Accepting and Using Your Own Sound

Hello, composers. Lately, (the last three months or so) I've been having a lot of problems. I can write melodies, but I always end up hating them; as I mentioned in another thread, to me they always sound dumb or baroque. So, rather than trying to change that, I want to embrace that as my style and work with it with confidence.

However, I don't know how to do that. I'm not so much worried about writing technically difficult music, or music that pushes boundaries on how we think of music; I want to write beautiful music that conveys emotion, drama. But I really feel that until I accept my sound as a composer I won't be able to do that.

Basically, how do you, as a composer, accept the sound and stay true to how you write music without regard to what others think? "Oh, this sounds dated; this era is over; I've heard this before; this is too easy." Any help? Thank you all so very much.

Just write what speaks to you. Style is something that develops over a composer's entire career... it takes years and years to develop "your sound".

As to your melody problem - start listening to more, and different composers. I'll admit to you that melody is almost very nearly the *last* thing I work on when composing; in my music, melody (in the traditional sense, at least) is not paramount. This is neither good nor bad, it's simply my (different) method of composition.

If starting with writing the melody is your "inside the box" method of starting a composition, then you need to step out of that box, mister. Challenge yourself. Write something with rules. Simple rules, arbitrary rules. Rules that throw a unique challenge to you. Work differently, think differently. It'll still be "you", "your music", and "your sound", but you'll arrive there differently and learn something new from it.

The Ensemble Sospeso - Wolfgang Rihm - read that, all of it (especially page 2)

And also, maybe you would want to check out music by Laurence Crane. His music is always very simple, and in a nice way tonal, but it is in no way non-contemporary. That might give you an idea.

Just write what speaks to you. Style is something that develops over a composer's entire career... it takes years and years to develop "your sound".

:thumbsup: Flinty (as usual) nails it. you can't force your sound. You can't make yourself develop a unique voice. Let it go, it'll come naturally.

That said...

I can write melodies, but I always end up hating the,...to me they always sound dumb or baroque. So, rather than trying to change that, I want to embrace that as my style and work with it with confidence.

Sounds to me like you're forcing yourself to like something that you already think sounds "dumb". Stop trying to trick yourself into liking what you write, and start writing what you like. Remove yourself from this comfort zone, try something different (as flint suggests) and you'll start hearing yourself come through...

Sounds to me like you're forcing yourself to like something that you already think sounds "dumb". Stop trying to trick yourself into liking what you write, and start writing what you like. Remove yourself from this comfort zone, try something different (as flint suggests) and you'll start hearing yourself come through...

Amen... doesn't matter if no one but you likes it, nor if everyone but you.

If you like it, do it, if not, intead of saying it sounds "baroque" or "dumb" seriously analyze why it sounds that way to you. You don't have to post about it, but just think.

If you don't like baroque melodies, don't use them. If you don't like rediculously atonal melodies, don't use them. If you like melodies that are a fusion of Webern, Hildegaard of Bingen, and Og the caveman -- write what you like, ignoring what other people might call it.

I have the same issue, or had the same issue.

Then a very wise friend told me that she used to think her original characters always seemed too much like others in existence, but she loved them anyway. She said somthing like "Of course your music doesn't seem original to you, you don't smother them with enough love" that means pay attention to it and let it grow.

I suppose all art forms are similar. If you write a book or story, you can't unlearn any stories you already know to make sure yours is your own. Subconciencly you will incorporate what stories you have read into your own. I think the same goes with art and music. Unless you take the time to develop your music it won't become somthing you're proud to call your own.

As for sounding to baroque, maybe you just like how baroque melodies sound so without thinking you make your music sound that way.(I know I do)

Dumbness: I used to think all my music sounded dumb. Take pride in your work. It's probably better that what most people can do. To have the creativity to think ANYTHING is a sign of talent. It probably sounds dumb because it isn't up to your standards. Solution: Make it un-dumb... if that makes anysense.