Music is composed in the same way.
Everyone has their own style. Every writer and composer has their own signature move. Writers have a word or words that are most often repeated in their works. These words can be used to determine the writer’s style and manner.
There are unique writers who don’t repeat words over long periods of time. Personally, I consider this a sign of exceptional quality. For example, Shakespeare’s works (more than 3,000 words) almost never repeat words, which is why he is considered unique. On the other hand, in “Romeo and Juliet,” the word “love” is repeated a whopping 150 times.
There are similar composers (perhaps writers aren’t in the know, but composers also have their signature moves): some use motifs, phrases, or even entire sentences. But there are also great, unique composers, whom we all know. Just think about it: their “words,” their musical phrases, are never repeated not only in a single work, but even in entire collections of works, and sometimes even in all the works of a lifetime. Example: Johann Sebastian Bach—the greatest German composer, who wrote over 1,000 works of a very high intellectual caliber.
Cool, isn’t it? I want that too. So that if a reader reads, they’re captivated; if they watch, they’re engrossed; if they listen, they’re engrossed. After all, when you listen to a song, watch a music video, or read a book, you really want to enjoy it, not change the channel, change the book, or turn off the sound.
The art of stylistics exists precisely to hold attention, for both writers and musicians. Style is how we determine whether we like music, songs, books, paintings, sports events, political figures, patrons, and so on. If we like something, we become admirers and supporters of that style.
Create your own music writing style! Good luck!
