Music Genres

The blues is one of the most fundamental forms of music. Its influence can be heard in everything from rock to country to soul. Performers like the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and Aerosmith...

Traditional Mexican music includes several band and song styles, the most famous of which is probably Mariachi. Songs range from moody ballads to fast-paced polkas, and include both instrumental...

Although classical music has had a reputation at times for being old-fashioned or difficult to get into, it has become clear in recent years that the classical genre has a widespread influence on...

Acid rock is a musical sub-genre under the psychedelic music movement that originated in San Francisco, and is associated with the hippies of the 1960s and 70s. Though it isn't a popular genre in...

By learning the correct way to sing, you can consider singing power metal. With a few adjustments and a focus on breathing and overall powerful projection, you can sing this style and not sound...

Romantic music is a type of orchestral music that was popularized in 19th-century Europe, coming about after a shift in culture. Composers took many elements from their predecessors and added an...

The period of classical music in European is defined between 1750 and 1820. It followed the baroque period and is considered the beginning of public concerts and large orchestras.

Do you want to learn about classical music, but are afraid you won’t like it? Many people think classical music is either a confusing racket or a big snore. But you can ease into it. There’s a...

The blues is a musical genre distinctly American, one that has given birth to almost all popular forms of modern music from jazz to rock 'n' roll. Its origins rest in the deep south of the United...

The musical genre of rap has been in existence since the 1970s, but has evolved into one of the world's most likable styles of music. Some rap artists have turned their poetic lyrics into careers...

Blues is a form of music that has influenced country, rock 'n' roll, and rhythm and blues music. The American style of music has a long history in the United States beginning in the late 19th century.

The term "classical music" is often misused in common culture. It is incorrectly used to refer to any old music that is not considered pop music. The correct term for this music is art music. ...

Though jazz and the blues have similar histories and qualities, they're technically two different genres of music that should be appreciated as two relevant pieces of modern musical history. For...

Blues is a musical form native to the United States, created in the Deep South during the late 1800s. Blues music originated from African-Americans and their spirituals, works songs and chants of...

Mariachi is arguably the most widely recognized style of Mexican music. Frequently heard at weddings, birthdays and other rites of passage, mariachi has been an indelible part of Mexican culture...

Calypso is an influential genre of music that originated in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago. It joins infectious tropical rhythms with call and response lyrics that often speak of...

Jazz music has been around for many years. The evolution of this genre of music is symbolic of the history associated with it. Variance in instruments, style and influence plays a major role in...

It has been said of jazz that if you don't know what it is, no one can explain it to you. Well, that may be the opinion of hardcore jazz afficionados, but it's not entirely true. While it's true...

"The American Heritage Dictionary" defines classical music as a "traditional genre of music conforming to an established form and appealing to critical interest and developed musical taste." This...

The enterprising port city of New Orleans developed under Catholic French and Spanish colonialists and did not culturally identify itself as part of the Protestant agrarian South. Napoleon sold it...

Rumba is a musical genre and dance of West African origins that developed in Havana, Cuba, during the 19th century. Though the genre has broken off into numerous variations and sub-genres...

Playing Latin sounds on the piano does not require any specialized piano training or skills, just a different type of style of playing. Instead of learning new techniques, you'll need to listen...

Developed in Jamaica during the 1960s, reggae's musical form delivers a dynamic style. Heavily characterized by an off-beat rhythm, reggae accents the second and fourth beats. A number of...

Along with jazz and the blues, country western music is inherently American. Country western originated in the South and arose out of a social context that helped to detail the lives of ordinary...

Hip-hop, or rap music and culture, has its origins in 1970s New York City. Acceptance of hip-hop by radio and television stations in the 1980s elevated several key artists; music historians agree...

The blues is one of the most widely played musical forms. Its influence can be heard in musical genres as diverse as rock, country, jazz and others. Beginning piano players are often taught blues...

Learning to play rock guitar requires mastering a few techniques central to the rock guitar sound. Once you have an understanding of these basic rock guitar techniques, you will need to...

Reggae music originated in Jamaica and became popular worldwide in the 1960s. Indelibly tied to Jamaica's independence movement, reggae artists branched off into different musical directions, and...

Two of the more popular genres in the current pop radio format are hip-hop and rap. The two even have their own charts when it comes to radio play, as determined by Billboard. While there are...

Merengue is an upbeat musical genre and hip-shaking dance style synonymous with the Dominican Republic, where it is considered the national folk dance. However, its history is not entirely...

Reggae music is a very popular style of music in Jamaica, and its roots can be traced back to the 1960s. Over time, many reggae artists received attention in the United States, which popularized...

There's nothing quite so romantic as playing a love song to your significant other, whether the song is one you've written yourself or a popular love song played on the radio. Learning to play a...

The Reggeaton music scene has exploded in the last five years. New advances in music editing software allow amateur musicians and DJs to create their own beats for live performances or recorded...

Flamenco is a regional, and therefore very specialized, form of music that is closely associated with the dance style of the same name and genre. Though it comes in many "palos" (forms), it is...

Thanks to pop culture icons like Bob Marley, reggae music has grown from a Jamaican movement to an American one as well. The genre's influences are heard in the music of a bevy of modern-day pop...

Most grants from private foundations and government-run funds are for nonprofit organizations. There are many grants available for musicians, artists and performers. The aim of a gospel or...

Trance music, or simply trance, is a type of electronic dance music invented in the early 1990s. It shares many of its qualities with house, techno and industrial music, and can typically be...

Irish music describes a wide variety of music originating from Ireland and using instruments indigenous to Ireland or commonly used there. The term encompasses multiple vocal and instrumental...

Black metal is a type of heavy metal known for its high-speed tempos, dissonant song structures, abrasive high-pitched melodies and violent anti-religious subject matter. It is most commonly...

Classical music has long been associated with improving memory, the information storing and processing system of the brain that derives its actions from sensory input. While most studies support...

Jazz music has influenced everyone from authors to musicians the world over. French culture in particular has been receptive to the influences of jazz over the many decades since its inception...

Bebop is an American musical art form that requires skillful knowledge of harmony, rhythm and chord structure. Through the creative artistry of jazz musicians, it evolved from the big band era of...

In an effort to reach the widest audience possible, gospel music of today has begun to sound more like R&B and hip-hop. The gospel music of yesteryear resembled the blues, which was the...

A popular form of American music, jazz was music of the people, adopted for dancing and singing. The impact of jazz music on American culture is widespread. According to Scholastic, jazz spurred...

Hip hop music has evolved and changed since the 1970s and has encountered controversy along the way. Many people object to what they believe is the promotion of violence and misogyny in hip hop;...

With the increasing popularity of techno and other forms of electronic music, many have begun to inquire about the instruments that produce techno music's distinctive sound. Electronic music and...

Christian rap is a subgenre of rap music that deals with themes central to Christianity. It can be also be referred to as gospel rap, Christian hip-hop or holy hip-hop, and it is used by...

There are numerous styles of Latin-American music, encompassing many countries and cultures. Much of Latin-American music grew out of a mixing of cultures and musical traditions including those or...

Latin American music is incredibly varied. It originates from a number of countries and the melding of different cultures, including European, Native American and African. The different types of...

Jazz music is a uniquely American form that borrows from several earlier musical traditions. The origins of jazz can be traced to the 19th century. Since then, jazz has continued to evolve and...