The Best Way to Boost Your Confidence Can Be Surprisingly Simple

Boost your confidence so you can trust your actions. When we are under stress, our confidence can help us navigate through difficult situations. Also, it helps us have a positive attitude because we value ourselves and we know what we are capable of.

Now, how can we be self-confident? It’s not about appearances, it is about inner strength and about reducing negative thoughts. There is a surprisingly simple and exciting hobby to boost your confidence: music composition. It works because we use our passion to express our inner self, and we value every thought as a source of inspiration for our creations.

Why Artistic Creations Boost Our Confidence

Art helps boost our confidence because we have to listen to our instincts. To create, we have to listen to our thoughts. What we feel and think becomes valuable. All thoughts and ideas are valid and constitute a source of creation.

As a consequence, we start to trust what we are and what we believe in. The same happens with music composition. When we start to create a new tune, we listen to our soul. The composition is a reflection of what we think and feel. Every thought is valid, and every doubt can be shaped into a beautiful tune.

Music composition is about creating new sounds and melodies. It is about making a statement about anything we want. That is both a powerful motivator, as well as a valuable expression towards affirming our beliefs.

There are many different approaches to music composition, and we can get to choose how deep we dive into its many possibilities. Here you can explore three different ways to start on music composition.

The Way Our Mind Works

Our mind enjoys music and that it is why we should use it to express. We enjoy the feeling of expectation. That is to say, if we predict what we are about to listen, our brain receives a dose of dopamine. If we anticipate consciously or unconsciously how the tune is going to sound, we enjoy it. That is in general terms how music works in our brains.

How can we use that for our well-being? By listening to music we like. Also, by composing melodies with or without lyrics that reflect our state of mind. When we listen to the composition later, we can perceive our emotions. This time is not so much about predicting, is about recalling and empowering from our expressions.

Knowing the way our mind works, composing music, and using it for our benefit, is a spectacular form of awareness. As a consequence, we are more true to our values and we are better oriented towards our goals. Hence, we boost our confidence.

Using art as a form of self-awareness and to boost our confidence is a sequence. First, you notice the importance of music and art for your brain. Second, you use that knowledge to engage in constant artistic creations. Third, you savor the way your brain reacts. You become self-aware, and you start to value who you are. As a consequence, you boost your confidence.

The way our brains interpret music is why we should consider music composition as a form to express and boost our confidence.

Music has been culturally selected to sound like an emotionally expressive human.

 Mark Changizi 

There is another crucial advantage of music composition. That is, when we listen to music we may alter our perceptions towards different scenarios. For this reason, it is beneficial to consider music when we want to make an appreciation. For example, if we are feeling stressed, we can interpret the situation better if we observe it from a neutral point. When we compose music, we can break down our thoughts. This way, it is possible to have a clearer picture of what we are thinking.

When we compose music, we can shift our perception and be in a more thoughtful point of view. That is because we have observed our feelings and have analyzed whether or not they are real. It is like writing in a journal. The difference is that music has an emotional component that helps our mind be engaged in the situation. Because music makes us feel good, we should use it to express our thoughts.

A Simple Approach to Music Composition

Very often we have to repeat new discoveries for them to become established knowledge. Why are repetitions important for learning? According to science, because the skill moves from the conscious to the unconscious mind. Besides, our brains make more connections that help us recall the information. The more paths we have in our brains, the merrier!

Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.

Zig Ziglar

Now, let’s use this approach with music. Create an audible motif that represents your state of mind. This repetitive sound can help you boost your confidence. We can compose music by using elements of composition that rely on repetitions. Just as one can make visual repetitions or patterns, also, it is possible to make sound repetitions. There are two main groups: loops and riffs or licks.

Loops

A loop is a piece of music that repeats many times. Loops are used as a base to compose sounds on top of them. Think of it as a structure that elements can rely on. The importance of a loop is that the end has to match with the beginning. That is to say, to compose one, think about how you can relate the end to the beginning. Listen closely and analyze whether or not the succession of notes can be repeated many times.

Riffs or Licks

Unlike a loop, a riff is not continuous and is not heard in the background, it is the protagonist. Think of it as a short and sticky phrase. It is a melodic idea that appears throughout the composition. The beauty of a riff is that it becomes a statement very often. For example, you can compose one and put it randomly in a song.

You can make variations of your loops and riffs to have more elements for the whole composition. Elements like the speed, the duration, the frequency, and the timbre can be modified. Below, there are a few concepts that will help you compose a complete musical piece.

The Tonic

The tonic is the first degree of the scale and the center or resolution tone. Think of it as the sound where you land. To start the composition simply choose a note and label it the tonic. Compose the entire piece centered on that sound.

It is important to determine the tonic of the song because it is going to establish which notes constitute the elements of the composition. This is also known as the signature. To clarify, the tonic is going to establish which notes you can play. The signature establishes which notes are going to be higher or lower than its natural tones.

The idea of this activity to boost your confidence relies on your feelings. That is why it is important to choose a tone that somehow reflects what you want. For this reason, consider a major tone for happiness and a minor tone for sadness. Above all, experiment with sounds and play a lot of music. This way, you get to notice the expressions that reflect your soul and start to make more reasoned choices. For a complete and basic definition of music theory read here.

The Beat

The beat is the component of the composition that is going to determine how fast or slow you play the notes. Usually, you can express with slow beats more melancholia and with fast beats more happiness. It is not a rule, and you can play with this element to highlight or diminish a feeling. Like with any art, your expression is completely subjective.

The Melody

Construct the melody as if it was a walking path. That is to say, on a road we go up and then down, or to the left and then to the right. The same principle can make up a music composition. For example, the melody rises and then falls. Work with this motion with frequencies and you will have composed an interesting path to remember.

Also, include the riff once in a while, whenever you feel like it. The riff could be a reminder of an idea. The melody is the protagonist in your story. Construct a story that narrates what you are feeling at the moment. The more you do it, the more you boost your confidence.

Repetitions vs. Restatements

It’s possible to repeat the same motif many times. When does it begin to feel monotonous and boring? Listen to this composition. Can you actually keep count of how many times it repeats? Does it really matter?

What kind of music do you want to compose? Should we follow traditional or any rules at all?

These are some questions that will help you determine the way you want to compose your musical piece. There are certain sounds that we find pleasing and relaxing, and there are others that raise our heartbeat. If you want to learn more about this interesting topic you can read here. It states that the emotional reaction to music is subjective. However, certain aspects can be generalized to classify songs. For example, as mentioned before, an element like the beat is highly suggestive.

Why are loops soothing? Your brain likes sounds that don’t represent a threat. For example, the same happens with nature sounds. If you want to go in that direction consider adding some natural sounds. Again, it is up to you the way you want to direct your composition.

Boost Your Confidence

Remember that art helps us boost our confidence because we rely on our creativity. Don’t suppress your feelings and let your soul guide you through the process of composition. If you don’t want to show explicitly the way you feel, you can always go for a suggestive idea.

Rely on the loops and add elements. For example, words or more instruments. Think of loops as a companion that is by your side to guide you. When you add elements you are layering music sounds. Almost all music compositions rely on the possibility of layering. That is, to add music tracks on top of each other. When you begin with a loop, you have a strong foundation that works as an inspiration.

It is possible to make an analogy with the way your mind works and music composition. A loop is a composition that forms the base towards new sounds. A riff is an idea that you can repeat to learn how to overcome certain difficulties. The same is art in your life. It could be the structure that helps you build your confidence.

Also, when you compose music you can make an analogy towards what you do daily. For instance, noticing your mistakes and how to avoid them. It is all about how we become aware when we compose a piece of music and notice our thoughts.