Musical Genres and Styles

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

Official Music Industry
Genres and Categories
* African
* Blues
* Caribbean
* Children's
* Classical
* Country
* Electronic
* Folk/Traditional
* Jazz
* Latin
* March
* Middle Eastern
* Military
* Musicals
* New Age
* Novelty
* R&B and Soul
* Rap and Hip-Hop
* Reggae
* Rock/Pop
* Theme Music
* World Fusion
* Religious/
Devotional

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

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

Intention or Use
2. Listening/Performing

Classical

Jazz

Fusion

Opera

Musicals

Intention or Use
3. Inspiration/Therapy/Motivation

Religious

Marches/Disco

New Age
4. Storytelling

Folk music

Children’s songs

Intention or Use
5. Artistic expression

Any music that mainly serves that purpose-
• Composed music
• Outsider music
• Fringe music

How do we decide…?

Instrumentation

Orchestra/Band/Choir

Combos

Folk Instruments

Electronic

How do we decide…?

Rhythm/ Style

2 beat, 4 beat, 3 beat

Simple vs. complex

Swing vs. straight

Volume

Harmony-- simple vs. complex

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


Oral Tradition

Folk music, Rock, Blues, Rap (some), Country,
Alternative, “Pop” (some), Children’s songs,
Gospel (some), New Age

Written Tradition

Classical, Jazz, Movie scores, Opera, Video Games,
Musicals, Muzak, some Rock, Pop, Rap, and
Gospel.

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.”

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.

A Final Word

All of these categories were developed for the convenience of the music industry

In other words, they are “made up.”