Theodore M. Bernstein referred to writers'
aversion to reusing the same word more than once as synonymomania. Because of the instruction of many English teachers*, it's a common ailment afflicting amateur writers. God knows I haven't shaken it--it appears to be terminal. Not only is it fine to use the same word multiple times in close proximity, it is usually more natural and reads better than constantly substituting synonyms. Common nouns and verbs are expected to be repeated, and in a music review no one will bat an eye reading words like "sing", "guitar", or "album" multiple times. None of which is to say synonyms are never acceptable. You'll find instances where it is advisable to change up the word choice, especially when both words are common, e.g. saying "release" instead of "album".
BuriedUnborn wrote:
I also fail at describing the drums without overusing the words "beat", "fast", "aggressive" or else, I just tend to explain vaguely what the drummer plays and that's it.
Adopt one of the oldest, and still best, writing tips: use verbs rather than adjectives. When writing reviews, the intuition is to use adjectives--you're describing something after all--and it would be impossible to never use any, but your writing will improve as you turn towards describing actions instead of characteristics. Example: "He flattens listeners with a stampede of double bass, allowing no time to regain their composure." Not a great sentence, but it illustrates you can explain music through verbs.
colin040 wrote:
2: Look up synonyms of words you'd normally use and use these synonyms in your reviews too - it's a great way to expand your vocabulary.
Thesauruses are great, but should be used cautiously. They're best for reminding you of words you're already familiar with. The problem with learning new words through a thesaurus is that synonyms have different connotations and often subtle differences in meaning so they're not merely interchangeable. Reading is still the best method of expanding your vocabulary as it gives you better insight into the proper context to use a word. Avoid using thesaurus.com; the thesaurus on merriam-webster.com is more reliable. It breaks down how close in meaning the synonyms are (or how far away in the case of antonyms), and since it's primarily a dictionary, you can easily check the exact definition of any word listed.
colin040 wrote:
4: Don't wait for your mind to suddenly get great ideas. Just start writing for a couple of minutes and see if it leads to something.
Some of the best writing advice here. Some ideas, sentences, jokes, observations and whatnot come to you while you're doing things other than writing, but the bulk of the review (or any other thing you write) will be formed while you're typing. If struggling to come up with the next thing to write, just write something and see if you can work with it. You may end up scrapping what you've put down, but it will get your mind working, formulating new thoughts on the matter.
Twisted_Psychology wrote:
Though on the subject of synonyms, "melodies" and "chord progressions" are good phrases to use alongside "riffs." They technically mean different things but I think they help in making even more distinctions when describing composition.
Another great point, and another area in which I struggle. A greater understanding of music affords you more avenues to explore. You can deep dive into subjects that are related to one another, but not identical, making repetition less of an issue.
From what I've read of your reviews and forum comments, your writing doesn't shout "struggles with English". I wouldn't even suspect you're not a native speaker. Being concerned with improving shows you're on the right track. Keep writing and keep working to refine what you write. Take some chances and make mistakes. Fuck, I didn't mean for that to turn into inspiration porn at the end there.
*Maybe as a way to encourage students to expand their vocabulary, or maybe because it's not necessary to understand the finer points of effective writing in order to teach basic English.