Developing your own style/sound

[ruger9]

So, I know most of us here are not professional players, but have you ever thought of or attempted to develop your own sound?

Sitting here on the patio listening to various jazz, and Vince Guaraldi comes on. And he’s instantly recognizable because of his style/sound. The chords are instantly recognizable as him.

It got me to thinking, do I have a sound? I have no idea. I know I’ve never tried to develop one, I’ve always just played where the music took me. Has anyone here made an effort to develop a unique sound, or is that maybe just what happens naturally based on your influences and practices?

I know others have thought about this, I’d love to hear different perspectives.

[pamosmusic]

So, I know most of us here are not professional players, but have you ever thought of or attempted to develop your own sound?

Sitting here on the patio listening to various jazz, and Vince Guaraldi comes on. And he’s instantly recognizable because of his style/sound. The chords are instantly recognizable as him.

It got me to thinking, do I have a sound? I have no idea. I know I’ve never tried to develop one, I’ve always just played where the music took me. Has anyone here made an effort to develop a unique sound, or is that maybe just what happens naturally based on your influences and practices?

I know others have thought about this, I’d love to hear different perspectives.

Well Vince Guaraldi is an interesting one. Not knowing what tunes actually came on, I’d say odds are good that it was an original composition or at the very least an extremely distinctive arrangement of a tune outside the standard repertoire.

So I’d say writing and arranging music is maybe even essential to developing a distinctive voice.

The really singular voices I can think of are also almost better known as composers and arrangers:

Monk, Shorter, Miles etc.

[ragman1]

You can't really get your own style deliberately, it has to sort of evolve by itself.

[Bop Head]

You can't really get your own style deliberately, it has to sort of evolve by itself.

It will be the quintessence of your influences and of your life experience and of your inspiration.

EDIT: I forgot to mention the hard work on the music.

[GuyBoden]

Maybe, to varying degrees, everyone has their own unique style that encompasses the way they express themselves, their influences, preferences, character, and the note choices they make.

But, some players have a more distinctive style than others.

[pamosmusic]

You can't really get your own style deliberately, it has to sort of evolve by itself.

Im not sure I’d agree with that?

I mean you’re certainly literally right, but I think you can deliberately contemplate what you like, transcribe people you want to sound like, and that sort of thing. You might not have control over what exactly you’ll sound like so I’m not wholly disagreeing, but you’ll sound like some interesting combination thereof.

So I guess …

writing music
really deliberately working on the things you like
really deliberately leaving alone the things you dont
transcribing transcribing transcribing
shaping your technical practice based on that transcribing
deliberately working that transcribing into your playing in multiple ways
and just listening a ton and I think repeatedly to things that hook you, rather than widely necessarily

[ruger9]

While I understand and agree with the composition part being a huge part of it, in guitar the world there are many players who play on others material, that I can instantly identify as who they are, just from a solo.

Steve Lukather is the prime example, having played on countless hits over the years. Whether it's a Michael McDonald tune, or Michael Jackson, or Box Scaggs, or Lionel Richie, etc.... Lukather didn't write the songs, but when the solo comes up, I can tell it's him. EVH is another example (altho he didn't play on other people's music very often)... but even just noodling nothing, you'd know it was Eddie. Hendrix is another. I feel like I've gotten pretty good at identifying Kenny Burrell, Ben Webster, Lester Young, T-Bone Walker... actually speaking of Ben Webster, that's what prompted me to ask this question.... a song came on Pandora and I immediately thought it was Ben Webster. It wasn't, and I've forgotten who it was, but they were obviously HEAVILY influenced by Ben Webster, as well as playing a tune I've heard Ben Webster play alot (sorry, I forget the name of the tune also... getting older starts wreaking havoc with short-term memory LOL)

[Groyniad]

as I mentioned recently - Johnny Smith (not someone I listen to much at all) struck me as onto something when he said in an interview that people transcribe too much. he thought if they spent more time working out their own ideas they would stand a better chance of sounding like themselves rather than sounding like everyone else.

there's a language and one has to learn it as a condition of saying anything at all - but one would like occasionally to say things that other people haven't said lots of times before

[pamosmusic]

While I understand and agree with the composition part being a huge part of it, in guitar the world there are many players who play on others material, that I can instantly identify as who they are, just from a solo.

