find your voice” is the most useless, unproductive, obvious advice. There is only one way for everyone: write, write, write until you yourself are done with the cliches (which by the way, feel great composing, hence they survived) and you there’s nothing else left to do but try your own experiments, again for fun.
I disagree. Not that your wrong. I feel that if we think about "voice" as "character" it becomes more useful. And by character i mean a "stamping tool" or a "mark" or "sign". For example, I've grown to know when Lin Manuel Miranda wrote something. He has a particular stamping tool or mark. It's like an actor. 100 different actors can play the same character and that character is going to be entirely different every single time. That's because each actor has a different voice or personality. I think part of our journey in this world as composers, ultimately, is to express our personality through our music. I think telling someone to find their voice is entirely valid. Some rappers need to learn that
@@SheikhSoundz not sure if I understood you well, but I didn’t say that having your own voice/character is useless. I find the advice useless because there’s nothing you can do about it other than write whatever you want.
@@SheikhSoundzThe thing is, everyone already has a voice. Sometimes it doesn't come through due to a lack of technique or whatever, but it's an extremely rare case where you can look at an artist's early, derivative stuff and not see the same "voice" that's clear later on. So yeah, really it's about learning the technique of your chosen medium, and then an artist's voice will come out on its own.
I find creativity a misguided effort, authenticity is much more appealing. Sometimes that means outnof the box thinking, others it means attention to detail, still others it may mean abstraction. I would also add that while other people can do whatever you think "better" ultimately they are busy being themselves. The best you out there is you. That said this was a refreshing listen and healthy thing to hear as I try writing a piece I need to be able to perform this Saturday heh
Grear video! Another thing that further discredits this whole "find your own voice" notion is that inevitably, whether you like it or not, the music we listen to is going to be the core influence in our own pieces, and to come up with something entirely original is virtually impossible, especially with the amount of music put out there. Personally, I enjoy taking inspiration from other composers, and using that as a stepping stone for whatever I want to do subsequently.
I volunteered for religious charitable service and was unable to access my normal music for two years. The music that I listened to before was all old school stuff or art rock - The Cure, Tears for Fears, Rush, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd. When I got back, my dad and brothers introduced me to the then-new albums Pure Heroine by Lorde and 1984 by Taylor Swift. And I got hooked on “pop” music. Then in college I noticed that Mozart would have the left hand in a piano piece arpeggiate the chords and the right hand play single-note melodies. That’s very similar harmonically to the strum-guitar-and-sing style of music that I also very much enjoyed. After those experiences I realized that all music is just music, and the point is to find stuff that sounds cool and make stuff that sounds cool. Which is why nowadays I make ambient music and blues and orchestral and shoegaze….
just last week my teacher asked me to find my own voice, I was shocked and began to wonder... who really decides what my pieces should sound like and what my style is? The teacher or me? Thanks for your point of view Ryan. I needed to hear everything you said in this video. (Saludos desde México)
There's little invention in the world, most "new" stuff comes from recombination and refinement and "I don't think music has to be clever or impressive to be good, it has to be honest and confident" (Phil Conrad in a SammyGuitar vid)
This is great timing. I’ve been working on music and sending the tracks to friends. They like them! They say it sounds like something else, and it’s exciting to me that they can hear my influences. But then in the back of my mind I start to worry if my music is not original enough… I set out to write more of what I like to listen to and I think watching this right now just encourages me that that is ok. I like certain “flavors” of music, and that is what I create.
Ryan, hello from Kansas City, Missouri. Great Video. When ever the subject of Originality/Style comes up, I'm reminded of the advice from Jazz Trumpet, Flugelhorn player and Music Educator Clark Terry. He said that Originality can happen in time but, first you must Imitate. Then you must Emulate. Then, you can Innovate. In other words, sounding like your Influences for a period of time is part of the process. Your own Voice will/may come, but, ordinarily you can't force it. Thanks.
Gosh, what great advice, stuff I wish I'd heard as a college student. As someone in my mid-50s now, I'd add two things I've learned from experience. (1) Just keep composing. You get better at it. You get better at deciding "what works" and what doesn't. You learn what music you've composed that you want to discard, or keep, or edit into shape. Being a creator is making choices, making decisions about the final outcome, and every one of these little details is another step toward "your voice." Even if you compose something today and tomorrow look back on it with some concern, it was a positive step forward in developing your voice. (2) Listen to a lot of music that is new to you, even music you don't necessarily like - or think you won't like. When you hear something new and decide it is good (or not), you are developing your taste in music. You are enriching your vocabulary. Deciding you like something (or not) is you in the act of learning what you value in composition. This is your aesthetic being defined and sharpened, and your aesthetic helps define your voice. EDIT: How appropriate your video showed a child sitting down and coloring on a sidewalk. This is a great metaphor for "finding your voice." When you see a youngster and say, "Here a pad of paper and a bunch of crayons, go make me a picture!" you never hear a child say, "But I don't have a style yet!" No, the kid just goes about coloring a picture, having fun, enjoying the creative moment. Would that we could all compose with that same abandon!
Really great take on this common question and concern. Writing what you want to write isn't as easy as it seems, because it demands a certain courage in your choices and that you craft and fine tune your intention with more and more skill. Sort of like specialize in yourself. You gotta let the ego lose, which can be scary for yourself, and also isn't welcomed much in modern culture.
Whenever I find myself recognizing my own style I usually try to get away with this because I don't feel like it's a manifestation of myself as an artist, rather than a limitation of my knowledge, vocabulary, and getting too comfortably repeating the same patterns that I just happened to fall into.
