Choosing your music style

paddylonglegs

As songwriters, have you found it difficult to find a style/genre of music that you would base your own songs on?

Do you base it on your influences? The music you like? To suit how you want your songs to sound?

I play guitar and have played covers for fun for years. Iv a very wide scope of musical taste and would like to start writing my own songs. However I just cannot figure out what musical direction I would like to take my first song in. Do I just go for it with no influences? Do I think of a style of music and then base my song around that?

I have so much to learn about songwriting and have such respect for it, it seems like such a barrage of different obstacles I have to take on

Oink

paddylonglegs wrote: »

As songwriters, have you found it difficult to find a style/genre of music that you would base your own songs on?

Do you base it on your influences? The music you like? To suit how you want your songs to sound?

I play guitar and have played covers for fun for years. Iv a very wide scope of musical taste and would like to start writing my own songs. However I just cannot figure out what musical direction I would like to take my first song in. Do I just go for it with no influences? Do I think of a style of music and then base my song around that?

I have so much to learn about songwriting and have such respect for it, it seems like such a barrage of different obstacles I have to take on

You're overthinking it... You don't need to have it all figured out just yet. You are only starting to write songs, so give yourself a chance !

Everybody's process is different. My suggestion is you need to start writing songs as they come. Don't overthink it. Have a bit of fun, let the songs go wherever they want to go. You will need to do this until you figure out how your musical brain works...

Once you've done this often enough, you will start getting a feeling for it. You will feel that your next song should be played on such an instrument, is kinda country, or more pop/rock. Maybe it will be lyrics-driven? Maybe not?

Once you know what you can do, and where you want to go, either you'll be a genius and write a hit, or else you'll be like everybody else and you will have to work hard for it.

This leads us to my last piece of advice. You need to be honest with yourself:
- No, I did not do my best on this tune and I need to keep at it.
- Yes, this is as good as this tune is going to get, and I need to stop messing around with it.

Have fun!

paddylonglegs

Oink wrote: »

You're overthinking it... You don't need to have it all figured out just yet. You are only starting to write songs, so give yourself a chance !

Everybody's process is different. My suggestion is you need to start writing songs as they come. Don't overthink it. Have a bit of fun, let the songs go wherever they want to go. You will need to do this until you figure out how your musical brain works...

Once you've done this often enough, you will start getting a feeling for it. You will feel that your next song should be played on such an instrument, is kinda country, or more pop/rock. Maybe it will be lyrics-driven? Maybe not?

Once you know what you can do, and where you want to go, either you'll be a genius and write a hit, or else you'll be like everybody else and you will have to work hard for it.

This leads us to my last piece of advice. You need to be honest with yourself:
- No, I did not do my best on this tune and I need to keep at it.
- Yes, this is as good as this tune is going to get, and I need to stop messing around with it.

Have fun!

Great advice. Thank you