Steve Lukather is the prime example, having played on countless hits over the years. Whether it's a Michael McDonald tune, or Michael Jackson, or Box Scaggs, or Lionel Richie, etc.... Lukather didn't write the songs, but when the solo comes up, I can tell it's him. EVH is another example (altho he didn't play on other people's music very often)... but even just noodling nothing, you'd know it was Eddie. Hendrix is another. I feel like I've gotten pretty good at identifying Kenny Burrell, Ben Webster, Lester Young, T-Bone Walker... actually speaking of Ben Webster, that's what prompted me to ask this question.... a song came on Pandora and I immediately thought it was Ben Webster. It wasn't, and I've forgotten who it was, but they were obviously HEAVILY influenced by Ben Webster, as well as playing a tune I've heard Ben Webster play alot (sorry, I forget the name of the tune also... getting older starts wreaking havoc with short-term memory LOL)

True enough but T Bone Walker wrote, Kenny Burrell wrote, Lester Young wrote, Hendrix of course wrote.

Eddie Van Halen was an exception but he was also a real innovator on the instrument (of which there have been few).

And Lukather no idea but it makes sense why he’d be an exception. Hes been on probably a thousand recordings so that’s kind of like being a part of that creation process, even if it’s for someone else.

I didn’t necessarily mean you need to be a composer, though I mentioned Shorter and Miles … just that you have to write a bit. Peter Bernstein is not known as a composer but he writes tunes that suit his voice.

[ruger9]

True enough but T Bone Walker wrote, Kenny Burrell wrote, Lester Young wrote, Hendrix of course wrote.

Eddie Van Halen was an exception but he was also a real innovator on the instrument (of which there have been few).

And Lukather no idea but it makes sense why he’d be an exception. Hes been on probably a thousand recordings so that’s kind of like being a part of that creation process, even if it’s for someone else.

I didn’t necessarily mean you need to be a composer, though I mentioned Shorter and Miles … just that you have to write a bit. Peter Bernstein is not known as a composer but he writes tunes that suit his voice.

ok, I think I see what you're saying... you have to be a creator, you have to create. That makes sense because creation can only come from inside yourself, well GOOD creation anyway... there are plenty of players who can copy others extremely well... but they aren't creating, and they are literally trying to sound like someone else. But even on something as short as a solo, if you create and don't just string licks you've learned together, you will naturally have your own sound. Doesn't matter if it's a whole song or just a solo... it also seems to me the people with the really unique/identifiable sounds couldn't sound like anything else if they tried... they sound the way they do because they can ONLY sound like that, because they are NOT copying others or repeating things they've learned.

I've heard several pros make comments like "well, I won't do THAT because I don't want to sound like everyone else", indicating that they KNEW they had to be unique and were actively seeking their own sound/style, which would indicate it's not just happenstance.

[ragman1]

Im not sure I’d agree with that?

I mean you’re certainly literally right, but I think you can deliberately contemplate what you like, transcribe people you want to sound like, and that sort of thing. You might not have control over what exactly you’ll sound like so I’m not wholly disagreeing, but you’ll sound like some interesting combination thereof.

That's just it, but is an 'interesting combination' a natural and free style? Any musical output must contain the necessary elements common to all, it's unavoidable, but I think it's the source that counts. If the source is just me wanting to be impressive or different then it'll never have that flavor of the truly creative.

[pamosmusic]

If the source is just me wanting to be impressive or different then it'll never have that flavor of the truly creative.

Well I’m not sure anyone here is implying that wanting to be impressive or different will make you be truly creative.

Then again, neither will wanting to be creative.

Im in the Originality is Overrated camp anyway

[Bop Head]

Listen a lot, practice a lot, play a lot, play what you like from the depth of your heart, play for your life, do your thing and give a damn on what others want you to do -- and you will develop your own thing.

[GuyBoden]

Eddie Van Halen was an exception but he was also a real innovator on the instrument (of which there have been few).

Sorry, but............................

The famous early 1980's Eddie Van Halen guitar style is using a huge amount of Allan Holdsworth's ideas from the 'Believe it' album from 1975.

[pamosmusic]

Sorry, but............................