At one point I thought actually writing a magical fantasy cue was a mountain I could never climb, never mind sounding like 'Harry Potter'. But I kept trying and learning and trying some more and now I know what it takes and how to make it sound that way. Developing a voice means working, every day, until taking elements from others styles develops into something that belongs to you. I don't have a unique voice, yet. I'm still learning, but it gets easier with each passing finished piece. Just write.
Dude this was so good. You have no idea how much I needed it. I must admit your channel is way above my head, I never had any music lessons, but still I learn a lot when I watch your videos. I just love music it makes my life better so I make music. Thank you for everything.
I've always wondered how to achieve your own sonic identity. Whether it's sticking to your favorite mode, arrangement, a melody lick, an orchestration technique. The nuances that have it so a listener without knowing who composed that piece can go "ah that's definitely John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman, Hiroyuki Sawano, Kevin Penkin" etc. They all have their own unique style and bring a completely different feel whether it's on the same table.
I was told today that my music sounds like Vaughan Williams. I’ve only ever played 2 Vaughan Williams pieces and never really listened to many of his works so I took it as a complement.
I’ve come to understand that teachers are people, and as such have all the same human limitations as myself. As such, I’ve come to feel that they are there to spew forth ideas, and it is up to students to figure out which of their ideas are useful and which aren’t… and steal the good ideas and throw the rest in the trash. And we all need to remember, just because we are paying someone to teach us, it doesn’t mean they have a magical grip on the truth… they are humans on a journey, just as we are, and they are in search of the truth just as much as their students.
It's funny you mentioned Philip Glass, because back in my earlier college years, someone said that my music reminded me of Philip Glass'. I think at this point, however, people might say something else about my music. I think this is a great video, because to hear someone say something like, "Find your voice," really does seem like it'd be something stressful to worry about. I also like your approach on certain chords being heard often, or being cliché. While I do not care about cliché chord progressions, there isn't any reason not to use them if your composition calls for it. I saw someone mention how cliché a I-V-vi-IV chord is earlier about a certain song someone made. I thought about what you said in recent months about popular music of the past using the same chord progression and how today they're viewed as great.
I think that “find your voice” means, find the path that drives you emotionally long term. It doesnt really matter what is the most popular or trandy. Some composers come up with new expression, some use the same words but give it a different meaning, whatever the case is, it should come from the heart and be honest - thats your voice.
I my opinion as a self thought, 4 year-long hobby composer, you can only get better when you do the same thing over and over again. Then when you master one sound perfectly, you can try new things. YOUR personal sound will come, from the same decisions you make, its your form of art. Do not try to copy other composers, instead learn from them and be inspired. HZ said that he worked on his synths forever, until he found the sounds that he liked most. Invest the time, in things that you like and you will find your voice.
Man, I just found your channel last night and you’ve been such a help. I’m preparing to graduate with a degree in Music Production. This topic is so real
I've been under the impression lately that "finding your voice" is the worst thing about modern art in general. Rather it's your voice in music, painting, sculpting, script writing, or movie directing. Sure, Picasso was known for his weird art, but art was much more beautiful in the time before him. The Star Wars sequels would have been better without J.J. Abrams trying to showhorn mystery boxes and Ryan Johnson trying to make a controversial movie. It is better to create good art than to create art that has your "voice" in it. This is not to say you cannot have a distinct style, -you most certainly will, but that style will play itself naturally to you rather you focus on it or not. Worry about creating good art, and your style will shine through organically. Try forcing "your voice" and you will ruin the art entirely. Do I have a voice? Yes, I have a very distinct voice. How I mix different instruments can be pretty unique, and I also have one special chord that I enjoy using in my music. But if there is no place in a song for those signature instruments I enjoy using, or my special chord is intrusive in a song, then I will leave those things out. If I'm working on a song that calls for a different style, I will adapt to that style rather than force my elaborately created style into it. I've tried "forcing my voice" in my work before, and it didn't go well. I've let music come organically, and it caused me to discover new things to add to my toolkit which further extends "my voice". Serve the music first. If it works to include "your voice", then do it. If it doesn't add anything meaningful to the music, then hang your pride.
Everytim when I hear: "everyone wants the "Hans Zimmer Sound", I think of the following: I don't know where I heard it but I remember that Hans Zimmer said in an interview "I don't want to be recognized".
I had a similar thing happen to me when I was scoring a TV show. They asked what genres I wrote, and I said 'all of them.' LOL. Next thing I know, I had an episode that was a western, the next a comedy, and then a sci-fi, then a fantasy, etc. Oh boy, I was humbled quickly, but in glad I had RUclips to find examples. I'm kinda glad I did that because I learned a lot, and now I'm a better composer.
John Powell once said: "Your style is everything you ever listened to." I think your voice will develop automatically over time and you should not intentionally try to find your style. Instead copy what you like and experiment until you think it sounds good.
Great talk...for anyone who doesn't know Glass, he is fantastic, check him out through his 2nd, 3rd, and 8th symphonies...his 4th and 5th string quartets, his Glassworks album, and of course, Einstein on the Beach if you've got the time and the guts!!!...plus Music in 12 Parts is great too.
Thank you for this. I've been working on personal project and have everything from a string quartet piece to hard rock and was worried the variety would put people off. Your story reminded me that may be a good thing.
Usually describing someone's music as "sounding the same" is admitting that you don't understand their music. By that same metric, most "great" composers have music that sounds samey - that's why you can hear a piece and say "that sounds like Shostakovich" or "that's a John Williams score", because everyone has their cliche. And often when they write something different, it's not as popular or well received (see Shostakovich's chamber music, or anything John Williams in the past 20 years).
Stumbled across this video at the beginning of my singing hobby wow thank you so much … I’m always freely expressing myself with no cares but now I’m more prepared
I saw this video called something like"10 Hollywood chord progressions that evoke specific emotions" but it could've been called "My composing voice is somewhat Hogwarts-ish, at the moment". If you're being genuine, then you can't help but make music in your own voice. You can pick up different accents along your journey, which is merely one of the many reasons your voice is never exactly the same as it was last time.
