Features of different musical genres. Genres of musical works Musical forms and genres

Genre(fr. genre) is a general concept that surrounds the most essential properties and connections of phenomena in the world of art, a set of formal and substantive features of a work. All existing works reflect certain conditions, while participating in the creation of a definition of the concept of genre.

Arioso- a small aria with a melody of a melodious, declamatory or song nature.

Aria- a completed episode in an opera, operetta, oratorio or cantata, performed by a soloist accompanied by an orchestra.

Ballad- solo vocal compositions using the texts of poetic works and preserving their main features; instrumental compositions.

Ballet- a type of stage art, the content of which is revealed in dance and musical images.

Blues- a jazz song with sad, lyrical content.

Bylina- Russian folk epic song-legend.

Vaudeville- a fun theatrical play with musical numbers. 1) a type of sitcom with couplet songs, romances, dances; 2) the final verse song in a vaudeville play.

Hymn- a solemn song.

Jazz- a type of improvisational dance music.

Disco- a musical style with simplified melody and rigid rhythm.

Invention- a small musical piece in which some original discovery in the field of melodic development and form-building is essential.

Sideshow- a small piece of music performed between parts of a work.

Intermezzo- a small free-form play, as well as an independent episode in an opera or other musical work.

Cantata- a large vocal-instrumental work of a solemn nature, usually for soloists, choir and orchestra.

Cantilena- melodious, smooth melody.

chamber music - (literally “room”). chamber works are either pieces for solo instruments: songs without words, variations, sonatas, suites, preludes, impromptu, musical moments, nocturnes, or various instrumental ensembles: trio, quartet, quintet, etc., where respectively three, four, five instruments and all parts are equally important, requiring careful finishing from the performers and composer.

Capriccio- a virtuoso instrumental piece of an improvisational nature with an unexpected change of images and moods.

Concert- a work for one or (less often) several solo instruments and an orchestra, as well as public performance of musical works.

Madrigal- a small musical and poetic work of love and lyrical content in the 14th-16th centuries.

March- a piece of music with a measured tempo and clear rhythm, usually accompanying a collective procession.

Musical- a musical work that combines elements of opera and operetta; ballet, pop music.

Nocturne- in the 18th - early 19th centuries. a multi-part instrumental work, mostly for wind instruments, usually performed outdoors in the evening or at night, from the 19th century. a short lyrical instrumental piece.

Oh yeah- a solemn piece of music dedicated to some significant event or person.

Opera- a musical and dramatic work based on the synthesis of words, stage action and music.

Operetta- a musical and stage comedy work, including vocal and dance scenes, orchestral accompaniment and spoken episodes.

Oratorio- a work for soloists, choir and orchestra, intended for concert performance.

House is a style and movement in electronic music. House is a descendant of the dance styles of the early post-disco era (electro, high energy, soul, funk, etc.) The main difference between house music is the repeated rhythm beat, usually in 4/4 time, and sampling - working with sound inserts, which are repeated from time to time in music, partially coinciding with its rhythm. One of the most important modern substyles of house is progressive house.

Choir - a piece for a large singing group. choral works are divided into two large groups - with or without instrumental (or orchestral) accompaniment (a cappella).

Song- a poetic work intended for singing. its musical form is usually couplet or strophic.

Medley- a play composed of excerpts from several popular melodies.

Play- a completed musical work of small size.

Rhapsody- a musical (instrumental) work on the themes of folk songs and epic tales, as if reproducing the performance of a rhapsode.

Requiem- funeral choral work (funeral mass).

Romance- a lyrical work for voice with musical accompaniment.

R&B (Rhythm and Blues, English Rhythm & Blues) is a musical style of song and dance genre. originally, a generalized name for mass music based on blues and jazz styles of the 1930s and 1940s. Currently, the abbreviation rhythm and blues (English r&b) is used to refer to modern rhythm and blues.

Rondo- a piece of music in which the main part is repeated several times.

