Artists Believe That Formulas Kill Creativity; Here's The Truth
I posted a thread a month ago about using formulas in music and the negative comments from artists came rolling in.
The general pushback was that using formulas removes creativity from music and is just a strategy for popularity. I understand the sentiment when the top five songs on a pop music chart use the 1-4-5 progression. However, obsessing over this has led many artists to dismiss the value of studying successful formulas.
Great artists and performers study great works in great detail—it's that simple.
Masters Copy To Become Masters
If you look at top performers across many industries, copying was part of their growth strategy.
Superior athlete, Kobe Bryant copied all of Michael Jordan's moves...he called it downloading. Many great artists, including Picasso, learned by copying the works of established masters. This practice helped them understand techniques, develop skills, and gain insights into the Old Masters vision. Copying can help you learn, but it’s important to make sure you add your thoughts so it’s not flat-out plagiarism.
Have you noticed that great musicians have a library of professional songs in their heads?
I frequently collaborate with an awesome bass player, and I'm always throwing different song styles at him—usually just 15 minutes before the session. We'll discuss what I'm looking for, and he'll dial in the right tone and groove. Recently, he recommended using slap bass for a track to capture the '80s funk-dance vibe I was aiming for. He then played basslines from songs of that era that featured slap bass riffs, and I was instantly convinced. From there he quickly adapted the bass line I had written to fit this style. His ability to be so flexible stems from the dedication he put into studying the masters early in his journey.
By glancing over the work of professional songs you're missing out on useful tool acquisition.
Study And Copy Songs As A Simple Exercise To Absorb Moves
Have fun with this. We fell in love with music because it made us feel good. Learning songs and aiming to sound like the original is both educational and fun.
Don't stress about losing your creativity by copying awesome work. When you learn from it, your ideas will shine through, and you might come up with even more concepts!
Here are a few additional ways to harness successful music to accompany you on your journey.
Tip #1: Jam on a tune over and over again. Rick Rubin encourages artists to embrace this practice when they need a creative reboot during the production process. Robert Glasper does this with J Dilla's music to internalize his legendary feel for music.
Tip #2: Rewrite lyrics by hand. Great copywriters and musicians do this often. Sam Parr, the founder of the Hustle, created a product around it. Yes, people pay Sam Parr to send them things to copy!
Tip #3: Borrow and Combine. This is a great technique featured in Berklee's Harmony songwriting curriculum. It involves taking the chord progression from one song and the groove from another, allowing you to creatively mix and match them to create something entirely new.
Steering clear of imitation and learning formulas robs you of the benefit of learning from the masters.
Embrace the strategy that many successful have done, just don't plagiarize.
🧠 Quote of the week
Choosing the most effective form for your song is a skill like the others you've learned: how to create melodies, harmonies, and lyrics. Now you'll learn how to set those great ideas in the best, most memorable structures. - Jimmy Kachulis (Berklee Professor)
Enjoy your week,
Melvin Darrell
