Music Genres

In today's society, we tend to stigmatize Classical Music. Many of us think that snobby and arrogant old people listen to classical music. Teens who admit their love for classical music are...

Have you ever wanted to make files of lyrics to all your favorite songs. Or simply strike up a nostalgia for the old tunes that bring sweet memories of your first dance, first love or first...

Many Latter-day Saints try to listen to religious music on Sundays to set the mood for the Sabbath. There are a few radio stations that cater to this group, but their programs are laden with...

Theme songs, whether from your favorite TV show or the latest hit movie, are a part of pop culture. There are multiple ways to learn to play these pieces of music on instruments in your own home,...

Country music is hitting the mainstream. Many country songs are being played on pop and light rock stations. You probably aren't the only person who finds these songs kind of catchy, but you're...

Mariachi music is a symbol of Mexico and its culture. The attire of the mariachi musicians has evolved from simple peasant clothing to standardized outfits and is an important part of mariachi...

Music became a valued outlet of creativity during the Renaissance. This desire to create led to many new genres of music, two of which are the oratorio and the cantata. While both are vocal...

Not all styles of music receive much airplay on the radio. One example is Bachata, a music genre and style of dance that is similar to the Merengue.

Bollywood is a term used to describe the massive Hindi film industry in Mumbai, formerly Bombay. Its varied music serves an important role in these films and has become popular with Indian and...

According to Professor R. Goodman in "The Revival of Irish Music," Ireland was once known as "The Land of Song." Ireland's music has survived and flourished since ancient times. It is a music of...

Soul music is, according to the University of Chicago, "a secularized offshoot of gospel music." An African-American music style focusing on catchy rhythms and arrangements, its distinct sound...

Playing the piano in jazz can be daunting. Not only must you spontaneously select notes from among 88 keys, but you also must listen to the music being played around you. For these reasons, many...

Reggaeton is a fast-growing genre of music, with widespread popularity in urban circles. Reggaeton combines elements of Latin music with that of reggae and hiphop. There are many places you can...

Mariachi music is a Mexican tradition. The term mariachi refers both to a style of music and to the group of musicians who play it.

Mixing contemporary music can be quite a challenge since you will be dealing with multiple popular genres, some similar and some very different. Timing is everything, as is knowing how to read a...

Today, the old-fashioned mix tape is a niche gift distributed amongst music lovers as a way of saying; "I care enough to spend at least 90-120 minutes putting this together for you."...

Historians often refer to America as a "melting pot" or "tossed salad," where cultures from all around the world converged to form one distinct culture representative of all its parts. Immigration...

An instrumental rap, often called a beat, is the music track rappers use to work out their lyrics. Writing an effective rap instrumental takes a keen ear for rhythm and an understanding of how...

Cantata comes from the Latin word cantare, which is a verb meaning "to sing." While cantatas can have lyrics that are either sacred or dramatic in origin, a church cantata is always sacred in theme.

Mariachi, a genre of music that evolved from the Mexican state of Jalisco, is loved by people worldwide. Mariachi encompasses the instruments, dress, vocals, dance, rhythms, and cultural...

Gospel music's relationship to rock and roll goes back to the roots of rock music. Early rock and roll artists incorporated the style of gospel music into their recordings. Pop artists like James...

The word "cantata" comes from the Italian "cantare" ("to sing"). It originally referred to vocal chamber music, but today it can be applied to any work for voices and instruments.

Often referred to as "the Blues," this form of music founded in the U.S. is usually based on a 12-bar structure and is typically sorrowful in its themes. Though it was popularized in the 1920s by...

The double bass is known by many names, but in the bluegrass music genre, it is most frequently referred to as a bass fiddle. While an upright bass has the same strings and notes as a bass guitar,...

Soul music emerged from the African American experience; it is the love child of the blues and gospel. For over forty years, soul music has been a chart topper, boasting classics like "When a Man...

Unless it is completely improvised, recorded music is often written out as a score. A music score contains all the lines of music for each instrument and/or voice used in a piece. Reading a...

New Age music is often associated with meditation and yoga. It has repetitive themes and creates a peaceful uplifting state for the listener. The genre uses both electric and acoustic instruments,...

There are various ways you can learn to play metal guitar. You can get a teacher, purchase metal guitar lesson books and teach yourself, or you can take advantage of free resources on the Internet...

Funk music is everywhere -- from the syncopated grooves of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to the warm and sultry rhythms of Jill Scott. It is the soundtrack of the black power movement of the 1970s,...

Whether you write for marching band, orchestral arrangements, chamber music, or pop instrumentals, you will need to find a way to publish your compositions to make money from your songwriting...

Power metal is a term applied to heavy metal music that is typically based on the guitar and often relies on the use of power chords. Power metal can be fast, heavy songs or even love songs, often...

A jam song is a song that bands use for what is commonly referred to as a jam session. Jam songs serve various purposes for bands. Some bands use jam songs to unwind or warm up. Others may use a...

Rock and roll music entered the mainstream and topped pop music charts in the 1960s. Spurred by a major shift toward youth, it influenced and was influenced by popular culture.

Bass could quite possibly be the most underrated instrument in rock music. There are many different styles of bass playing, including jazz, hip-hop, and grunge metal. No one style is any better...

Zydeco is a sycopated dance music played by the Creoles, French-speaking people of African descent who traditionally reside in the prairie area of southwest Louisiana.

The dictionary defines tablature (or tab) as "a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering rather than musical pitches." Basically a simplified method of reading music, it is...

Rock artists such as the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, the Beatles, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Elvis Presley all share one commonality: they were influenced by blues music. Blues music is the story of...

Heavy metal guitar players often employ effects to achieve many of the sounds heard on a recording or live in concert. Technique-wise, however, there are a few options you can use to produce a...

The best-known music to come from Louisiana is Cajun and Zydeco. Their styles and heritage are often misunderstood by music critics and fans alike. While there may be some similarities, they are...

Soul is an African-American genre of music that grew popular in the 1960s. It had a major influence on mainstream music as a whole, and paralleled the civil rights movement.

Disco gave birth to house music and house music gave birth to techno. All three started out as underground music--music that is not mainstream and is thus restricted to being played in...

Zydeco music is part of the rich musical tradition that springs from southwest Louisiana. While it has spent much of its history as a fairly isolated flavor of music in Louisiana, it has spread in...

"The blues" is an African-American folk music that emerged out of the Deep South in the late 19th century. Its form and expressive nature has had a big influence on music and popular culture since...

"Mojo" has its origins in African-American hoodoo culture. Blues musicians have used the word mojo in many blues songs to symbolize a musician's sexual and musical power.

Classical music can refer to a specific time period in music history (about 1750 to 1820) or to music of a similar style in general, including the works of composers in many different genres and...

Smooth jazz. Born in rhythm and blues, jazz, and pop influences. Far from being just elevator music, it is and has been a popular, relaxing musical genre. Beautiful instrumentals feature...