Serenade- a lyrical song to the accompaniment of a lute, mandolin or guitar, performed in honor of a beloved.

Symphony- a piece of music for orchestra, written in sonata cyclic form, the highest form of instrumental music.

Symphonic Music- unlike chamber music, it is performed in large rooms and is intended for a symphony orchestra. symphonic works are characterized by depth and versatility of content, often grand scale and at the same time accessibility of musical language.

Consonance- a combination of several sounds of different pitches sounding simultaneously.

Sonata- a piece of music consisting of three or four movements of varying tempo and character.

Sonatina- small sonata.

Suite- a work for one or two instruments from several dissimilar pieces connected by a common concept.

Symphonic Poem- a genre of symphonic music that expresses the romantic idea of a synthesis of arts. A symphonic poem is a one-movement orchestral work that allows for various sources of program (literature and painting, less often - philosophy or history; paintings of nature).

Toccata- a virtuoso musical piece for a keyboard instrument in fast movement and a clear tempo.

Tone- a sound of a certain pitch.

Touche- a short musical greeting.

Overture is an orchestral piece designed to serve as an introduction to opera, ballet, and drama. in their imagery and form, many classical overtures are close to the first movements of symphonies.

Fantasy- a free-form musical piece.

Elegy- a musical piece of a sad nature.

Etude- a piece of music based on virtuosic passages.

In a broad sense, a musical work is a piece (instrumental or vocal) that is the result of composer activity. It is characterized by internal completeness, individualization of form and content, and fixation of musical notation for the purpose of subsequent performance.

It can be single-voice (melody and accompaniment) or multi-voice (polyphony, homophony). It can be either an independent number or part of a certain cinematic or dramatic action. The peculiarity and uniqueness of each composer's creation is achieved by a number of expressive means, such as harmony, tempo, harmony, meter, dynamics, rhythm, melody.

The concept of “musical genre” is used to characterize various works depending on their origin and method of performance.

Since ancient times, various songs (round dances, rituals, labor, etc.) have accompanied the life of the people and inspired soldiers to victory. This is how numerous vocal genres appeared. A characteristic feature of the songs is the repeated repetition of the tune, the main melody.

Romance is a genre of vocal music that emerged in the 19th century. This is a piece for a singer with instrumental accompaniment.

Unlike romance, choral works are intended to be performed by a large singing group with accompaniment or a cappella (without accompaniment).

A cantata is a rather voluminous piece of music intended to be performed by a singer - soloist (or choir) and orchestra. For a long time, works of this genre were written in honor of some significant date and were of a solemn nature. However, there are also lyrical, narrative cantatas.

An oratorio is a large musical and dramatic composition. It does not involve stage action and is intended to be performed by a choir, soloist and orchestra.

Opera is a musical and dramatic composition that combines theatrical action and music. The main feature of this genre is that the characters are replaced by singing.

Instrumental genres of works were formed later than vocal ones. They have practical value. Instrumental music accompanied parades, marches, religious processions, and city balls. In the 17th century, new genres, deeper in meaning and content, appeared.

A sonata is an instrumental piece that usually consists of three movements of contrasting tempo (fast-slow-fast). A little later, four-part works of this genre appeared in the work of L. Beethoven.

A symphony is a musical composition intended to be performed by a whole symphony orchestra. Just like the sonata, this work in its classical version consists of three parts. It is distinguished by its large volume, versatility of content and accessible melodic language.

A concert is a musical work intended to be performed by an orchestra and a solo instrument. Most often, works of this genre are written in a cyclic three-part form, but sometimes one-part concerts can also be found.

Musical form

This concept characterizes the relationship of parts in a work. Thus, the two-part form consists of two sections, usually contrasting in nature. Three-part - of three, with the first and third parts being similar in melodic language and mood, and the middle being contrasting in relation to them. Variations are a modified repetition of the main motive (theme).

