Music Genres

As many pianists know, what is written in hymnals and what you hear some church pianists playing are two different things! Hymns are generally written in four-part harmony with a straight...

Generally considered to be the musical predecessor to reggae, the upbeat, energizing sounds of ska form a formidable musical genre that has kept its popularity for several decades. In order to...

Despite vigorous opposition from some quarters, the emo love song is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Now, with artists like Bright Eyes and the Plain White Tees crooning to their significant...

Opera can easily seem intimidating, even to someone with a general interest and knowledge of classical music. Let's face it, the opera crowd does have a way of being a little condescending to...

For some academics, experimental music means the realm of composers like John Cage and a specific "school" of composing, but in popular usage, the term just refers to the burgeoning scene of...

There is more music hitting MP3 players, Internet radio stations, TV shows and websites than ever. With all the new songs saturating the airwaves and the plethora of pop songs from the past, it...

Some jazz guitarists talk about "mud" in music theory. What most of them mean is the blurring or cloudiness formed by too many notes or the wrong kinds of notes in jazz music. The unique aspects...

Classical guitarists must learn standard music notation because this is how classical music is written. Ledger lines and time signatures are basic components of written music that are introduced...

A seventh chord is a chord of three notes (triad) plus the seventh note in a scale. It is used to add color to a basic triad and is the most common type of chord in jazz. The following steps will...

Swung eighth notes in modern jazz are considered the standard way of playing a series of eighth notes. This type of rhythm is easier to "swing" or shuffle dance and gives jazz its characteristic...

Jazz guitar relies heavily on chord progressions (cadences) to establish a tonal center and allow forward movement in the composition. Chord progressions also may provide resting places that can...

The harmonic minor scale is used extensively in jazz for harmonizing (hence the name), although it is awkward for melodies. The natural minor scale is a poor choice for harmony and must modified...

Blues is made up of a simple, repetitive structure. Like jazz music it can include improvisation, but the musician's creativity is expressed within the basic structure. The 12-bar blues...

When European music met African music in the early 20th century, it created something electrifying—jazz. Jazz is one of the more difficult styles of music to play, due in part to its dependence...

If you're planning on writing jazz tunes, you'll have a full plate. Writing songs can be a laborious process, and as one of the more sophisticated music genres in existence, writing jazz songs is...

Traditionally, being a jazz musician meant dedicating yourself to it and living in poverty. Jazz is a tough sell because musicians generally don't fill arenas and sell millions of CDs like rock...

Within the wide field of jazz, the playing of "avant-garde" jazz includes either a great opportunity or a great headache, depending on who you ask. Jazz is already an abstract process: playing it...

Classical is a genre of music marked by such characteristics as notational complexities, subtle variations and historical tradition. Playing classical music requires great discipline, a delicate...

At the heart of chamber music is a small group of musicians. Each player takes care of his part but must blend in with everyone else. This is music at its most basic. Because you don't need a...