You Are Reading the First 6 FREE Chapters (470 pages)
2.6
A Brief Look at the Major
Genres of Western Popular Music
2.6.1
Types of Music Genres in the Western World
What conditions define the emergence of a new genre in popular music?
- The new music contains a set of several significant stylistic elements not widely heard in that particular combination in other musical genres.
- A lot of performers and songwriters adopt the new set of stylistic elements in their playing, singing (including rapping) and songwriting (including beatmaking).
- A large number of performers and songwriters maintain the use of the set of stylistic elements over time.
Recall from Chapter 1 that music is combinatorial. As for types of music genres in the Western world, categories depend on sets of stylistic songwriting and performing characteristics. For example:
- Musical instruments of choice
- Dominance of vocal vs instrumental songs
- Characteristic vocal style
- Dominant subject matter of lyrics
- Variable emphasis on elements such as rhythm, harmony, melody, vocal style, instrumental solos
- Dominant type of rhythmic pulse
- Characteristic tempo range
- Degree of emphasis on improvisation
- Degree of emphasis on syncopation
- Variable use of modes and scale types
And scores of others.