Rock Music

Becoming a star anywhere in the music business is difficult, but it takes a special edge to get to the top of the rap game. There are countless rappers out there, and many think they've got what it…

The 1950s was an era of prosperity and conservatism in the United States. The American dream of a house with a white picket fence became desirable and attainable. The rise of television offered a…

The 1950s saw the emergence of some exciting genres of music which have influenced artists in the decades which followed. Many of these musical styles had their roots in African-American culture,…

The word indie when used in music, art, film and other forms of expression tells you the product in question is not affiliated with a major company, studio or corporation. Indie ideas require advanced…

The legacy of America's King of Rock 'n' Roll lives on today, more than three decades after his untimely death. Born in Mississippi, Elvis Presley lived most of his life in Memphis, Tenn. Each year,…

The 1950s was a time of transition in American culture, and this was especially true when it came to teenagers. By the beginning of the decade, big band jazz music and bland pop were the predominant…

The rock 'n' roll dance style emerged in the late 1950s as the national premiere of the TV show "American Bandstand" brought rock 'n' roll music and dancing to that music into the limelight. The dance…

Elvis Presley is a legendary rock star who grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee. He got his sound from the pop, gospel, rhythm and blues and country music that was available in…

Many rock-and-roll bands take a break from their daily fare and offer their fans something to listen to during Christmas time. Some of the albums composed for Christmas listening become successes and…

The postwar period of the 1950s brought optimism to the United States, and the music of that era reflected that attitude. Although jazz music was still going strong during this time, new types of…

During the early 1950s, rock 'n' roll emerged and took over the airwaves across the United States. Heavily influenced at first by other musical genres like the blues, country and jazz, gradually rock…

Since rock and roll became a major influence on commercial music in the 1950s, there have been many claims about the effect of rock music on youth culture. It is hard to prove with absolute certainty…

Rock 'n' roll is a cultural phenomenon and as such, it has developed its own vernacular. This broad lexicon of slang, abbreviations and metaphor was formed by the music, the musicians, the touring…

Rock 'n' roll arose in the years following World War II, drawing from roots in blues, jazz and country music. It signaled a number of profound changes in American society and accelerated the progress…

Gospel music encompasses a broad variety of styles, but its roots can be traced to the early 1920s, when the "Spiritual" songs and hymns of Southern black churches began to adopt some of the styles of…

The 1950s, a time of poodle skirts, milkshakes, drive-in movies, drag racing and letter jackets, was influenced by innovative technology and -- more importantly for the younger generation -- rock 'n'…

The 1960s were one of the most prolific times for the magazine publishing industry, enabling niche publications to sell at high rates, including those that were geared toward different music genres.…

Rock 'n' roll is the archetypal American music, but it didn't emerge in a vacuum. Rock 'n' roll was the product of earlier American musical forms. Rock represents the point where white and black music…

Headbanging, guitar riffs and big hair might come to mind when you think of hard rock music. While some of this is true, hard rock, like most rock music, has most of its roots in blues. Hard rock is a…

Elvis Presley played a central role in the development of rock music. His influence extends from the release of his first single, "That's All Right," in 1954 and has directly affected performers and…

During the 1980's, multiple metal bands based in New Orleans, Louisiana, began to form and rise to prominence. Among these artists were Crowbar, Eyehategod, Exhorder and Soilent Green. These bands all…

The JCM 900 is a series of guitar amplifiers manufactured by the Marshall company. It was introduced in the '90s as a successor to the JCM 800. There are various models in the series, with varying…

Pre-amps and compressors are tools that are placed in the signal chain of a recording or live sound system to obtain specific sound qualities. Pre-amps are used to boost volume, and compressors are…

The song "Old Time Rock & Roll" plays a crucial role in a popular scene from the movie "Risky Business." The dance moves that the character Joel Goodsen, played by Tom Cruise, performs are just a…

Vocal compression is the most efficient means in balancing out the dynamic range of a singer's performance. The majority of vocalists tend to record their parts at different levels throughout a sound…

Marshall Amplifiers are known throughout the rock music community for their overdriven tone and the sound levels that they generate. The JCM900 amplifier family is a valve amplifier that utilizes…

Progressive rock is a sub-genre of rock music made famous by musical acts such as Pink Floyd and Yes. Progressive rock music first emerged in the late 1960s and achieved commercial popularity in the…

Boston has a rich history of music and punk rock plays its part in that history. While legendary Boston bars like The Channel have closed their doors, there are many other venues where you can catch a…

Las Vegas is one of the most popular entertainment and vacation destinations in the United States. Over 37.5 million people visit Las Vegas per year and the city is home to 17 of the nation's 20…

With a little imagination and creativity, any church on any budget can create settings for a drama using simple props. Good props don't have to be expensive, they just have to help set the mood or…

Rock and rap are two of the most popular musical styles of the 21st century. Both feature generally loud, amplified music and lyrics that can be strident and even aggressive, and both favor a regular…

From indie rock to metal, Portland, Oregon has become the new music hub of the Northwest. Many big-name artists like The Decemberists, M. Ward and Blitzen Tapper all got their start in Portland, with…

Many music tours roll through the state of California every year but what attracts the highest profile acts are the state's summer music festivals. These weekend vacations are located in scenic…

Ska punk music is a fusion of ska and punk rock music that originally emerged in the 1970s and became popular in the 1990s. Elements of both ska and punk, as well as other genres, can be found in ska…

Reading rock music is like reading any musical notation. Rock songs can appear as standard notation or, in the case of guitar-orientated rock, tablature. They can also be arranged as simple lead…

