What Are the Ten Styles of Music?
The art of music is made up of a combination of rhythm, harmony, vocals, and instrumental sounds. It is known to hold multiple cultural meanings and importance in various countries across the world. Many seem to refer to music as “the universal language,” as it appears to bring people, regardless of their different opinions and differences, together.
Some people use it for therapy, while others listen to it for entertainment. But there are also individuals who pursue music as a career. Usually, these people become solo artists or tend to join a band where their talents can flourish.
Regardless of which path they choose, it might be important for them to have a solid plan as to how they can become known and recognized for their talents. For example, a band could benefit from band management software or an agency as it would assist them in managing their workload, finances, and track their progress throughout the journey. This could help them reach their goals in the music industry much faster and easier.
Coming back to the topic of music, it can be categorized in many ways, and one of the most common ways is to divide music into ten “styles,” from Classical to Rock. But what are the ten styles? How does each style reflect itself in the music?
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the early twentieth century. Jazz music derives its roots from ragtime, blues, spirituals, and New Orleans jazz. The genre is most well-known for its improvisational quality, soloing, and rhythmic complexity. It developed from African American music in the 19th century, and today it is performed by musicians of many ethnicities.
This style of music is generally thought of as an accompaniment to dancing, but jazz music was first made popular by Black musicians.
Classical music
There is something about classical music that calms and soothes the soul. Classical music is understood to be any music written prior to 1900, is composed using only the human voice, natural instruments, and some types of digital synthesis. The rules for how to compose “classical music” were established in the 18th century by a committee known as the Royal Academy of Music. The committee eventually determined that the music should only have three basic elements: melody, harmony, and rhythm.
Pop music
Pop music has surprisingly been around for more than 50 years. Essentially, it is any genre of music that you can dance to, but it can also encompass other musical forms like jazz, rock, rap, and country. Pop music’s versatility makes it so popular because it does not matter what era, genre, or style you like; you are bound to find at least a few songs that fit your tastes. Cities like New York and L.A. host many pop music concerts around the year. If you’re ever in one of these cities, you could find any of them by looking up ‘Upcoming concerts New York‘ or something along those lines.
Indie
Indie rockers are beloved by many for their raw, authentic sound and lyrics. The indie genre is vast, with subgenres such as pop-punk, emo, trap, grunge, folk, and rap-rock. In the 1980s, these genres were often grouped together as alternative music. Welcome back to 2018, where independent music is making major noise with the rise of artists like Billie Eilish, Khalid, and Logic.
Blues
Blues music has its roots in African American traditions of spirituals, hymns, and work songs. Blues music typically features guitar and harmonica and incorporates jazz, gospel, classical music, and hip-hop elements. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has defined blues music as “the music of the African American working class.” The genre emerged in the 19th century, and today, blues bands perform blues standards and original compositions. Blues bands include everything from musicians playing in a honky tonk bar to more established rock, blues, jazz, R&B, and country artists.
Metal
Metal music is a broad genre, so drawing a clear line between heavy metal and hardcore is not easy. (Yes, metal does consist of heavy, fast songs, often with angry lyrics – but that is not always the case.) Metal is a catch-all term for musicians who create music with a gruff, loud sound, featuring long guitar solos and screaming vocals.
Hip-hop
Hip-hop music has thrived in this century. Today, some of the best rappers there are putting out music that can be listened to by people of all ages. Hip-hop music is also seen by many as an art form that, much like rock, has given birth to many different genres.
EDM
Electronic dance music, or EDM, is a mixed bag for the ear. While some of its styles, like trance and house music, may appeal to most, EDM can be abrasive too. This genre is often characterized as the kind of music that makes you move – big, pulsing beats, lots of bass, and synths that sound like robots.
Electronic Dance Music is the latest in electronic genres. It originated in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and in the decades since, it has evolved. The Austin City Limits Music Festival, held in Texas, happens to be one of the largest music festivals that celebrates EDM, among other music genres. It features some of the biggest names in EDM, due to which thousands of ACL tickets are sold every year. The festival is a great opportunity to experience the diverse sounds and styles of EDM and experience the vibrant EDM culture in Austin.
Electro
Electro music (also known as electropop) is a type of electronic dance music characterized by synthesizers, drum machines, and electric instruments with vocals. It is usually pop music that leans towards synthpop and synth-wave. The term electro music, which includes a sub-genre of electroclash, was coined in 1991 by DJ and radio presenter Peter Doyle. Electroclash, a sub-genre that was popular in the 1990s, is generally to be distinguished from the general electro music, although both have similar stylings.
Rock
Rock music refers to a variety of styles, but the defining characteristics of this type of music are loud and heavy guitar riffs, loud drums, and distorted vocals. Since the invention of the electric guitar, rock music has developed into multiple forms, with subgenres including heavy metal, hard rock, punk, alternative rock, and emo.