How to Find Your Genre: Narrowing Down Your Sound and Streamlining Your Music Creation Process

When you're creating music on your own, it can be tough to define your style, especially with so many genres and influences out there. You might feel like you’re trying to piece together a puzzle without knowing what the final picture looks like. Narrowing down your genre can make the process of learning and making music smoother, helping you focus your efforts.

Many famous musicians faced this same struggle, but by experimenting, reflecting on their influences, and honing their craft, they found their sound. Here’s how you can do the same:

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1. Experiment with Different Styles

Before narrowing down to a specific genre, it’s important to explore different styles and see what resonates with you. Don’t be afraid to experiment across genres to find where your sound naturally fits. Often, your style will emerge organically through trial and error.

What You Can Do:

• Create Genre-Specific Demos: Dedicate time to create a few demos in completely different genres, like rock, hip-hop, electronic, or even classical. Experiment with different beats, instruments, and vocals in each.
• Use Music Production Software to Explore: Tools like DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) come with genre-based presets for instruments, drum kits, and loops. Try producing a track using these presets to understand the vibe of different genres.
• Blend Genres: Many artists create hybrid genres by blending elements from multiple styles. You might find that your sound sits between two genres, which can make your music unique.

Example: Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) began his music career experimenting with genres like hip-hop and electronic, but his 2016 album Awaken, My Love! saw him shift to a funk and soul-inspired sound. By trying different styles, he found his unique voice in an unexpected place.

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2. Reflect on Your Influences

One of the easiest ways to narrow down your genre is to reflect on the music you listen to and admire. What artists and sounds are you naturally drawn to? These preferences can help guide your genre choice.

What You Can Do:

• Identify Your Favorite Artists: Make a list of your top 5-10 favorite musicians or bands. Pay attention to their genres and styles—are there any commonalities?
• Analyze Their Music: Break down the songs you love. Focus on elements like tempo, lyrics, instrumentation, and mood. This can help you figure out what elements you want to bring into your own music.
• Explore Your Influences’ Genres: Once you have a list of your favorite artists, start exploring their subgenres. You may find that their work incorporates more niche genres like ambient, indie-pop, or trap, which could be the direction you want to take.

Example: Bruno Mars initially began his career as a producer, but after reflecting on his influences like Prince, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson, he found his sound in funk, pop, and R&B. His ability to draw from his idols while maintaining his individuality helped him create chart-topping hits.

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3. Listen to Your Own Music Objectively

Another important step is to listen to the music you’ve already made. Sometimes, your genre might be hiding within the work you’ve already created. Review your past projects with an objective ear and analyze what sound seems to come naturally.

What You Can Do:

• Categorize Your Songs: Take the music you’ve made so far and categorize it into different genres or moods. Do certain tracks lean towards a specific style?
• Ask for Feedback: Sometimes, others can more easily identify your genre than you can. Play your tracks for friends, fellow musicians, or even online communities and ask what genre they think your music fits into.
• Find Patterns in Your Music: Look for recurring themes in your tracks, such as tempo, instrumentation, or lyrical content. These patterns can reveal the genre that feels most natural to you.

Example: Tyler, The Creator often blurs genre lines with his music, but by looking back at his earlier work, he noticed that his sound often blended hip-hop with jazz and R&B. This reflection helped him craft albums like IGOR, which embraced a more refined and focused genre.

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4. Follow Your Emotional Connection

Genres aren’t just about technical aspects—they also come from an emotional connection. The genre that resonates with you emotionally is likely the one you’ll excel at the most. Pay attention to how certain music makes you feel and use that as a guide.

What You Can Do:

• Notice Your Emotional Response: As you listen to different genres, notice how each one makes you feel. If one genre makes you feel more inspired or connected, that might be the one to pursue.
• Tap into Your Personal Story: Think about the messages or themes you want to express through your music. Some genres lend themselves more naturally to certain emotions, such as punk for rebellion, blues for introspection, or pop for fun and energy.

Example: Adele built her career by tapping into her emotional connection with soul and pop music. Her ability to channel personal experiences into relatable ballads like Someone Like You solidified her place in the pop-soul genre.

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5. Trust the Process and Evolve

Discovering your genre doesn’t have to happen overnight. It’s a journey that can evolve as you grow as a musician. Don’t rush the process—sometimes, your genre will reveal itself over time.

What You Can Do:

• Allow Your Sound to Evolve: Your genre might shift as you gain experience and learn new production techniques. Embrace these changes and stay open to evolving your sound.
• Keep Creating: The more music you make, the clearer your genre will become. Even if you feel lost at times, every track you produce is a step toward refining your style.

Example: Kanye West has famously evolved throughout his career, experimenting with everything from traditional hip-hop on The College Dropout to electronic and experimental sounds on Yeezus. His genre evolution didn’t happen overnight—it grew as his music developed.

Finding your genre is a natural part of the creative process, and it doesn’t have to be rushed. By exploring different styles, reflecting on your influences, analyzing your own music, and following your emotional connection, you’ll gradually discover the genre that fits your sound.

Many famous artists have gone through this same process—experimenting and evolving over time. Like Childish Gambino, Bruno Mars, and Adele, your genre will eventually emerge as you continue to create and hone your craft. Stay open to the journey, and remember that your unique sound may lie in a genre you didn’t initially expect.

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