There are other musical forms, such as rondo (the theme is periodically repeated unchanged), cyclic (consists of several independent parts united by a single concept) and free (found in modern music).

You have found yourself in the music genres section, where we will get acquainted with each musical direction in more detail. We will describe what it is, why it is needed and what features it has. Also at the very end there will be articles in this section that will describe each direction in more detail.

What are music genres

Before discussing what genres of music are, the following should be mentioned. We need a certain coordinate system so that we can put all phenomena into it. The most serious and global level in this coordinate system is the concept of style or art-historical system.

There is a style from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque or Romanticism. Moreover, in each specific era, this concept covers all arts (literature, music, painting, and so on).

However, music has its own categories within each style. There is a system of genres, musical forms and means of expression.

What is a genre?

Each era gives musicians and listeners a certain set of stage venues. Moreover, each site has its own rules of the game. These sites may disappear over time or remain for some time.

New groups of listeners with new interests are emerging - new stages are emerging, new genres are emerging.

Let's say, in the era of the European Middle Ages, until approximately the end of the 11th century, the only such stage for professional musicians was the church. Time and place of worship.

This is where the genres of church music take shape. And the most important of them (mass and mathet) will go far into the future.

If we take the late Middle Ages, the era of the Crusades, then a new stage appears - a feudal castle, a feudal courtyard of an aristocrat, a court holiday or simply a place of leisure.

And here the genre of secular song arises.

For example, the 17th century literally explodes with fireworks of new musical genres. Here things arise that go far ahead of our time and will still remain after us.

For example, opera, oratorio or cantata. In instrumental music, this is an instrumental concerto. Even such a term as symphony appears. Although maybe it was built a little differently than it is now.

Genres of chamber music emerge. And underneath it all lies the emergence of new stage venues. For example, an opera house, a concert hall or a richly decorated salon of a city aristocratic house.

Before you start, be sure to start exploring different directions. This then translates very well in practice. It will be especially useful when creating something new!

Musical form

The next level is musical form. How many parts are there in the product? How is each part organized, how many sections does it have and how are they connected to each other? This is what we mean by the concept of musical form.

Let's say opera is a genre. But one opera can be in two acts, another in three, and there are operas in five acts.

Or a symphony.

Most familiar European symphonies are constructed in four movements. But let’s say that Berlioz’s symphony Fantastique has 5 movements.

Expressive means

The next level is a system of musical expressive means. Melody in its unity with rhythm.

Rhythm is the deep organizing force of all musical sound. It underlies the existence of music. Because through rhythm, human life is connected with reality, with the cosmos.

Many labor movements are rhythmic. Especially in agriculture. Much is rhythmic in the processing of stone and metals.

The rhythm itself appears, perhaps, before the melody. We can say that rhythm generalizes, and melody individualizes.

The feeling of rhythm, like some kind of magic, arises in the very early stages of civilization. And later, in the era of antiquity, such a feeling is recognized as an idea of the universal connection of phenomena, which is rhythmic.

Rhythm is associated with number. And for the Greeks, number was an extremely important idea of the world order. And this whole idea of rhythm stuck for a very long time.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the German composer Michael Pritorius spoke of the early Italian experiments in opera (there was no ordered rhythm): “This music is without connections and measure. She is an affront to God’s established order!”

The nature of the movement is fast, brisk, moderate and calm. They also set the tone for any superstructure that is made on them. There is also a sense of universal connection here. 4 sides of movement character, 4 cardinal directions, 4 temperaments.

If we go into even more detail, then this is timbre or sound coloring. Or let's say how the melody is pronounced. Distinctly dissected or coherent.

Melody, rhythm and everything else appears as a direct emotional response to reality. And they take shape in those infinitely distant times in the primitive communal system, when a person has not yet realized his own self in comparison with other selves or with nature.

But as soon as class society appears, a distance arises between one’s self and other selves, between self and nature. And then music genres, musical forms, and styles begin to take shape.