The famous early 1980's Eddie Van Halen guitar style is using a huge amount of Allan Holdsworth's ideas from the 'Believe it' album from 1975.

Didnt say he was 100% pure original. There are exactly zero of those.

[GuyBoden]

Didnt say he was 100% pure original. There are exactly zero of those.

Early 1980's Eddie Van Halen's originality was using Allan Holdsworth's ideas in a popular rock/pop context.

[DawgBone]

I had no choice but to develop my own style because I wasn't dedicated enough, naturally talented enough, or serious enough at the time about learning how to think like one particular player to be able to copy someone else's style other than some pretty standard blues licks. I also found that in live, off the cuff improvisation you mostly are gonna think like yourself any ways so you need your own bag of tricks, or rather, through the course of a thousand gigs you develop your own bag of tricks. It's inevitable if you are taking it seriously.

I was doing a loud gig a couple months ago and got a text the next day from a guy I gigged with about ten years ago who was gigging in the same area that weekend: "I thought I heard your guitar down there in ________, was that you?" I felt pretty good about that, even though I still don't think much of my own playing. But I'm me, and no one else. I'm ok with that. I'm working on a record now and am finding myself writing some 16 and 17 bar blues so I must've done something right, or wrong, depending on how it comes out, but they seem to have sensible continuity and sound kinda like "me" which is a win in my little world lol.

[Bop Head]

Sorry, but............................

The famous early 1980's Eddie Van Halen guitar style is using a huge amount of Allan Holdsworth's ideas from the 'Believe it' album from 1975.

Are you talking about this one?

Alan Holdsworth's playing has never been my cup of tea so far (though I think he was a very nice beer brewing guy according to some interviews I have read here and there) but I was a huge Eddie fan in the late eighties/early nineties and I always heard about his Holdsworth influence.

And, because Eddie is the most underrated rhythm guitarist of all times, are you talking about solos or also about rhythm guitar?

[GuyBoden]

Are you talking about this one?

Alan Holdsworth's playing has never been my cup of tea so far (though I think he was a very nice beer brewing guy according to some interviews I have read here and there) but I was a huge Eddie fan in the late eighties/early nineties and I always heard about his Holdsworth influence.

And, because Eddie is the most underrated rhythm guitarist of all times, are you talking about solos or also about rhythm guitar?

Allan Holdsworth's soloing style.

[ragman1]

Then again, neither will wanting to be creative.

In that sense, no either! Like trying to make yourself fall in love :-)

[Bop Head]

[...] Like trying to make yourself fall in love :-)

That was an Aleister Crowley exercise.

[Bop Head]

I think the answer is sound. Each individual has their own unique sonic imprint. If you take ten guitarist and have them play the same song, on the same gear, all ten would sound different. For a musician sound and style are the same.

As guitarists/musicians, we develop our sound in many ways. The genres of music, instruments, and musicians we listen to. How and what we practice. How we listen to and interact with the music/other musicians. Etc.These are all factors that contribute to each individual sound and style.

Sound/style are developed both subconsciously and consciously. We develop our tastes with the sounds we like, which leads us to our favorite musicians, which leads us to gear favored, etc. A musician studies another musician’s music and sound, never sounding exactly like the other artist, but always like their self. An example would be Wes Montgomery trying to copy Charlie Christian and ending up sounding like Wes Montgomery.

Sound/style are the reflection of us as individuals. How we live and who we are. It all comes out in the sound.

What you are describing for me has also to do with learning how to consciously control your sound and thereby being able to react and adapt your technique if the sound coming out of your instrument does not meet exactly what you were hearing in your mind. Which requires being able to actively listen to yourself which doesn't seem to be a natural given for everyone.

[Bop Head]

"it's like this – each of us has his own melody in us, somewhere, and the point of education is to crystallize it, to bring it to the surface"

Warne Marsh, quoted in John Klopotowski's "A Jazz Life

[ragman1]

That was an Aleister Crowley exercise.

Was it really! Well, we know about him :-)

[Mick-7]

That was an Aleister Crowley exercise.

Don't recall that one, I liked his method to remember past lives though.

This is a very amusing book (he describes the past lives recall technique in it) -- Magick Without Tears - Amazon.com