Does anyone have advice on how to respond to criticism from others on the style of their compositions? Lots of my fellow student composers say my work is too “boring” or “basic” and someone even told me I was lazy. I do lean towards a minimalistic style in my composing, but I work really hard too, and I don’t appreciate it when others say harsh things about my personal style. I dont mind when i get constructive feedback about thinvs like structure or form, but i dont know how to respond to these more personal comments
I'll say compose what comes, what inspires you to be better or inspires you positively. If you are critic in a way that may not be positive, try to listen and see how your music feels when you listen to it. If it inspires you to be happy or if it makes you have a positive effect (good thoughts or just encouraging or motivating in a good way) i think that's good! Check also if it sounds the same or if you use a particular progression often. Different ideas have different feels, emotions, and thus, have different manners the chord progressions involved. Music tells a story and each story is not the same as the other if it is original or genuinely well composed. And i'll say to be open minded to learning. Ask maybe why they say it sounds in the way they describe and if it is true, from the critique, learn what yoi can do to improve on it. Practise more composing everyday and Keep growing positively! Keep up tue great work!
I remember getting a comment on a choral piece I had written: "you should never use a 7th chord unless you really mean it," or something similar. I thought to myself, well, I put it there, so I must have meant it. I left it in, and I still like that passage.
Some could have (and for all we know, did,) say the same thing to Vivaldi about his work. But we are still listening to him; he is considered one of the greatest of all time, a composers' composer.
I think indeed the question "doesn't all your music sound the same?" is stupid, because when that happens it's exactly when you have a style. Yes, Vivaldi sounds... like himself, but the point is that nobody else sounds like him, and he was unbelievably original at the time. When ones sounds exactly like e.g. Zimmer, then one has to worry, because Zimmer already abused of his now clichés and moreover there is not much space for originality with that style.
Any composer who has written over 75 compositions by himself will have by then ‘found his own voice’ whether he likes it or not - even if he tries consciously to imitate establish’d composers, his own voice will come forth ipso facto - e.g. by the specific melodic-harmonic-rhythmic etc. elements of the composer that he likes & consciously imitates, the very process of ‘selection’ is a ‘personal choice’ and will over time mutate into his own stile-even Beethoven imitated his teachers (1790-1797) especially Joseph Haydn before he began to find his own ‘voice’ around 1800-but by then he realis’d he was slowly but surely going deaf… o weh As for ‘imitating Mozart’ good luck with that-even experts in the field consciously trying to create ‘synthetic Mozart’ by coming up with a ‘passable Mozartean 8-bar opening motif’ end up coming a-cropper when trying to develop the theme in Mozart’s own inimitable way & invariably end-up sounding more like Franz Xaver Suessmayr-superficially tolerable-Mozart on the surface to common listeners in the audience but upon closer inspection, produce music that is quite ‘outside of the perfection & elan’ of the great man himself …
I agree. The point is that one cannot imitate intelligence and skill, unless one has them. You wouldn't get up and say: today I will imitate Einstein's greatest work, right? How could you? 😂 Mozart was very clever in his development of themes, so the only chance to imitate him is that you have that same mastery. But if you do, you probably won't even try to write a new masterpiece that Mozart could have written, and you'd focus on your own music 😁
“If you worry too much about turning someone off, you’ll never turn anyone on.” I wish I could find out who said this, but it was an epiphany for me. Do what excites you and your voice will emerge.
I'm perhaps on the opposite end of the spectrum, where I don't have any specific artist or song I'd like to imitate. So I'm always struggling with vocabulary to begin with. If I want to do more than just write somewhat-musically-informed noodling, I have to strap myself to a chair and draw the line: okay, you WILL write a menuet observing counterpoint now. No! Drop that jazz chord. That's for later. Now you're trying to learn some patterns! Cool modulation! Too bad that's not typical, we're trying to be vanilla here. I strive for a happy medium. Being able to fit into boxes, for order, but also to get out of them whenever the task calls for it.
Nah, I mostly hear "you should modulate more, maybe make your chord sequences more varied, make your melodies better" :P ... But I'll get to that particular advice eventually, you'll see :) Thanks for your videos. Love your style.
As an aspiring tv film jingle game composer you may not wish to find YOUR own voice but mimic everyone else's. there is a young well to do composer in singapore where i live who does just that and wins international awards and makes good income unlike me who makes ZERO for over 40 years. I have my own voice. I am the Van Gogh of music. F anyone who says otherwise. Commodified music wins out over integrity every time in the Kali Yuga.
I mean, I agree and disagree. I believe that a composer should find ways to make original content that is indicative of their work that people can point out and say “that’s his sound”. I am grateful I was able to found out what my sound is and I am always looking for ways to improve it.
I did find my voice after realizing that "drop the needle" tests in college were about every great composer always sounding like themselves... all there music sounds the same if you learn to listen.
I thought about this. A guy made a comment that I sounded like JW, and he was trying to hint that I needed to "find my voice." Now that I think about, "find your voice," is probably the critics equivalent of "find your own voice," or better said, "find your own critique." LOL.
Great video! 👏 What are your thoughts on the idea that your musical influences end up being your voice? I am still developing my voice because I am an amateur but I noticed it recently. I've recently had a revelation about the character of my music by listening to Nobuo Uematsu interviews, music analysis, and, his music. He was influenced by Classical and Progressive rock. I realized that he decided to blend his influences (which is how we get such amazing songs like One Winged Angel). That's when I noticed I was doing something similar: I was blending my influences together to make a different kind of sound. My influences are Rap, classical, and of course Nobuo Uematsu himself. My end goal is to capture the essence of Uematsu but with a hip hop influence.
