How to cope with unfamiliar…

… STYLE.

Want to imitate a certain style of music?

I found a few basic ways how is possible to do that, put them in a step by step way and would like to share it with you.

Learn which instruments (1) are used to make music in that style.

Which rhythms (2) are typical?

What harmony (3)?

Which type of melody (4) is used in that particular style: stepwise movement, skips, recitative etc?

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As an extra point it might be useful to study the aesthetics (5) of a particular style: what sense it has? Purpose? Meaning? Philosophy? Message…? Find some information about that.

 

Pick up several pieces, that you like in that style and for a couple of days just listen to them for many times. After, when you are familiar with them aware what comes after what in those pieces, follow next steps:

– clap/tap the rhythms you hear from a recording,

– sing the melodies along,

– try to figure out chord progressions.

Do it all for next several days with all the pieces. By the end of that period you should have an overview of a style and have an ability to imitate it up to some extend.

 

It helped me a lot many times!

Good luck! 🙂