Genres of chamber music

Before talking about the genres of chamber music, let's understand the direction. Chamber music is music performed by a small number of performers for a small number of listeners.

Previously, such music was very often performed at home. For example, with family. This is where they came up with the name chamber. From Latin camera means room. That is, small, home or room music.

There is also such a thing as a chamber orchestra. This is a smaller version (usually no more than 10 people) of a regular orchestra. Well, there aren’t many listeners either. Usually these are relatives, acquaintances and friends.

folk song- the simplest and most widespread genre of chamber music. Previously, very often many grandparents sang various folk songs to their children and grandchildren. The same song could be sung with different words. As if adding something of your own.

However, the melody itself generally remained unchanged. Only the text of the folk song changed and improved.

Many people's favorite romances- This is also a genre of chamber music. Usually they performed a small vocal piece. It was usually accompanied by a guitar. That’s why we really love such lyrical songs with a guitar. Many people probably know about them and have already heard them more than once.

Ballad- this is a kind of narrative about various exploits or dramas. Ballads were often performed in taverns. As a rule, they praised the exploits of various heroes. Sometimes ballads were used before an upcoming battle to raise the morale of people.

Of course, in such songs certain moments were often embellished. But in essence, without additional imagination, the very significance of the ballad would decrease.

Requiem- This is a funeral mass. This kind of mourning choral singing is performed in Catholic churches. In our country, the requiem was usually used as a tribute to the memory of folk heroes.

- song without Words. Usually intended for one singer as a training exercise. For example, to develop a vocalist's voice.

Serenade- a genre of chamber music that was performed for a beloved. Usually men performed them under the windows of their beloved women and girls. As a rule, such songs praised the beauty of the fair sex.

Genres of instrumental and vocal music

Below you will find the main genres of instrumental and vocal music. For each direction I will give you short descriptions. Let's touch on the basic definition of each type of music a little more.

Genres of vocal music

There are several genres of vocal music. It is worth saying that the direction itself is the oldest in the history of the development of music. After all, it is the main key for the transition of literature into music. That is, literary words began to be used in musical form.

Of course, these words were given the main role. Due to this, such music began to be called vocal. A little later, instrumental music appeared.

In vocal music, in addition to vocals, various instruments can also be used. However, in this direction their role is relegated to the background.

Here is a list of the main genres of vocal music:

Oratorio- a very large work for soloists, orchestra or choir. Typically, such works dealt with problems of a religious nature. A little later, secular oratorios appeared.
Opera- a huge dramatic work that combines the genres of instrumental and vocal music, choreography and painting. A special role here is given to various solo numbers (aria, monologue, and so on).
Chamber music- it was mentioned above.

Genres of instrumental music

Instrumental music- these are compositions that are performed without the participation of a vocalist. Hence the name instrumental. That is, it is performed only with the help of instruments.

Very often, many artists in their albums use instrumentals as bonus tracks in the album. That is, several of the most popular compositions can be selected and then their versions without vocals can be recorded.

Or they can select all the songs on the album. In this case, the album is released in two versions. This is usually done to increase the value of the product and raise its price.

There is a list for certain genres of instrumental music:

Dance music- usually simple music for dancing
Sonata– used as a solo or duet for chamber music
Symphony- harmonious sound for symphony orchestra

Genres of Russian folk songs

Let's talk about the genres of Russian folk songs. They reflect all the charm of the soul of the Russian people. Typically, such musical works praise the nature of the native land, heroes and ordinary workers. The joys and troubles of the Russian people are also mentioned.