I agree with all of that, but I would like to add a more controversial point on top of it: Too many focus on either sounding unique, or (on the opposite end) sounding like something in particular, instead of sounding GOOD, and that should be step 1. People generally don't care about how original your ideas are; they are about whether or not the music sounds great. The better you are at the thing you do, the more that people will notice. There are a lot of aspiring composers today who are frustrated that the "mix" doesn't sound the way they want no matter what they do with all sorts of plugins and faders, but ignore that the arrangement and voicings are poor and muddy. There are lots of people who get so fixated on "sounding like" John Williams before they even know how to compose a well-structured, coherent melody of any kind. Most of our heroes never really focused on much more than improving their craft, and trying to compose a better piece than the one they did yesterday.
What I want to know is how in the world you can stand having one monitor above the other. I tried it once and didn't even last a few hours before ripping it down and reinstalling my side by side setup
@@RyanLeach Hmm maybe I'll have to try again, maybe I didn't have the lower monitor low enough. My side by side setup is REALLY getting in the way of my speakers. Thanks for the tip!
Dziękuję Ryan. Jest wile muzyki, którą odczuwam jako piękną - w różnych stylach, w różnych brzmieniach. Chciałabym komponować takie rzeczy, które odczuwam jako piękne. Próbuję naśladować te style albo brzmienia. Często nie potrafię. Czasem mi się udaje. Czy z tego wynika, że nie mam swojego głosu stylu? Ostatnio stwierdziłam, że nie wszystko co uważam za piękne jest moim głosem. A także że, nie wszystko co mi się udaje powinno być moim głosem. Więc szukam i uczę się. Czasem słucham muzyki, którą odczuwam jako piękną, ale jest mi obca. Odkryłam wtedy, że chcę tworzyć nie tylko to co odczuwam jako piękne ale powinno być także dla mnie "nie obce". Najpiękniejsze jest dla mnie to co udaje mi się stworzyć i jest (dla mnie) nie tylko piękne, ale także odczuwane jako płynące z moich emocji - moje. To niestety nie zawsze przekłada się na akceptację zleceniodawcy. Ale przecież nie tylko dla pieniędzy siedzę przy klawiszach.
Hey, man! I have the exact same type of dark circles around my eyes as you! Do you happen to know what causes them? (Although, I dont wanna get rid of them- Thats not why Im asking this! I think they suit my face, and yours as well!- But I *do* have absolutely *no* idea why theyre there.) Ive been tested for allergies, had bloodwork done (for unrelated reasons, but it turned up perfect), and still have no answers. Just curious where they might come from. Genetics? Hyperpigmentation? Do you know? Thanks for your time!
Everyone picks up their vocabulary from other people. Nobody grows up speaking their own language or even their own accent and music is similar. Not a bad thing to be influenced by others.
@@musiclore Yeah, exactly that’s kind of what I was getting at. If you lift certain tricks or patterns or general vibes from other people, but you write your own tune or assemble those elements in a new way, that’s still your own voice, because your influences never wrote anything exactly the way you did.
Seems like your instructors might have been a little off in this area for sure. What if someone wants John Williams or Hans Zimmer but can't afford them? Seems like they might look for someone who could write music that sounds like them 🙂 As a hobbyist...if I ever get the time to actually learn enough to write something I will thanks my lucky stars if it sounds anything at all like John Williams.
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For me that "doesn't all your music sound the same" is the pain point that I had to get over.
I know what I like - a lot of drones, some ostinatos, minor scales/chords, and if I could, more mid-eastern influence. But I always think "I might need to change this up." "I should be trying something else so it's not all just this." and so on.
Sounding like someone else would be a compliment to me. I remember sharing a game track I was working on with a friend and she said it reminded her of a scene from FF7 - I was like what really?? So, sure, say I sound like Niyaz or such - I'd be ecstatic.
I'd just feel like "it all shouldn't sound almost the same" but that answer "I write what I want" - weight lifted.
This has come to me at just the right time in my life, my need to be wholly unique has really restricted my compositional output and has made me doubt the master’s degree I’m currently pursuing. Thank you :)
When someone said for Serbian singer-songwriter Djordje Balasevic that all of his songs sound the same, he replied that all the Einstein formulas looks the same to him - not everything is for everyone.
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“Find your voice” is the most useless, unproductive, obvious advice. There is only one way for everyone: write, write, write until you yourself are done with the cliches (which by the way, feel great composing, hence they survived) and you there’s nothing else left to do but try your own experiments, again for fun.
seems about right
I disagree. Not that your wrong. I feel that if we think about "voice" as "character" it becomes more useful. And by character i mean a "stamping tool" or a "mark" or "sign".
For example, I've grown to know when Lin Manuel Miranda wrote something. He has a particular stamping tool or mark.
It's like an actor. 100 different actors can play the same character and that character is going to be entirely different every single time. That's because each actor has a different voice or personality. I think part of our journey in this world as composers, ultimately, is to express our personality through our music.
I think telling someone to find their voice is entirely valid.
Some rappers need to learn that
@@SheikhSoundz not sure if I understood you well, but I didn’t say that having your own voice/character is useless. I find the advice useless because there’s nothing you can do about it other than write whatever you want.
@@SheikhSoundzThe thing is, everyone already has a voice. Sometimes it doesn't come through due to a lack of technique or whatever, but it's an extremely rare case where you can look at an artist's early, derivative stuff and not see the same "voice" that's clear later on.
So yeah, really it's about learning the technique of your chosen medium, and then an artist's voice will come out on its own.
Can I quote this phrase?
