Music

Definition of Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound. Its common elements are pitch (which governs melody and
harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic
qualities of timbre and texture. The word derives from Greek (mousike; "art of the Muses").

The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of music vary according to culture and social
context. Music ranges from strictly organized compositions (and their recreation in performance), through
improvisational music to aleatoric forms. Music can be divided into genres and subgenres, although the
dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often subtle, sometimes open to personal
interpretation, and occasionally controversial. Within the arts, music may be classified as a performing art, a
fine art, and auditory art. It may also be divided among art music and folk music. There is also a strong
connection between music and mathematics. Music may be played and heard live, may be part of a dramatic
work or film, or may be recorded.

To many people in many cultures, music is an important part of their way of life. Ancient Greek and Indian
philosophers defined music as tones ordered horizontally as melodies and vertically as harmonies. Common
sayings such as "the harmony of the spheres" and "it is music to my ears" point to the notion that music is
often ordered and pleasant to listen to. However, 20th-century composer John Cage thought that any sound
can be music, saying, for example, "There is no noise, only sound." Musicologist Jean-Jacques Nattiez
summarizes the relativist, post-modern viewpoint: "The border between music and noise is always culturally
definedwhich implies that, even within a single society, this border does not always pass through the same
place; in short, there is rarely a consensus... By all accounts there is no single and intercultural universal
concept defining what music might be."

Elements of Music

Pitch 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.

Rhythm 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

Melody, or musical 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."

Timbre 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.

Dynamics loud 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.)
Texture

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

History of Music

Prehistoric eras

Prehistoric music can only be theorized based on findings from paleolithic archaeology sites. Flutes are often
discovered, carved from bones in which lateral holes have been pierced; these are thought to have been
blown at one end like the Japanese shakuhachi. The Divje Babe flute, carved from a cave bear femur, is
thought to be at least 40,000 years old. Instruments such as the seven-holed flute and various types of
stringed instruments, such as the Ravanahatha, have been recovered from the Indus Valley Civilization
archaeological sites. India has one of the oldest musical traditions in the worldreferences to Indian classical
music (marga) are found in the Vedas, ancient scriptures of the Hindu tradition. The earliest and largest
collection of prehistoric musical instruments was found in China and dates back to between 7000 and 6600
BC. The Hurrian song, found on clay tablets that date back to approximately 1400 BC, is the oldest surviving
notated work of music.

Different Kinds of Music and Their Examples

Different types of music help in soothing ones disturbed soul, in the growth of concentration and also
enliven us to live life to the fullest. There are varied genres of music as people have different tastes. For e.g.,
classical music, rock, jazz, metal, rap, folk etc. But the objective remains the same. The aim of all music is to
touch the core of the heart and thus music can be called an expression of our hearts saying. To understand
and know about different genres of music, let us have a look at the following genres.

Different Music Genres

Classical Music

Classical music is a complex form of music as it requires high musical skills, like learning the ragas and
ability to coordinate with other musicians. One has to maintain the complex relationship between its
emotional flows. If you wish to learn this music, then you have to go through proper training.

Example of a Classical Music:

Ludwig Van Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op.67: I. Allegro con brio

With its immortal opening four-note theme (Fate knocking), Beethoven's 5th Symphony is one of the most
instantly-recognizable pieces of Classical music. It is widely regarded as one of the most important works of
its time and has been riffed on by everyone from Snoopy to Robyn Thicke, even being made into a disco hit!

Art music

The term art music refers primarily to classical traditions, including both contemporary and historical classical
music forms. Art music exists in many parts of the world. It emphasizes formal styles that invite technical
and detailed deconstruction and criticism, and demand focused attention from the listener. In Western
practice, art music is considered primarily a written musical tradition, preserved in some form of music
notation rather than being transmitted orally, by rote, or in recordings, as popular and traditional music
usually are. Historically, most western art music has been written down using the standard forms of music
notation that evolved in Europe, beginning well before the Renaissance and reaching its maturity in the
Romantic period. The identity of a "work" or "piece" of art music is usually defined by the notated version
rather than by a particular performance. This is so particularly in the case of western classical music. Art
music may include certain forms of jazz, though some feel that jazz is primarily a form of popular music.

Example of an Art Music:

Franz Schubert - Composed 650 lieder (i.e. "Death and the Maiden," "Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel,"
Little Heath Rose," "The Erlknig" and "The Trout") and several song cycles (i.e. "Winterreise").

Popular music

The term popular music refers to any musical style accessible to the general public and disseminated by the
mass media. Musicologist and popular music specialist Philip Tagg defined the notion in the light of
sociocultural and economical aspects:

Popular music, unlike art music, is (1) conceived for mass distribution to large and often socioculturally
heterogeneous groups of listeners, (2) stored and distributed in non-written form, (3) only possible in an
industrial monetary economy where it becomes a commodity and (4) in capitalist societies, subject to the
laws of 'free' enterprise... it should ideally sell as much as possible.

