As an aspiring artist, how can I sound like my influences without ripping them off?

As an aspiring artist, how can I sound like my influences without ripping them off?

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The idea is to only incidentally sound like your influences, not to consciously try to sound like them. Kind of like how someone who has a southern accent isn't trying to have one -- it's just the way he learned to talk.

If anything, you should be trying to differentiate yourself from your influences and become your own person.

What the fuck, how do I become my own person then?

Many college students have gone to college and gotten hooked on drugs, marijuana, and alcohol. Listen, stop trying to be somebody else. Don't try to be someone else. Be yourself and know that that's good enough. Don't try to be someone else. Don't try to be like someone else, don't try to act like someone else, be yourself. Be secure with yourself. Rely and trust upon your own decisions. On your own beliefs. You understand the things that I've taught you. Not to drink alcohol, not to use drugs. Don't use that cocaine or marijuana because that stuff is highly addictive. When people become weed-heads they become sluggish, lazy, stupid and unconcerned. Sluggish, lazy, stupid and unconcerned. That's all marijuana does to you, okay? This is mom. Unless you're taking it under doctor's - umm- control. Then it's regulated. Do not smoke marijuana, do not consume alcohol, do not get in the car with someone who is inebriated
This is mom, call me, bye

There are some things about yourself that you have a little voice in the back of your head saying "eww, stop doing that."

Stop doing those things, and eventually you will become your own person.

...

you mean a conscious?

by moving the crowd. then bowing
.

Yes.

I really don't have that much control over myself. I'm not 100% sure what it is, but I'm definitely mentally ill.

Can you fuck off? This is such a retarded fucking response. That faux-Asian bitch is hideous and has absolutely no ass, grow up.

Break down the elements of your influences into smaller elements and write using them as a point of reference. For example, if you were to write a song try and take the compositional structure you like from one song, the arrangement from another, the melodic content of another, a similar chord progression to another, etc. It's about taking enough from enough places that it doesn't sound like a direct copy of one thing but an amalgamation of multiple elements.

If you have a lot of diverse influences then it becomes less obvious youre copying them

You'll be lucky if whatever you try to do comes anywhere close to where you want it to. Don't worry about what you wanna make and just start making it, your tastes and flaws will come through naturally. So much of an artist's process is them finding stranger personal solutions and techniques to correcting accidents and mistakes.

That might be a little harder to pull off with rapping.

I don't think my influences are that diverse. Kanye, Tyler, Andre 3000, Kate Bush, Brian Wilson, Mac DeMarco, and maybe Stephen Sondheim.

thank you
this is good advice
it's just that when I write
Instead of coming off like a mixture of influences, it just sounds like the last single person I was listening to.

i wish you tremendous success and health and prosperity and hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

i can translate:
>by moving the crowd
you can sound like your influences without ripping them off by trying to connect to your crowd in a genuine approach

>then bowing.
you can sound like your influences without ripping them off by having some respect for the craft and your position as a fan. this respect will make you a better artist and source of inspiration.

plz drop your little game -_-

underrated post

what little game? Maybe they're diverse, but I mean, they don't fit together well.

Check out those artists' influences and broaden your catalog.

What genre of music do you make?

I want to make pop and hip-hop. Not really a mixture of the two, some songs would be rap and others would just be straight pop.

>my own person

are you 16?

almost 19.

okae.

and the way they fit together is called "sensibility". so all your influences rub off on your sensibility like little flavor rubs .

remember that each piece is either to be considered on its own, or in a meal !!

So you're Kevin Abstract in the flesh...

Well then, just throw shit at the wall and whatever sounds good, you develop. It helps to learn an instrument as you do it because you'll have a better sense for what you want.

Your best work is probably gonna be spur of the moment as opposed to this composition that took years to be crafted.

Repitition. You can basically be a clone in the beginning and after some time you will start having a recognizably distinct style. It sort of happens without you knowing it. Most of the greats today either came up doing covers or being a dj which is literally blending others works and putting your twist on it.

I have no idea what you're trying to say.

I haven't heard Kevin Abstract's solo stuff, but Brockhampton sucks and is definitely not what I'm trying to do. And I don't want to make soft faux-R&B like Drake, when I say pop I mean pop music.
>It helps to learn an instrument as you do it because you'll have a better sense for what you want.
I want to start producing when I get my laptop back. I could play piano when I was younger, but I lost it.

Do rip them off.

Entire genres are spawned because people ripped others off.

Everything is a rip off

You should rip off everything.

Fucking stairway to Heaven is a rip off

rateyourmusic.com/list/Rosemary_Rio/famous_rip_offs/

Analysis paralysis. If you sit there all day worrying about weather or not you ripped someone off, you'll get nothing done.

Actually rip them off. You will not sound like them

>Actually rip them off. You will not sound like them
how

listen, no one is going to hold your fucking hand, just do it. Stop thinking about it and just make shit, no one has to hear it but you.

-_-

so you might not outright taste garlic in a dish but it adds to the flavor. these are your influences. this is ya s e n s i b i l i t y.
makes sense ?

and each song (each piece), can be considered on its own (like a one-repeat song on a music player),
or it can be considered as part of a meal (like a song as part of an album, where the album is the point, rather than a song)

oh, yeah. I guess it is like cooking. That's a good way to think about it.

>when i say pop, i mean pop music

The same way you're firm about what pop music is; will be the same way you'll be firm about your musical identity after countless hours practicing. Just go for it, the answers will come to you.

I've been dealing with the same problem OP. I also find myself feeling like I'm copying my idols. Here's a few things that might help you.

1.) Find as many inspirations and influence as you can. By doing this you'll sound less like you're ripping off one person in particular and i'll show that you have a wider range in influence and taste.

2.) Figure out how what you want to make is different than what your influences make. This will help you figure out what makes you different from your idols.

3.) {THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT} Don't try to be as good as your idols, aspire to be better than them. This was a big one for me. If you're trying to make an album as good as your idol's then you're going to try to copy it. If you strive to be better than it then you can add more to it through things that separate you from the artist you're inspired by. The end product itself should still aspire to be different from the artist but the mentality will prevent you from trying to be your artist.

Shit skit. Shit album. Shit attempt at art

>Don't try to be as good as your idols, aspire to be better than them
How? How the fuck could I be better than Kanye?

Figure out things you want to do musically that separates you from Kanye, and use those things to try to be better than him.

I don't know how to, I don't think I can get into that mindset of wanting to be better even though I'm sure it's important.

When it comes to Kanye the only things I dislike are the 90s influence on TCD and Gold Digger. And then there's my other influences, like Brian Wilson, I can't even fathom doing anything better than him.

Then aspire to make music like Kanye if it was produced by Brian Wilson, that's where advice #1 comes in.

I guess. I just know how important being competitive is and striving to be better, I wish I could think like that.

age 10 years

wtf

I cosign this comment after seeing

Take their ideas, not their sounds.

What?

Ooh I like that, that actually helps with mine, solid!

why is he blonede/?

he died his hair blonde early last year

>the average mu user is literally 10 years younger then me

shitpost

Frank Ocean sucks.

b urself :)

BUMP

.

Gayyyy

Start by taking Shrooms, and go from there

jus make the music. it won't sound like ur influence at the end at all

i agree with 3

>taking Shrooms,
I'm not white.