I find creativity a misguided effort, authenticity is much more appealing. Sometimes that means outnof the box thinking, others it means attention to detail, still others it may mean abstraction. I would also add that while other people can do whatever you think "better" ultimately they are busy being themselves. The best you out there is you.
That said this was a refreshing listen and healthy thing to hear as I try writing a piece I need to be able to perform this Saturday heh
Grear video! Another thing that further discredits this whole "find your own voice" notion is that inevitably, whether you like it or not, the music we listen to is going to be the core influence in our own pieces, and to come up with something entirely original is virtually impossible, especially with the amount of music put out there. Personally, I enjoy taking inspiration from other composers, and using that as a stepping stone for whatever I want to do subsequently.
I volunteered for religious charitable service and was unable to access my normal music for two years. The music that I listened to before was all old school stuff or art rock - The Cure, Tears for Fears, Rush, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd.
When I got back, my dad and brothers introduced me to the then-new albums Pure Heroine by Lorde and 1984 by Taylor Swift. And I got hooked on “pop” music.
Then in college I noticed that Mozart would have the left hand in a piano piece arpeggiate the chords and the right hand play single-note melodies. That’s very similar harmonically to the strum-guitar-and-sing style of music that I also very much enjoyed.
After those experiences I realized that all music is just music, and the point is to find stuff that sounds cool and make stuff that sounds cool.
Which is why nowadays I make ambient music and blues and orchestral and shoegaze….
Great, useful food for thought. Following your musical intuition is your voice I think. And thereby having the guts to follow your intuition.
just last week my teacher asked me to find my own voice, I was shocked and began to wonder... who really decides what my pieces should sound like and what my style is? The teacher or me? Thanks for your point of view Ryan. I needed to hear everything you said in this video. (Saludos desde México)
The analogy to the child learning words is excellent.
There's little invention in the world, most "new" stuff comes from recombination and refinement
and
"I don't think music has to be clever or impressive to be good, it has to be honest and confident" (Phil Conrad in a SammyGuitar vid)
This is great timing. I’ve been working on music and sending the tracks to friends. They like them! They say it sounds like something else, and it’s exciting to me that they can hear my influences.
But then in the back of my mind I start to worry if my music is not original enough…
I set out to write more of what I like to listen to and I think watching this right now just encourages me that that is ok. I like certain “flavors” of music, and that is what I create.
Ryan, hello from Kansas City, Missouri. Great Video. When ever the subject of Originality/Style comes up, I'm reminded of the advice from Jazz Trumpet, Flugelhorn player and Music Educator Clark Terry. He said that Originality can happen in time but, first you must Imitate. Then you must Emulate. Then, you can Innovate. In other words, sounding like your Influences for a period of time is part of the process. Your own Voice will/may come, but, ordinarily you can't force it. Thanks.
Gosh, what great advice, stuff I wish I'd heard as a college student. As someone in my mid-50s now, I'd add two things I've learned from experience. (1) Just keep composing. You get better at it. You get better at deciding "what works" and what doesn't. You learn what music you've composed that you want to discard, or keep, or edit into shape. Being a creator is making choices, making decisions about the final outcome, and every one of these little details is another step toward "your voice." Even if you compose something today and tomorrow look back on it with some concern, it was a positive step forward in developing your voice. (2) Listen to a lot of music that is new to you, even music you don't necessarily like - or think you won't like. When you hear something new and decide it is good (or not), you are developing your taste in music. You are enriching your vocabulary. Deciding you like something (or not) is you in the act of learning what you value in composition. This is your aesthetic being defined and sharpened, and your aesthetic helps define your voice.
EDIT: How appropriate your video showed a child sitting down and coloring on a sidewalk. This is a great metaphor for "finding your voice." When you see a youngster and say, "Here a pad of paper and a bunch of crayons, go make me a picture!" you never hear a child say, "But I don't have a style yet!" No, the kid just goes about coloring a picture, having fun, enjoying the creative moment. Would that we could all compose with that same abandon!
Great talk! I never know what to say when people ask me "what kind of music I write". I think I'll just answer "whatever I want" from now on.
that sus4-chord is awesome though
Really great take on this common question and concern. Writing what you want to write isn't as easy as it seems, because it demands a certain courage in your choices and that you craft and fine tune your intention with more and more skill. Sort of like specialize in yourself. You gotta let the ego lose, which can be scary for yourself, and also isn't welcomed much in modern culture.
Whenever I find myself recognizing my own style I usually try to get away with this because I don't feel like it's a manifestation of myself as an artist, rather than a limitation of my knowledge, vocabulary, and getting too comfortably repeating the same patterns that I just happened to fall into.
Great advice!! Music composition is a self awareness journey. Others may have also visited the same places but is your unique experience
At one point I thought actually writing a magical fantasy cue was a mountain I could never climb, never mind sounding like 'Harry Potter'. But I kept trying and learning and trying some more and now I know what it takes and how to make it sound that way. Developing a voice means working, every day, until taking elements from others styles develops into something that belongs to you. I don't have a unique voice, yet. I'm still learning, but it gets easier with each passing finished piece. Just write.
Dude this was so good. You have no idea how much I needed it. I must admit your channel is way above my head, I never had any music lessons, but still I learn a lot when I watch your videos. I just love music it makes my life better so I make music. Thank you for everything.
When I get "that sounds like Bach" or "that sounds like Stravinksy" for my tunes - I respond - "oh cool"
I've always wondered how to achieve your own sonic identity. Whether it's sticking to your favorite mode, arrangement, a melody lick, an orchestration technique. The nuances that have it so a listener without knowing who composed that piece can go "ah that's definitely John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman, Hiroyuki Sawano, Kevin Penkin" etc. They all have their own unique style and bring a completely different feel whether it's on the same table.