Popular music is found on most commercial radio stations, in most commercial music retailers and
department stores, and in movie and television soundtracks. It is noted on the Billboard charts and, in
addition to singer-songwriters and composers, it involves music producers more than other genres do.

The distinction between classical and popular music has sometimes been blurred in marginal areas such as
minimalist music and light classics. In this respect music is like fiction, which likewise draws a distinction
between literary fiction and popular fiction that is not always precise.

Example of a Popular Music:

Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg - uses Peter Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture

Traditional music

Traditional music is a modern name for what has been called "folk music", excluding the expansion of the
term folk music to include much non-traditional material. Sometimes "folk" is designated for Western music
and non-Western music is considered "world music". The two are both unified as traditional music due to:

Oral transmission: The music is handed down and learned through singing, listening, and sometimes
dancing

Cultural basis: The music derives from and is part of the traditions of a particular region or culture.

Example of Traditional Music:

Oh Danny Boy (A Londonderry Air) - Irish Folk Song and National Anthem of Northern Ireland

Scarborough Fair - English Folk Song used and arranged by Simon & Garkunkel
Baroque music

Baroque music is characterized by the use of complex tonal counterpoint and the use of a basso continuo, a
continuous bass line. Music became more complex in comparison with the songs of earlier periods. The
beginnings of the sonata form took shape in the canzona, as did a more formalized notion of theme and
variations. The tonalities of major and minor as means for managing dissonance and chromaticism in music
took full shape.

Example of Baroque Music:

George Frideric Handel The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

Romantic era music

The music of the Romantic era, from roughly the first decade of the 19th century to the early 20th century,
was characterized by increased attention to an extended melodic line, as well as expressive and emotional
elements, paralleling romanticism in other art forms. Musical forms began to break from the Classical era
forms (even as those were being codified), with free-form pieces like nocturnes, fantasias, and preludes
being written where accepted ideas about the exposition and development of themes were ignored or
minimized.

Example of a Romantic Era Music:

Mendelssohn - Incidental Music to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Wedding March

Tchaikovsky - Danse des mirlitons

Rock Music

This music genre originated in the rock and roll era of 1950s. The vocals are accompanied by guitar, drum
and bass. Certain rock groups also use piano, synthesizer, saxophone, flute, mandolin and sitar for a deeper
effect. This type of music has several sub genres, such as hard rock, progressive rock and metal rock. All
these types of rock music are popular till date.

Example of Rock Music:

Bill Haley Rock Around the Clock, aired in 1955

Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock, aired in 1957

Metal Music

Metal music emerged after the Second World War. Here the melody of the song is heavily influenced by the
structure of the songs. While in rock music, songwriting is based within a form; in metal music, the central
melody decides the structure of the song. It is also known as information music.

Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s,
largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the
bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified
distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. Heavy metal lyrics and performance
styles are often associated with masculinity, aggression, and machismo.

The first heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath attracted large audiences,
though they were often derided by critics, a status common throughout the history of the genre. During the
mid-1970s, Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence;
Motrhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed. Bands in the New Wave
of British Heavy Metal such as Iron Maiden and Saxon followed in a similar vein. Before the end of the
decade, heavy metal fans became known as "metalheads" or "headbangers".

During the 1980s, glam metal became a commercial force with groups like Mtley Cre and Poison.
Underground scenes produced an array of more extreme, aggressive styles: thrash metal broke into the
mainstream with bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, while other styles of the most
extreme subgenres of metal like death metal and black metal remain subcultural phenomena. Since the mid-
1990s, popular styles such as groove metal (e.g. Pantera), which blends extreme metal with hardcore punk,
and nu metal (e.g. Slipknot), which often incorporates elements of grunge and hip hop, have further
expanded the definition of the genre.

Example of Metal Music:

Thrash Metal

Slayer's "Angel of Death", from Reign in Blood (1986), which features the fast, technically complex
musicianship typical of thrash metal

Death Metal

Suffocation" by Obituary from the album Slowly We Rot (1989)

Black Metal

De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas by Mayhem

Power Metal

Ghost of Freedom by Iced Earth

Doom Metal

"Country Doctor" from Crippled Lucifer (1998) by doom metal band Burning Witch

Hip-hop Music

Hip-hop music always includes the use of instruments such as guitar, violin, fiddle, piano, bass and drums.
In these types of music, the bass is the main instrument. This can be used in different intensities to emote
feelings of anger, pride and others. This type of music is the result of hip-hop culture and is known as hip-
hop music. This music shows a heavy...

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music, or hip-hop music, is a music genre consisting of a
stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is
chanted. It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements:
MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching, break dancing, and graffiti writing. Other elements include sampling (or
synthesis), and beatboxing. While often used to refer to rapping, "hip hop" more properly denotes the
practice of the entire subculture. The term hip hop music is sometimes used synonymously with the term rap
music, though rapping is not a required component of hip hop music; the genre may also incorporate other
elements of hip hop culture, including DJing and scratching, beatboxing, and instrumental tracks

Example of Hip-hop Music:

Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemey, 1990

Tha Crossroads by Bone Thugs -N- Harmony, 1990