However, composing in a vacuum outside of a tradition is very difficult, and it would be better to take the opposite approach. First, you should make a study of t he origins and development of the medium for which you are composing. Then, get the scores and recordings and start listening and analyzing. Try to understand how your piece relates to the literature. This may take quite some time, but it well worth th e effort.
Novelists often spend many weeks researching a subject before starting to write.
Many composers have looked to the past for ideas and inspiration. The origins of Stravinsky's mixed meter can be found in the works of Mussorgsky . Even the works of Webern contain many references to the compositions of earlier tonal composers such as Beethoven and Brahms. There is much to learn from what has already been written. Performance - Keyboard skills are particularly useful, even though todays synthesizers can read large scores better than any pianist.