Musical Genres and Styles

1
Musical Genres and Styles
2
Exercise One (in class)

• You are in charge of a CD department in a music
  store. You must decide whether the following
  selections go in--
• the Classical section
• The Popular section
• the International section

3
Official Music Industry Genres and Categories
Latin March Middle Eastern
Military Musicals New Age
Novelty RB and Soul Rap and Hip-Hop
Reggae
Rock/Pop Theme Music World Fusion
Religious/ Devotional

• African
• Blues
• Caribbean
• Children's
• Classical
• Country
• Electronic
• Folk/Traditional
• Jazz

4
Pop Categories

• Country
• Alternative
• Christian
• Classic Rock
• Disco
• Doo Wop
• Gothic
• Indie
• Industrial

Lounge Metal New Wave/Synthpop
Oldies Progressive Punk and
Hardcore Rockabilly Ska Surf
Rock
5
How do we decide which category to use?

• Intention or Use
• 1. Entertainment (read money making)
• All categories of Pop music
• Musicals
• Movie sound tracks

6
Intention or Use

• 2. Listening/Performing
• Classical
• Jazz
• Fusion
• Opera
• Musicals

7
Intention or Use

• 3. Inspiration/Therapy/Motivation
• Religious
• Marches/Disco
• New Age
• 4. Storytelling
• Folk music
• Childrens songs

8
Intention or Use

• 5. Artistic expression
• Any music that mainly serves that purpose-
• Composed music
• Outsider music
• Fringe music

9
How do we decide?

• Instrumentation
• Orchestra/Band/Choir
• Combos
• Folk Instruments
• Electronic

10
How do we decide?

• Rhythm/ Style
• 2 beat, 4 beat, 3 beat
• Simple vs. complex
• Swing vs. straight
• Volume
• Harmony-- simple vs. complex

11
How do we decide?

• How music was created

• Oral Tradition
• Written by ear
• Passed on by ear
• No rules except custom

• Paper Tradition
• Written down as composed
• Passed on through written music
• Written according to rules but often experimental

12
A few examples

• Oral Tradition
• Folk music, Rock, Blues, Rap (some), Country,
  Alternative, Pop (some), Childrens songs,
  Gospel (some), New Age
• Written Tradition
• Classical, Jazz, Movie scores, Opera, Video
  Games, Musicals, Muzak, some Rock, Pop, Rap, and
  Gospel.

13
International Music

• Most International Music is Oral with some
  exceptions
• IM sometimes has the same conventions as Western
  music but most often not
• Intention is usually the most important aspect of
  IM--e.g., work songs music for rituals,
  celebration, and storytelling a very small
  percentage is for entertainment.

14
A Final Word

• These categories are not hard and fast. Some
  music falls into several categories and some can
  even change categories over time.
• There are two other categories that we also need
  to think about-- professional and amateur.

15
A Final Word

• All of these categories were developed for the
  convenience of the music industry
• In other words, they are made up.