I was told today that my music sounds like Vaughan Williams. I’ve only ever played 2 Vaughan Williams pieces and never really listened to many of his works so I took it as a complement.
I’ve come to understand that teachers are people, and as such have all the same human limitations as myself. As such, I’ve come to feel that they are there to spew forth ideas, and it is up to students to figure out which of their ideas are useful and which aren’t… and steal the good ideas and throw the rest in the trash. And we all need to remember, just because we are paying someone to teach us, it doesn’t mean they have a magical grip on the truth… they are humans on a journey, just as we are, and they are in search of the truth just as much as their students.
It's funny you mentioned Philip Glass, because back in my earlier college years, someone said that my music reminded me of Philip Glass'. I think at this point, however, people might say something else about my music. I think this is a great video, because to hear someone say something like, "Find your voice," really does seem like it'd be something stressful to worry about. I also like your approach on certain chords being heard often, or being cliché. While I do not care about cliché chord progressions, there isn't any reason not to use them if your composition calls for it. I saw someone mention how cliché a I-V-vi-IV chord is earlier about a certain song someone made. I thought about what you said in recent months about popular music of the past using the same chord progression and how today they're viewed as great.
Thank you for this, Ryan! This needs to be lesson 1 in every beginning composing course!
I think that “find your voice” means, find the path that drives you emotionally long term. It doesnt really matter what is the most popular or trandy. Some composers come up with new expression, some use the same words but give it a different meaning, whatever the case is, it should come from the heart and be honest - thats your voice.
I my opinion as a self thought, 4 year-long hobby composer, you can only get better when you do the same thing over and over again. Then when you master one sound perfectly, you can try new things. YOUR personal sound will come, from the same decisions you make, its your form of art. Do not try to copy other composers, instead learn from them and be inspired. HZ said that he worked on his synths forever, until he found the sounds that he liked most. Invest the time, in things that you like and you will find your voice.
Thanks. This is what I need to hear right now.
Thanks for this, Ryan. This message is something that all creators should hear and take in.
What you had said made alot of sense to me thanks
Thanks for this encouraging advice!
So good. What a mature answer man. I love it.
Man, I just found your channel last night and you’ve been such a help. I’m preparing to graduate with a degree in Music Production. This topic is so real
So refreshing to hear this.
I've been under the impression lately that "finding your voice" is the worst thing about modern art in general. Rather it's your voice in music, painting, sculpting, script writing, or movie directing. Sure, Picasso was known for his weird art, but art was much more beautiful in the time before him. The Star Wars sequels would have been better without J.J. Abrams trying to showhorn mystery boxes and Ryan Johnson trying to make a controversial movie. It is better to create good art than to create art that has your "voice" in it.
This is not to say you cannot have a distinct style, -you most certainly will, but that style will play itself naturally to you rather you focus on it or not. Worry about creating good art, and your style will shine through organically. Try forcing "your voice" and you will ruin the art entirely.
Do I have a voice? Yes, I have a very distinct voice. How I mix different instruments can be pretty unique, and I also have one special chord that I enjoy using in my music. But if there is no place in a song for those signature instruments I enjoy using, or my special chord is intrusive in a song, then I will leave those things out. If I'm working on a song that calls for a different style, I will adapt to that style rather than force my elaborately created style into it. I've tried "forcing my voice" in my work before, and it didn't go well. I've let music come organically, and it caused me to discover new things to add to my toolkit which further extends "my voice".
Serve the music first. If it works to include "your voice", then do it. If it doesn't add anything meaningful to the music, then hang your pride.
I have been writing in baroque and classical music for a while now and I’m wondering if people enjoy that stuff or if I need to be original.
Awesome. This is just what I needed right now. Thank you.
Everytim when I hear: "everyone wants the "Hans Zimmer Sound", I think of the following: I don't know where I heard it but I remember that Hans Zimmer said in an interview "I don't want to be recognized".
I want that Hans Zimmer MIX for sure lol.
THE BEST video on YT about composing! ❤❤❤
I had a similar thing happen to me when I was scoring a TV show. They asked what genres I wrote, and I said 'all of them.' LOL. Next thing I know, I had an episode that was a western, the next a comedy, and then a sci-fi, then a fantasy, etc. Oh boy, I was humbled quickly, but in glad I had RUclips to find examples. I'm kinda glad I did that because I learned a lot, and now I'm a better composer.
John Powell once said: "Your style is everything you ever listened to."
I think your voice will develop automatically over time and you should not intentionally try to find your style. Instead copy what you like and experiment until you think it sounds good.
A very important topic, in my opinion.
Thank you for your insights.
It's inspiring in a way.
Great talk...for anyone who doesn't know Glass, he is fantastic, check him out through his 2nd, 3rd, and 8th symphonies...his 4th and 5th string quartets, his Glassworks album, and of course, Einstein on the Beach if you've got the time and the guts!!!...plus Music in 12 Parts is great too.
Very inspirational, Ryan! Thanks.
Thank you for the inspiring insights on this really important topic Ryan.
Thanks for making this video! 🎶
This is a great video Ryan. Thanks for sharing.
Very nice thoughts! Thank you!!!
This is one of the videos i agree the most in life.
Great advice... it applies to most if not all, artistic endeavours!
Thank you for this. I've been working on personal project and have everything from a string quartet piece to hard rock and was worried the variety would put people off. Your story reminded me that may be a good thing.
Thanks for sharing this video. Your message really helps and has come at great time for me.
David, Leeds, United Kingdom.
Usually describing someone's music as "sounding the same" is admitting that you don't understand their music.
By that same metric, most "great" composers have music that sounds samey - that's why you can hear a piece and say "that sounds like Shostakovich" or "that's a John Williams score", because everyone has their cliche. And often when they write something different, it's not as popular or well received (see Shostakovich's chamber music, or anything John Williams in the past 20 years).
