Find Your Voice
What's the Risk in Sounding Like Everyone Else?
In this lesson, you're invited to stop chasing the shadows of jazz legends and instead uncover the voice that's been inside you all along. Finding your musical identity isn't just a stylistic decision—it's the soul of your artistry. This isn't about playing better. It's about sounding like you.
If Ray Charles Had to Break Free—What About You? Even icons had to step away from imitation to discover greatness. What's waiting on the other side of yours?
You're Not Missing It—You're Just Not Listening Yet. Honest reflection can uncover a sound that's more familiar than you think.
Are You Hiding Behind the Greats? Learn how studying masters should shape your growth—not silence your identity.
What If Your Best Sound Shows Up When You Stop Trying So Hard? Discover why relaxed imagination can reveal the clearest version of your musical self.
Risky? Yes. Worth It? Absolutely. Stepping into your own voice takes guts—but it's where authenticity lives.
Finding your voice isn't just a concept—it's the quiet revolution that transforms practice into art.
I have a question about what David Liebman is saying. I would say I am still a beginner of Jazz. I am senior preparing for my college auditions. The only thing I can say about me that’s notable is getting honorable mention in all state jazz.
So my question is he talks about breaking repetition and finding new things and when he found a repetitive lick he was doing that he would stop. One of my teachers told me that a problem I have is trying to do too many things at once. And that I should find a couple notes and see what I can do with those notes instead of searching for that other note and that other lick. I feel stuck as should I be stopping myself when I find myself doing something like a lick over and over again? Or should I keep an idea and see where it leads me?
I definitely need some help in finding my own voice. I like to improvise over songs a lot and I do a lot better at improvising over any song is finding a familiar melody with the music. If there isn’t a melody I have some trouble making ideas and finding what I want to do which leads me to worse solos I feel like.
Great question!
Without hearing you play, it is difficult to validate what your teacher meant, but I would guess the advice is solid.
As I’ve said many many times, I think jazz has devolved into an exercise of “look how many notes I can fit into this space.” The contrast to that is, “Look what an authentic and interesting story I can tell about me.” Now, that is much harder that filling the space with well-rehearsed notes which I think is why so many ploayers default to that method.
The question is, “How do you discover your musical voice?” Notice that I didn’t say “create” your own voice. When you talk to someone, you aren’t thinking “Who am I and how should I talk?” Your communication style evolves as you age, but it’s authentic YOU at every stage.
I think the reason music (improvisation) requires “discovery” is because 1. we’re communicating through a very complex musical instrument (lots of friction!) whereas the physiology of speaking is much more a direct connection to our brain. Every regret saying something that you just blurted out (“Freudian slip”). Maybe our goal for our musical improvisation is to run a continuous Freudian slip?!
I frequently advocate singing because of that similar direct connection to our physiology. Try this: play a rhythm backing track then sing the first phrase that comes to you. Sing it again to get it more ingrained into your consciousness. Next, play that phrase on your instrument. It is sometimes hard because by the time you sang, the changes have evolved to another key center. That is why I recommend using my Groovz Playgrounbd backing tracks that consist of 1, 2, 3, and 4-chord loops.
But however you use singing, it removes the friction of your instrument and exposes something musical inside you (assuming you did not just sing the first well-rehearsed pattern or lick. Consider this exercise a link-free zone!
Do this and hear if your playing opens up to something new and more pleasant. One reason I benefit from playing demonstrations like this recent one (https://musicsavvy.com/sultry-bluesy/) and (https://musicsavvy.com/midnight-dance-floor/) is that I am hyper aware of NOT devolving into a lick or an automatic phrase that lays easily on trombone. After all, I’m demonstrating much of what I am writing here.
Try the singing then play and hear if that gets you closer to expressing your musical voice on your instrument.