Here is a list of the main genres of Russian folk songs:

Labor songs- chanted while working to facilitate a person’s work activity. That is, with such songs it was much easier for the workers to work. They set the rhythm of the work. Such musical works reflected the basic life of the working class people. Labor shouts were often used for work.
Ditties- a very common genre of folk music. As a rule, this is a short quatrain with a repeating melody. Chatushki carried a great meaning of the Russian word. They expressed the basic mood of the people.
Calendar songs- used on various calendar holidays. For example, on Christmas or New Year's Eve. This musical genre was also well used for fortune telling or during the changing seasons.
Lullaby- gentle, simple and affectionate songs that mothers sang to their children. As a rule, in such songs mothers introduced their children to the world around them.
Family songs- used at various family holidays. This genre reflected very well at weddings. It was also used at the birth of a child, when a son was sent to the army, and so on. It is worth saying that such songs were accompanied by a certain ritual. All this together helped protect against dark forces and various troubles.
Lyrical compositions— in such works the difficult lot of the Russian people is mentioned. For example, the difficult life of women and the difficult life of ordinary peasants is very often mentioned.

Genres of modern music

Now let's talk about the genres of modern music. There are quite a lot of them. However, they all depart from the three main directions in modern music. So we'll talk a little about them.

Rock

Rock is popular today. It may not be the same as before, but in our time it has become firmly entrenched. Therefore, it is impossible not to mention it. And the direction itself gave impetus to the birth of many genres. Here are some of them:

Folk rock- elements of folk songs are well used
Pop rock- music for a very wide audience
Hard rock- heavier music with a harsh sound

Pop

Popular music also covers many genres that are often used in modern music:

House- electronic music performed on a synthesizer
Trance- electronic music with a predominance of sad and cosmic melodies
Disco– dance music with abundant rhythmic drum and bass sections

Rap

In recent years, rap has been gaining momentum quite well. In fact, this direction has practically no vocals. Basically they don’t sing here, but rather read. This is where the phrase rap came from. Here is a list of some genres:

Rapcore- a mixture of rap and heavy music
Alternative rap- a mixture of traditional rap with other genres
Jazz rap- a mixture of rap and jazz

Electronic music genres

Let's look a little at the main genres of electronic music. Of course, we won’t touch on everything here. However, we will analyze some of them. Here is the list:

House(house) - appeared in the 80s of the last century. It originates from the disco of the 70s. Appeared thanks to the experiments of DJs. Main features: repeating beat rhythm, 4x4 time signature and sampling.
Deep house(deep house) - lighter, atmospheric music with a deep, dense sound. Includes elements of jazz and ambient. The production uses solo keyboards, electric organ, piano and female vocals (mostly). Developed since the late 80s. Vocals in this genre always take a secondary place. The first one contains melodies and sounds to depict the mood.
Garage house(garage house) - the same as deep house, only vocals take the main role.
New disco(nu disco) is a more modern musical genre based on the renewed interest in disco music. It's very popular now to go back to your roots. Therefore, this genre is based on the music of the 70s and 80s. The genre itself appeared in the early 2000s. Synthesized sounds similar to the sounds of real instruments are used to create disco of the 70s and 80s.
Soul full house(soulful house) - the basis is taken from house with a 4x4 rhythmic pattern, as well as vocals (full or in the form of samples). The vocals here are mostly soulful and very beautiful. Plus the use of a variety of musical instruments. Such a rich presence of instruments brings the music of this genre to life very well.

Rap genres

Let's move on to consider the main genres of rap. This direction is also actively developing. Therefore, it would be nice to touch on it too. Here is a small list of genres:

Comedy Rap- intelligent and funny music for entertainment. Has a combination of real hip-hop and regular humor. Comedy rap emerged in the 80s.
Dirty rap- dirty rap, characterized by a pronounced heavy bass. Basically this music is intended to excite the audience at various parties.
gangsta rap- music with a very hard sound. The genre of music appeared in the late 80s. Elements from hardcore rap were taken as the parent basis of this trend.
Hardcore rap— aggressive music with noisy samples and heavy beats. Appeared in the late 80s.

