MusicMusicvocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.

The Elements

of Music

The Elements

of Music

register (high or low);  Organization of pitches with a pattern of intervals between them creates scales;  Words we might use to describe scales: major/minor, chromatic, gapped, pentatonic.

Pitch Pitch

RhythmRhythm the time element of music.  A

specific rhythm is a specific pattern in time; we usually hear these in relation to a steady pulse, and mentally organize this pulse or tempo into meter (sometimes called a "time signature").  Meter organizes beats into groups, usually of two or three; beats can be divided into small units usually 2, 3 or 4 subdivisions.

MelodyMelodymusical line, is a combination of pitch

and rhythm (some say "duration").  Sometimes a melody is considered to be the theme of a composition. We might characterize melody by its contour (rising or falling) and the size of the intervals in it.  A melody that uses mostly small intervals (or scale steps) and is smooth is said to be a conjunct melody.  Not surprisingly, a melody that uses large intervals is called a disjunct melody.  A motif (or motive) is either a very short melody or a distinctive part of a longer melody.  I might describe the opening four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as a "motific cell."

TimbreTimbre sound quality or tone color; timbre is

the characteristic that allows us to distinguish between one instrument and another, and the difference between vowel sounds (for example, long "a" or "ee").  Terms we might use to describe timbre:  bright, dark, brassy, reedy, harsh, noisy, thin, buzzy, pure, raspy, shrill, mellow, strained.  I prefer to avoid describing timbre in emotional terms (excited, angry, happy, sad, etc.); that is not the sound quality, it is its effect or interpretation.  Rather than describe the timbre of an instrument in other terms, it is often more clear just to describe the timbre by naming the instrument, once we have learned the names and sounds of a few instruments.

DynamicsDynamicsloud or soft.  A composition that has extremely soft passages as well as extremely loud passages is said to have a large or wide dynamic range.  Dynamics can change suddenly or gradually (crescendo, getting louder, or decrescendo, getting softer.)

TextureTexture monophonic (one voice or line),polyphonic (many voices, usually similar, as in Renaissance or Baroque counterpoint),homophonic (1. a melody with simple accompaniment;  2.  chords moving in the same rhythm (homorhythmic))heterophony – “mixed” or multiple similar versions of a melody performed simultaneously (rare in European music; possibly used in Ancient Greece)collage – juxtaposition & superimposition of extremely different textures or sounds

Different Types

Of Music

Different Types

Of Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

The kind of music that most of us have forgotten, yet listen to everyday. Because most of what we hear now is derived from what the great classical composers created decades and centuries ago. We may think of classical music as what orchestras play in a giant auditorium, wearing black clothes, with a conductor frantically waving his staff about. That's a very base description of something that the composers dedicated their lives to. The main categories in classical music go a little like this:

Orchestral Music

The usual grand collection of many musicians (more than eighty), grouped according to their instrument, guided by their sheet music, years of training and practice, and the conductor. It started in the early 17th century and evolved into the sub-categories given below.

♫ A symphony consists of four movements (sometimes three). They usually differ from each other through the kind of emotion they are designed to invoke.♫ A suite (pronounced 'sweet', French for 'a sequence') is an arrangement of short movements, either self-composed or taken from someone else's composition.♫ An overture is a piece of composition that acts as the curtain-raiser to the opera.♫ A concerto is essentially made of three movements, that are created solely for the purpose of letting the soloist instrument shine out. This is unlike a symphony, where all instruments perform in unison.♫ Ballet is orchestral music that is based on dance movements. This type was created and nurtured during the Romantic era.♫ Incidental music is directly related to stage music; it provides the motion to an act. The sections are short and often repetitive.

Chamber musicThis is musical work composed specifically for a smaller instrumental arrangement (smaller than an orchestra).OperaThe most popular type of classical music to come out of the Baroque era was the opera. It's an orchestra set to an entire play. The composition can be created to accompany an act or display the emotions of a character on a colorfully constructed background.

Rock MusicRock Music

The origins of rock 'n' roll are as foggy as the genre is popular. What I can offer you is this: the term was coined in 1955 by Alan Freed, a disc jockey from Ohio. The oldest form of rock 'n' roll (1950s) was a mixture of R&B, country and rockabilly (it was just called hillbilly music back then), only it was faster, louder and 'dangerous'. The man at the forefront of this genre was (and still is) Elvis Presley, followed by personalities like Chuck Berry and Little Richard. The rock scene in the 50s was more about shock value, which included fashion statements, sexually-oriented lyrics and dance moves catering to a young audience in particular.