Thank you Ryan, this is exactly what I needed to hear today! And thanks for developing such an interesting and relevant channel! :)
Lovely thoughts, Ryan. Thank you!
YES. THIS.
That was a really good video ,a video I needed to watch,TY
Stumbled across this video at the beginning of my singing hobby wow thank you so much … I’m always freely expressing myself with no cares but now I’m more prepared
Thanks for sharing!
I saw this video called something like"10 Hollywood chord progressions that evoke specific emotions" but it could've been called "My composing voice is somewhat Hogwarts-ish, at the moment".
If you're being genuine, then you can't help but make music in your own voice. You can pick up different accents along your journey, which is merely one of the many reasons your voice is never exactly the same as it was last time.
My voice is making good music
Does anyone have advice on how to respond to criticism from others on the style of their compositions? Lots of my fellow student composers say my work is too “boring” or “basic” and someone even told me I was lazy. I do lean towards a minimalistic style in my composing, but I work really hard too, and I don’t appreciate it when others say harsh things about my personal style. I dont mind when i get constructive feedback about thinvs like structure or form, but i dont know how to respond to these more personal comments
I'll say compose what comes, what inspires you to be better or inspires you positively. If you are critic in a way that may not be positive, try to listen and see how your music feels when you listen to it. If it inspires you to be happy or if it makes you have a positive effect (good thoughts or just encouraging or motivating in a good way) i think that's good! Check also if it sounds the same or if you use a particular progression often. Different ideas have different feels, emotions, and thus, have different manners the chord progressions involved. Music tells a story and each story is not the same as the other if it is original or genuinely well composed. And i'll say to be open minded to learning. Ask maybe why they say it sounds in the way they describe and if it is true, from the critique, learn what yoi can do to improve on it. Practise more composing everyday and Keep growing positively! Keep up tue great work!
I try to combine orchestra music with eurodance. Much harder than you might think. Colliding frequences, muddyness and other things to overcome.
I remember getting a comment on a choral piece I had written: "you should never use a 7th chord unless you really mean it," or something similar. I thought to myself, well, I put it there, so I must have meant it. I left it in, and I still like that passage.
Some could have (and for all we know, did,) say the same thing to Vivaldi about his work. But we are still listening to him; he is considered one of the greatest of all time, a composers' composer.
I think indeed the question "doesn't all your music sound the same?" is stupid, because when that happens it's exactly when you have a style. Yes, Vivaldi sounds... like himself, but the point is that nobody else sounds like him, and he was unbelievably original at the time. When ones sounds exactly like e.g. Zimmer, then one has to worry, because Zimmer already abused of his now clichés and moreover there is not much space for originality with that style.
Any composer who has written over 75 compositions by himself will have by then ‘found his own voice’ whether he likes it or not - even if he tries consciously to imitate establish’d composers, his own voice will come forth ipso facto - e.g. by the specific melodic-harmonic-rhythmic etc. elements of the composer that he likes & consciously imitates, the very process of ‘selection’ is a ‘personal choice’ and will over time mutate into his own stile-even Beethoven imitated his teachers (1790-1797) especially Joseph Haydn before he began to find his own ‘voice’ around 1800-but by then he realis’d he was slowly but surely going deaf… o weh
As for ‘imitating Mozart’ good luck with that-even experts in the field consciously trying to create ‘synthetic Mozart’ by coming up with a ‘passable Mozartean 8-bar opening motif’ end up coming a-cropper when trying to develop the theme in Mozart’s own inimitable way & invariably end-up sounding more like Franz Xaver Suessmayr-superficially tolerable-Mozart on the surface to common listeners in the audience but upon closer inspection, produce music that is quite ‘outside of the perfection & elan’ of the great man himself …
I agree. The point is that one cannot imitate intelligence and skill, unless one has them. You wouldn't get up and say: today I will imitate Einstein's greatest work, right? How could you? 😂 Mozart was very clever in his development of themes, so the only chance to imitate him is that you have that same mastery. But if you do, you probably won't even try to write a new masterpiece that Mozart could have written, and you'd focus on your own music 😁
*Phew Thank goodness I order strawberry flavor. In all seriousness, this was refreshing. Thank you for sharing, Ryan.
Mint chocolate chip is my favourite, and I also love sus4 and their subsequent resolutions.
thanks. needed to hear this.
Another great one. Thanks, Ryan.
Thanks Ryan, this is good information. I used to believe that saying and would repeat it to myself.
Best advice possible.
So good 🙌
Thanks!
“If you worry too much about turning someone off, you’ll never turn anyone on.” I wish I could find out who said this, but it was an epiphany for me. Do what excites you and your voice will emerge.
Well said!
I'm perhaps on the opposite end of the spectrum, where I don't have any specific artist or song I'd like to imitate. So I'm always struggling with vocabulary to begin with. If I want to do more than just write somewhat-musically-informed noodling, I have to strap myself to a chair and draw the line: okay, you WILL write a menuet observing counterpoint now. No! Drop that jazz chord. That's for later. Now you're trying to learn some patterns! Cool modulation! Too bad that's not typical, we're trying to be vanilla here.
I strive for a happy medium. Being able to fit into boxes, for order, but also to get out of them whenever the task calls for it.
Actually conservatory rejected me with the cause i don't have a unique voice, which i didn't understand cuz i thought that's what I'm here for
Nah, I mostly hear "you should modulate more, maybe make your chord sequences more varied, make your melodies better" :P ... But I'll get to that particular advice eventually, you'll see :)
Thanks for your videos. Love your style.
