There are so many styles of music we can learn and use. Jazz, blues, rap, classical, pop, rock, and many more. And even in those styles, there are different sub-genres and more detail. But the question I want to ask today is whether or not a specific style makes you a better musician.
Each style of music brings a unique benefit to musical knowledge. Jazz and blues bring about knowledge of and experience with improvising and creativity on the fly. Rap helps to build up a depth and connection with rhythm and rhythmic patterns. Classical helps to give an overall broader on form and style. Now, there’s even more that can be gleaned from these styles, but to me, these are the big and broad skills that come from these styles.
But the question remains. Is there a specific style of music that makes you a better musician? The answer is no, not one specific style makes you a better musician. All styles of music bring about a focus on different aspects of music, as I mentioned in the previous paragraph. I believe that an exposure to and a focus on a wide variety of musical styles help to bring about musical growth. Just like you wouldn’t eat the same meal every day for your entire life, variety is helpful and necessary.
Whether you listen to, study or play different styles of music, all of them will help to make you a better musician. There isn’t one specific style that will help you more than another, but I believe that using multiple styles will help you grow in your knowledge and abilities in music.
What do you think? Do you find value in one musical style over another? Comment with your thoughts.