If you’re having trouble finding your musical identity as an artist, it could be because your taste in music hasn’t been defined yet. Alongside musical intuition, writing music as often as you can, and letting life experiences shape your songs, your musical taste is incredibly important for your work as a songwriter. When you’re in touch with your musical taste, creating music that’s meaningful and authentic to you gets much easier. Here are five tips for defining your unique musical taste as a songwriter.
Look back at the music that has defined your life the most
The first place you’ll want to start defining your musical taste is in your past. Specifically, think about the music you listened to most in your youth. Ask what music you have listened to throughout your life and why. Are there any links between artists stylistically or lyrically? Did you rely on specific songs to get you through hard times, or do scenes of you and your friends dancing to music in your car during late nights pop into your head? This exercise will help you understand what roles your favorite music has played in your life, and how your taste informs your work now as an artist.
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Listen to as much new and unfamiliar music as humanly possible
You’re never done exploring new music. It’s not something that ends when we become a certain age or after finding lots of music we love to listen to. Defining and nurturing your taste in music actually takes a lot of work. It requires continually seeking out new and unfamiliar music and thinking about what you love and don’t like about it. It’s also important to remember that your taste in music will ultimately shift and evolve over time if you do the work of experiencing as much new music as you can, and this is so important for your own music. To keep your work fresh and engaging, make music exploration and discovery a priority in your life.
Write down what moves you in music. Get specific
This exercise is mainly for songwriters who have trouble defining their musical taste. Listen to your favorite songs and records and write down what it is you like about the music you hear. It could be poetic lyrics or the guitar tone on a specific track. Get as specific as possible, and work to define each and every musical detail. When you’re finished, try to identify patterns in the things you like about your favorite music. What you discover will be representative of your taste in music.
Define the things you don’t like about music
This might not seem like an especially helpful exercise, but it is. When you can identify what you don’t like about a specific song or artist, you’ll have a better chance at avoiding the same pitfalls in the music you create. If you hear a song that has a lot of potential but just never got there, ask why. Maybe it’s the way the singer sings, lyrical cliches, or something sounding over-produced. Figuring out what you don’t like in music will make yours better.
Find ways to let your musical taste guide your songwriting
Once you have a solid grasp on your unique musical taste, think about ways to incorporate it into your own work in original and captivating ways. Doing this means striking a balance between not copying your influences completely, but letting them give your work inspiration and direction. It’s not easy, and you’ll need to put in the hard work of trying things out to see what works and what doesn’t when it comes to letting your musical taste shape your songs. There will be a point where this comes naturally to you, but not without a good amount of experimentation.
In the same way that your music is unique only to you, your music taste should be something that’s completely yours, so don’t edit your likes and dislikes. Be who you are and make the music you truly want to make. Don’t apologize if your taste isn’t hip or on-trend enough. What’s popular in music changes by the day, but the need for artists to be authentic in their work always stays the same.
Patrick McGuire is a writer, musician, and human man. He lives nowhere in particular, creates music under the nameStraight White Teeth, and has a great affinity for dogs and putting his hands in his pockets.
FAQs
Personality traits can predict musical tastes, with studies indicating that aspects like openness, extroversion, and agreeableness influence preference for specific genres and artists.
What determines good music taste? ›
Personality traits can predict musical tastes, with studies indicating that aspects like openness, extroversion, and agreeableness influence preference for specific genres and artists.
What forms your taste in music? ›
Individual and situational influences on musical preferences
- Gender. Women are more likely than men to respond to music in a more emotional way. ...
- Culture. Research has shown culture can influence musical preferences. ...
- Age. ...
- Self views. ...
- Mood. ...
- Movement. ...
- Productiveness. ...
- Season of the year.
Memory, youth, and the past are powerful drivers of what anchors your taste in music and what will determine your future tastes. It is well known that listening to beloved songs stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain. The more you like a song, the more dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin are released.
How do I define my music taste? ›
5 Tips For Defining Your Musical Taste
- Look back at the music that has defined your life the most. ...
- Listen to as much new and unfamiliar music as humanly possible. ...
- Write down what moves you in music. ...
- Define the things you don't like about music. ...
- Find ways to let your musical taste guide your songwriting.
Well taste in music is very subjective. What it usually means is that someone likes music that is generally accepted as “good.” This could be classical music because everyone believes classical music is “good.” It could also mean that they like jazz because jazz is often considered “good” music.
How do you taste music? ›
Lexical-gustatory synaesthesia is a specific variant of synaesthesia that triggers your sense of taste when hearing, reading or thinking about words. In rarer cases, the subject may experience tastes when listening to sounds or music, when seeing colours or even when feeling emotions.
What your taste in music says about you? ›
Personality traits
If you are open to new experiences, you may also be open to new and complex music experiences. Extroverted people tend to enjoy contemporary music (especially contemporary music that has upbeat, positive, and danceable features). And agreeable people tend to prefer mellow and serene musical styles.
How can music affect taste? ›
The results showed that listening to sweet music resulted in drinks with higher sugar content in a free choice of ingredients, whereas sour music generated drinks with higher acidity.
What is musical tastes? ›
What is musical taste? It is interesting that the term musical taste is tied to the term aesthetics. Musical taste is often paired together with musical preferences. Most people understand musical taste as one's preferences in music: particular genres, styles, music bands.
How much we enjoy music may partly come down to our genetic make-up, according to a study of thousands of identical and non-identical twins. The pleasure people get from a tune has been linked to its effects on our emotional responses, alertness and ability to form social connections.
Why should you expand your music taste? ›
Expanding Your Palate
There are so many new techniques I subconsciously use in my playing just by learning music that I don't usually listen to. It allows you to become more creative in your preferred style. Think of it like your actual palate. If you taste the same flavours all the time, it would get boring and bland.
How does culture affect music taste? ›
Cultural Influences
Different cultures have distinct musical traditions, genres, and rhythms that resonate deeply within their communities. People from Eastern cultures might appreciate traditional classical music, while those from Western cultures might resonate more with pop, rock, or hip-hop.
What is it when you can taste music? ›
Synesthesia is a phenomenon that causes sensory crossovers, such as tasting colors or feeling sounds. Some people describe it as having “wires crossed” in their brain because it activates two or more senses when there's only a reason for one sense to activate.
What do you call a person who listens to all types of music? ›
A Melomaniac doesn't just “enjoys” music, they just feel it. One interesting thing about melomaniacs, is that they could be up to hearing and enjoying almost every kind of genre.
What influences people's music taste? ›
Several studies suggest there may be an association between music preferences and personality. But, your personality isn't the only thing that influences your music choice. Your age, gender, self-esteem, and even how much your earn may also play a role in influencing your musical tastes.
Why do some people have better taste in music? ›
People have complex personalities, and the music they like may be related to this. People's brains work in unique ways as they process music. Some may have a physical reaction to certain music, while others may not. People may like music because a musician's views might be like their own views.
Is music taste genetic? ›
How much we enjoy music may partly come down to our genetic make-up, according to a study of thousands of identical and non-identical twins. The pleasure people get from a tune has been linked to its effects on our emotional responses, alertness and ability to form social connections.
Can you be insecure about your music taste? ›
This can be especially true for people who have eclectic or niche musical tastes, as they may feel that their preferences are not widely accepted or understood by others. Another reason why some people may feel embarrassed discussing their music preferences is the fear of being judged or ridiculed.
