This is a concept I talk about with clients a fair bit, especially as they start to carve out their own artistic style and identity.
Whether we are writing a song, covering a song, reinterpreting a song, we have to make decisions as to how we will do certain things.
Like what Mark?
OK, let’s say you’re wanting to create a version of your favourite song. This might be to perform, record, or just for fun. Let’s say that you have free reign to do whatever you want to it, to change as much as you want, as little as you want, or maybe change nothing at all.
What choices do we have available to us?
Well, we could change some of the chords. Do I use this chord, or that chord? How fast should I move through the chords? For those who don’t accompany themselves this isn’t strictly applicable, but it’s still a valid choice.
We could also choose whether to jettison a verse in a song we like that always seemed a bit superfluous. Or we can choose to repeat a section we like, a section that we think the original didn’t linger on enough.
Maybe there’s an alternate melody or some style/riffs we can include that we feel enhance the song.
But for some people, changing ANYTHING from the original feels entirely wrong to them. That their goal should be to give the most accurate recreation of the original song possible.
Whatever your preference on these topics happens to be, these choices are a reflection of all your preferences. And when you make all of these choices – from chords, to song structure, to melodic changes (or not), these choices all add up.
These choices that we make in composition, the listener then hears this sum total. In turn, they hear your artistic vision and personality within the piece. The aggregate of choices you make shows off your own interpretation and sense of style.
Artistry Requires Choice
Therefore, every choice we make reflects our personality in song. The more choices an artist can cultivate for themselves, the greater their capacity for nuance in their artistry.
This doesn’t mean that an artist HAS to change everything in a song, but the mere knowledge that they COULD, means a great deal. It means that even by leaving things as they are, an artist is making an intentional choice. And the more possible options an artist has in their toolbox, the greater the sophistication in their artistry.
Example A
Consider a more fledgling artist. Maybe their skill level means they can only really change one or two chords in a song, or they can’t really conceive of melodies beyond the scope of the original track. Perhaps they can sing the main catchy bit in the chorus, but ONLY if they sing it intensely. Anything other than that, and they can’t sing it.
Their choices are inherently limited. As such, the level to which their artistry can rise is limited, and their artistry may be winsome, but will lack sophistication or depth.
Example B
Consider a more advanced artist. Maybe they are comfortable switching out chords at will, such that they can make different verses sound different at any given moment. Perhaps they have learned to extrapolate basic melodies such that they can create more intricate melodies as a song wears on. On top of that, they are vocally competent enough they have at least two different ways of singing any given line.
Suddenly, the number of choices is huge, and the number of permutations in which those choices can combine together is exponential. They don’t have to deploy all these choices to an extreme in every song, but being able to visit just a few of these in different songs leads to great tonal and artistic variety.
Cultivate and curate your choices
The more choices you can cultivate as a singer, the more complete you become as an artist. This can be in the musical accompaniment, but for those who have others accompanying them, the bulk of the work will need to be carried out in your vocal work. When you can only sing a song ONE way, you lack choice. Artistry requires choice.
Work on your voice, both technically and musically to add more choices to your palette, and learn to deploy these in different ways across different songs. Through doing this your artistry will grow enormously, and you’ll never feel like you’re out of ideas in songs.