According to the music program at San Diego State University, music plays a vital role in our lives, and certain essential elements help give us an understanding of how music is put together and why…

Reharmonization is the practice of taking a melody and changing the existing harmony that accompanies it. Often, the existing melody will be a traditional song or standard in the repertoire. This is a…

Rock & roll music began in the 1950s. It was a fusion of different musical styles from across America--blues, gospel, jazz, rhythm & blues, country and swing. The social and economic changes that took…

Rock 'n' roll is a musical form that developed in the United States after World War II and became internationally popular. Its roots lay in rhythm and blues, but it incorporated influences from…

According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, rock 'n' roll music has the power to bring people together and motivate them in special ways. No other form of music has proven to be as controversial and…

Rock music was heavily influenced early on by everything from delta blues to jazz, folk and country and western. Groups like Bill Haley and the Comets and Chuck Berry played the electric guitar in…

Becoming a music distributor without putting any investment of your own into the company is a logistically challenging task, though it is not impossible. The main challenge is to find a talented…

Among the genres of rock music, hard rock helped the style evolve to a faster and harder style that required sound decibels to rise at deafening volumes. With ideas coming from blues rock and rock 'n'…

What started out as a misfit genre of rock music, heavy metal, has birthed tons of sub-genres. Different heavy metal music types focus on different elements of the original template. When you start…

Industrial artists create loud music and come from several genres under the industrial label. Such genres include death industrial, industrial metal, industrial noise, power noise, industrial rock and…

By 1950, over 93 percent of American households owned at least one radio. Music on the radio was a major source of entertainment, and artists like Rosemary Clooney and Perry Como ruled the…

According to the Library of Congress, "American rock and roll music was imitated by British groups, who then refined it and, in the view of some, improved it." Since the 1950s, British and American…

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 and…

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…

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.

How you adjust the amount of compression on vocals is related to the nature of the track and the kind of singing that you are working with. Softer music often needs the dynamics of soft and loud…

The 1950s were a pivotal time in American music with the introduction of new ways to approach music beyond the traditional genres. These new musical innovations paved the way for the first elements of…

Car sound systems are never cheap. It is extremely important to evaluate your needs when purchasing a sound system. Audio manufacturers attempt to sell merchandise that is unnecessary to the regular…

Rock 'n' roll, one of the most loved genres in the history of music, began in the 1950s. Combining a variety of musical styles, rock music developed into a cultural phenomenon first in the United…

Rock and roll and classical music are similar in the skill level required to play certain melody lines. Piano music virtuosity prevails in classical music. Composers such as Ravel, Rachmaninoff and…

A jam session is when people get together to play music. Some jam sessions happen for the purpose of collaborating on new material, but others are simply to have a good time. Both amateurs of all…

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…

All cultures and societies around the globe have their own particular type of music. Some of it has caught on in the mainstream, while a lot of it still remains exclusive to a culture or region.…

Progressive alternative music is a musical genre that was established in the late 1990s. There are many techniques and factors that comprise progressive alternative music, from the way the instruments…

As the conservative 1950s ended, a new era began in the 1960s. Music of the 1960s reflected the culture of the tumultuous era, which featured the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, Woodstock and…

Disco was at one time a ubiquitous form of pop music. It topped charts and sold albums at a fantastic rate. Whether you loved disco, hated it or did everything you could to try to ignore it, disco was…

Blink-182 sang about it in their song "The Rock Show," and thousands of teens and even adults take part in it every summer. The Warped Tour offers fans of its musical groups a chance to not only see…

Light shows were popular in the mid-1960s and early 1970s. The shows allowed an audience to not only hear the music, but also to "see" the music through the different elements of the light show, which…

Establishing and sustaining a musical career may be more challenging today than in the past. Many traditional careers in music have been disappearing due to changing public tastes or problems with…

In rock music drumming, eighth-note fills are often played at the end of a four-bar phrase. Learn how eighth fills are used in rock music in this free drum video lesson from a professional drummer.

Tips for playing sax with rock music. Watch an upbeat demonstration utilizing the saxophone in rock music in this free video on how to play classical music on rock instruments.

From churches to the rock and roll stage. Learn about the history of the organ and how it transitioned to rock music in this free video on how to play classical music on rock instruments.

Rock and roll history lesson. Learn about the history of rock and the instruments used today in this free video on how to play classical music on rock instruments.

Rock Me Amadeus! Learn about ideas and inspiration for rock music in the music of the 1400's in this free video on how to play classical music on rock instruments.

If you've been listening to classical or country music your whole life, then it can be jarring when you try to incorporate some rock and roll into your listening repertoire. For whatever reason you…

If you've ever been the guy at the venue swaying awkwardly to the music, it might be time to figure out how to dance to rock music before your next concert. If you are particularly rhythmically…

Samuel Francis Smith, a renowned Baptist missionary, wrote the words to "My Country 'Tis of Thee" while working part-time as a translator. The financially struggling Andover student was inspired to…

Natasha Bedingfield is one of today's hottest up-and-coming pop artists. Bedingfield's smooth and slightly raspy voice, her sophisticated lyrics and her offbeat rhythms make Bedingfield's singing…

One of the fastest growing genres in music is horror rock. If you are not familiar with it, just imagine a horror movie put to rock and roll music. The lyrics are often smart, witty and catchy and the…

A violin and fiddle are almost identical types of musical instruments. The main difference is the type of music played-a violin plays more classical tunes and a fiddle plays mainly folk music. A spike…