Being different musically

Being different is the dream of so many people. At least when it comes to fashion. Clothing, makeup, stuff like that. Never mind that most of them fail miserably at it. They just end up looking the same, don’t they. Now don’t forget that phenomenon, because it only seems to be a failure on the surface. It’s actually a very common thing, psychologically. But what about music? There are two major groups. One of them happily copy their idols, down to the most miniscule details. Members of the other group however strive for being different. Very strongly. Do you want to belong to the latter camp?

Being different musically

Well, it won’t happen overnight, so don’t be impatient. At first, it’s natural to have favorites, influences, idols. People learn by mimicking things. That’s a given, and you should not feel ashamed about it. Embrace it, but don’t get trapped in it. After a certain while, a seed of thought might start growing in your mind. An urge to have a sound, a style of your very own. It means you’re open and ready to change and create your own shit. From scratch.

Being different musically

Being different musically starts with getting rid of the idols. I’m serious. They were the boat to the opposite side of the river. You are here now, you don’t need them anymore. Quit listening to them. If possible, change your gear. Those pieces were more or less clones of the idol’s gear anyway, right? You need new stuff. Simpler, harsher, different. Whatever gets you out of the rut of being someone else. The hardest step is to change your playing. But hey, being different comes with these big changes. You need to dive in deep and examine your current technique and style. Pick the elements you could be absolutely identified with way before the idol entered the scene. Keep those. Stop using the ones that you only did because He/She did it. The ones you kept form the basis of your true musical identity. You can now build on these.

Being different musically

So by being different, you mean to be extreme, weird and over the top? Remember the fashion example above? Check out things like crowd psychology or social identity theory. Most people strive to belong to a group. With ending up looking a certain way, they might deny one group, but readily accept another one. And that’s one of the problems with being different musically as well. You may eschew one group successfully, just to fall into another one. So avoid being weird for the sake of it.