♫ Alternative rock is anything that peaked for brief periods of time and was out of the ordinary, even by rock standards. This includes grunge, indie, new wave, punk and Goth to name a few. Alternative rock can be defined more through movements rather than individual bands.♫ Art rock, which is the early form of psychedelic rock and progressive rock. It is led by the bands Exploding Plastic Inevitable, Pink Floyd and The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Jimi was also known as the pioneer of acid rock).♫ Arena rock, which is just a different way to see the greater rock bands of old: under heavy lighting, dynamic stage acts and crowd inclusion. The style focuses more on the stage (like Woodstock) than any band in particular.

♫ Metal is perhaps the branch of rock with the most number of offshoots. It is believed to be initiated by Black Sabbath. It also includes Iron Maiden, who are a part of the heavy metal movement called New Wave of British Heavy Metal.♫ Glam rock can encompass a wider range of other styles of rock, and add feminine detailing and promiscuity. This includes David Bowie, Queen, Elton John and T. Rex. There's also glam metal with Alice Cooper and Aerosmith.

BluesBlues

The reason why blues became so popular can only be understood when you look at its time of creation. The origin of blues is too unclear to pinpoint to one artist or one year; for the sake of historic importance, it's believed that the blues music was created in the late 19th century, by the black slaves that were forced to work in the cotton fields. Blues has firm roots in African traditional music. But above all else, the purpose of making the blues is always the same: the expression of intense emotions. It is the one reason why this genre had such a profound effect on America, and eventually the world.

♫ Mississippi delta blues came from the Mississippi delta region. It's the oldest known form of blues as a genre, from which other forms later evolved. Artists included in this style are Muddy Waters and Memphis Minnie (When the Levee Breaks is a perfect example of the delta blues).♫ Chicago blues came next, when the delta musicians started traveling to the big city to look for a better life. Which is why Muddy Waters can be considered as both a delta blues man and a Chicago blues artist. The biggest difference between the two styles is the use of electric guitars and a slightly faster pace in the latter.

♫ Texas blues came out after America saw how big Chicago blues was getting. The style was made famous by artists like Lightnin' Hopkins and Freddie King.♫ Blues rock was one of the last big blues styles to hit it big. It's largely inspired by the Chicago blues and started in the 1960s by bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and ZZ Top.

JazzJazz

Jazz is the second genre born from African traditional music. It is considered to be America's first indigenous form of music. It is believed to have started after the Civil War, when the black people were free to travel and seek employment.

♫ Ragtime was the most popular form of jazz. It started in the late 1800s and included heavy use of the piano. It was a little different from the other jazz styles because it was formally composed, rather than improvised. Check out 'Shoe Tickler Rag' and 'The Maple Leaf Rag'.♫ New Orleans jazz started in that city and focused on collective improvisation.♫ Chicago jazz is where the swing really started swinging. It's characterized by a fast hip-swerving rhythm fronted by a solo sax improvisation.♫ Bebop is all about nonsensical syllables that are more percussive than literary (like the Bill Cosby memes). Bebop came after the swing era and around the start of WW II.

♫ Cool jazz is a direct response to the then-declining bebop jazz. It was more classical and formal.♫ Smooth jazz is one of the last styles implemented. It is heavily influenced by R&B and funk.♫ Scat jazz is a form of vocal jazz similar to bebop. Check out Ella Fitzgerald.

FolkFolk

Folk music can be broadly classified into two groups, traditional folk and folk revival. Not styles, like other genres. There is only one type - folk. The actual folk songs are something that are indigenous to a culture, popularized at events and passed down mostly orally. It is often the case that a folk song does not have a singular credible artist (or cannot be found). The songs are sourced as anonymous and are therefore, not owned by anyone. They are always lyrically important, with an easy rhythm to guide the song. Also, it is mostly the working class that engages in expressive songs. It is they who make the folk songs, which is why the songs are about daily life and the workers' struggle, or about nature and wildlife, or even lullabies for children.

R&BR&B

R&B, which stands for Rhythm and Blues, was a name coined due to need rather than style. During the 40s, any music created by the African-American populace was termed 'black music' or 'race music'. The term was quite offensive and therefore, stunted the growth and popularity of the artists. In order to make it sound more upbeat, Billboard reporter Jerry Wexler coined R&B, and the phrase has stuck since then.

♫ Funk can be considered to be a part of R&B. It includes James Brown (the creator of funk) and Earth, Wind and Fire. The music is primarily meant to be danced to.♫ Contemporary R&B is music that fits into the R&B category after the 80s.♫ Soul is a style generated from a heavy influence of gospel music on blues and R&B. The style was largely created by Ray Charles.♫ Neo Soul is almost like soul, except it includes influences from hip hop, rap and pop. It's basically an R&B style that started in the late 90s.R&B is also classified through the set lists that radio stations play, spawning branches like urban adult contemporary and urban contemporary.

Hip HopHip Hop

The music of hip hop is just a part of the whole culture, a very big part. The music is marked by a significant importance to the bass and the beats, with rapping as the predominant vocal art form. Which is why rap is a part of hip hop culture and therefore, its styles are also a part of hip hop music.

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