Good question. I would just say do whatever you enjoy the most and gets you most excited to learn. If that’s trying out 10 different styles do that - you will learn stuff that is useful regardless. Now if you are just starting and want to get good more quickly… Maybe focus on just one style and then branch out to others once you get one style down. Overall though just try to learn something and get a little bit better each day.
I try to use sounds I think would fit the artist voice and vibe. Look of bpm's of favorite songs by them and just try to think what I would want to hear them on.
Welcome to the channel! For instruments I have just been using my one shot kit Da Vinci - which is on my website. I do have a video on free VSTs that I like though - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3sPvDR6kBi8.html.