As an aspiring tv film jingle game composer you may not wish to find YOUR own voice but mimic everyone else's. there is a young well to do composer in singapore where i live who does just that and wins international awards and makes good income unlike me who makes ZERO for over 40 years. I have my own voice. I am the Van Gogh of music. F anyone who says otherwise. Commodified music wins out over integrity every time in the Kali Yuga.
9ths sound awesome though.
Great vidéo !
great thoughts thank you
I mean, I agree and disagree. I believe that a composer should find ways to make original content that is indicative of their work that people can point out and say “that’s his sound”. I am grateful I was able to found out what my sound is and I am always looking for ways to improve it.
I did find my voice after realizing that "drop the needle" tests in college were about every great composer always sounding like themselves... all there music sounds the same if you learn to listen.
I thought about this. A guy made a comment that I sounded like JW, and he was trying to hint that I needed to "find my voice." Now that I think about, "find your voice," is probably the critics equivalent of "find your own voice," or better said, "find your own critique." LOL.
Great video! 👏
What are your thoughts on the idea that your musical influences end up being your voice?
I am still developing my voice because I am an amateur but I noticed it recently.
I've recently had a revelation about the character of my music by listening to Nobuo Uematsu interviews, music analysis, and, his music.
He was influenced by Classical and Progressive rock.
I realized that he decided to blend his influences (which is how we get such amazing songs like One Winged Angel).
That's when I noticed I was doing something similar: I was blending my influences together to make a different kind of sound. My influences are Rap, classical, and of course Nobuo Uematsu himself.
My end goal is to capture the essence of Uematsu but with a hip hop influence.
For a media composer, the unique sound is still whatever the director needs/wants
I agree with all of that, but I would like to add a more controversial point on top of it: Too many focus on either sounding unique, or (on the opposite end) sounding like something in particular, instead of sounding GOOD, and that should be step 1. People generally don't care about how original your ideas are; they are about whether or not the music sounds great. The better you are at the thing you do, the more that people will notice.
There are a lot of aspiring composers today who are frustrated that the "mix" doesn't sound the way they want no matter what they do with all sorts of plugins and faders, but ignore that the arrangement and voicings are poor and muddy. There are lots of people who get so fixated on "sounding like" John Williams before they even know how to compose a well-structured, coherent melody of any kind. Most of our heroes never really focused on much more than improving their craft, and trying to compose a better piece than the one they did yesterday.
What I want to know is how in the world you can stand having one monitor above the other. I tried it once and didn't even last a few hours before ripping it down and reinstalling my side by side setup
The bottom monitor is very low
@@RyanLeach Hmm maybe I'll have to try again, maybe I didn't have the lower monitor low enough. My side by side setup is REALLY getting in the way of my speakers. Thanks for the tip!
Dziękuję Ryan. Jest wile muzyki, którą odczuwam jako piękną - w różnych stylach, w różnych brzmieniach. Chciałabym komponować takie rzeczy, które odczuwam jako piękne. Próbuję naśladować te style albo brzmienia. Często nie potrafię. Czasem mi się udaje. Czy z tego wynika, że nie mam swojego głosu stylu? Ostatnio stwierdziłam, że nie wszystko co uważam za piękne jest moim głosem. A także że, nie wszystko co mi się udaje powinno być moim głosem. Więc szukam i uczę się. Czasem słucham muzyki, którą odczuwam jako piękną, ale jest mi obca. Odkryłam wtedy, że chcę tworzyć nie tylko to co odczuwam jako piękne ale powinno być także dla mnie "nie obce". Najpiękniejsze jest dla mnie to co udaje mi się stworzyć i jest (dla mnie) nie tylko piękne, ale także odczuwane jako płynące z moich emocji - moje. To niestety nie zawsze przekłada się na akceptację zleceniodawcy. Ale przecież nie tylko dla pieniędzy siedzę przy klawiszach.
"Ostatnio stwierdziłam, że nie wszystko co uważam za piękne jest moim głosem."
To piękne spostrzeżenie.
@@RyanLeach Mam nadzieję, że moje odczucia nie są złudzeniem. Postaram się iść tą drogą - i taką drogą jaką i Ty tutaj wskazujesz. Dziękuję Ryan.
In terms of kinetics out of the 3 uses to create a training voice
"Sounds feared" was the review said to me
#new_rapper
#musicianswanted
🤦♀️
Hey, man! I have the exact same type of dark circles around my eyes as you! Do you happen to know what causes them?
(Although, I dont wanna get rid of them- Thats not why Im asking this! I think they suit my face, and yours as well!- But I *do* have absolutely *no* idea why theyre there.)
Ive been tested for allergies, had bloodwork done (for unrelated reasons, but it turned up perfect), and still have no answers. Just curious where they might come from. Genetics? Hyperpigmentation?
Do you know?
Thanks for your time!
I have some Hungarian on my Grandma's side, and I once met a guy from Hungary with the same look so that's my best guess!
It is like soul mate. Don't look for it.
Unless you are outright plagiarizing, you can’t help but sound like yourself.
Everyone picks up their vocabulary from other people. Nobody grows up speaking their own language or even their own accent and music is similar. Not a bad thing to be influenced by others.
@@musiclore Yeah, exactly that’s kind of what I was getting at. If you lift certain tricks or patterns or general vibes from other people, but you write your own tune or assemble those elements in a new way, that’s still your own voice, because your influences never wrote anything exactly the way you did.
im literally watching the like count go up every few seconds
Seems like your instructors might have been a little off in this area for sure. What if someone wants John Williams or Hans Zimmer but can't afford them? Seems like they might look for someone who could write music that sounds like them 🙂 As a hobbyist...if I ever get the time to actually learn enough to write something I will thanks my lucky stars if it sounds anything at all like John Williams.
I'm much more effective secretly and securely offline.