Genres of classical music

There are works divided into many genres of classical music. They became especially widespread in the 18th century. Here is a partial list of destinations:

Overture- a short instrumental introduction to a performance, plays or works.
Sonata- a work for chamber performers, which is used as a solo or duet. Consists of three parts connected to each other.
Etude- a small instrumental piece designed to hone the technique of performing music.
Scherzo- the beginning of music with a lively and rapid tempo. Mainly conveys to the listener humorous and unexpected moments in the work.
Opera, symphony, oratorio- they were mentioned above.

Rock music genres

Now let's look at some genres of rock music other than those already mentioned above. Here is a short list with a description:

Gothic rock- rock music with a gothic and gloomy direction. Appeared in the early 1980s.
Grunge- music with a solid guitar sound and dark depressive lyrics. Appeared somewhere in the mid-1980s.
Folk rock— was formed as a result of mixing rock with folk music. Appeared in the mid-1960s.
Viking rock- punk rock with elements of folk music. Such works reveal the history of Scandinavia and the Vikings themselves.
Trashcore- faster hardcore. The works are usually small.

Genres of sacred and secular music

Let's look at some genres of sacred and secular music. To begin with, let's define these two directions. You will find out what it is and what is the difference. After that, we'll go through several genres.

Spiritual music

Spiritual music is intended to heal the soul. Such works are used mainly for services in churches. That's why some people also call it church music. Here is a short list of its genres:

Liturgy- Easter or Christmas service. Performed by a choir, and can also include additional soloists. As a rule, various scenes of events from the Holy Scriptures were inserted into the liturgical drama. Elements of theatricality were often used.
Antiphon- repetitive music performed by alternating several choral groups. For example, the same verses can be performed alternately by two faces. There are several types of antiphons. For example, holidays (on holidays), sedate (Sundays), everyday, and so on.
Rondel- was created to an original melody in the form of a special form with the next introduction of vocals to the same motive.
Proprium- part of the Mass that varies depending on the church calendar.
Ordinarium- an unaltered part of the mass.

Secular music

Secular music is recognized to show the national character of different cultures. Mainly the main image and life of a common man was described. This type of music was very common among traveling musicians in the Middle Ages.

Concert (Italian: concerto)- a piece of music, usually in three movements, in which, as a rule, one solo instrument (for example, piano or violin) is accompanied (contrasted) by an orchestra. The word probably comes from the Latin "concertare", meaning both "to argue" or "to work together". This dual concept of competition and cooperation has been at the core of this musical form since its inception, although the emphasis has varied from one to the other over time.

Sonata

Sonata(from Latin and Italian “sonare”, “to sound”) - a musical work for one or more instruments, usually in 3 or 4 parts (there are sonatas and one-part ones (F. Liszt “After Reading Dante”) and five-part ones ( J. Brahms sonata op.5) Most often, sonatas are written for or for an instrument accompanied by a piano.
Before the classical era, the term "sonata" denoted various forms of works that were played on instruments, as opposed to "cantatas", which were vocal works. Even now, if desired, the composer can call any instrumental solo work a “sonata.”

String Quartet

String Quartet- a piece of music for four string instruments. The term also refers to a group of four people who play a piece for four string instruments. Almost always a string quartet consists of 2 violins, a viola and. The balance between this composition of instruments is perfect; other stringed instruments, such as the double bass, are not used due to its loud and heavy sound. This musical form is the most popular in chamber music; most major composers wrote string quartets.

Overture

Overture- an instrumental orchestral piece that serves as an introduction to musical (and other) works. An overture can open an opera, ballet, choral performance, film, dramatic theater production, instrumental compositions, etc. The term "overture" comes from the French ouverture, meaning opening, beginning, introduction. An overture also means an independent instrumental concert work.

Overture to films

In addition to its main purpose - the opening of opera and musical and dramatic performances, the overture has found its place in cinema, of course mainly in American cinema. Since the birth of cinema, some films were filmed with an overture and intermission, and their premieres were shown in large cities in a limited number of the best cinemas. Programs and souvenirs were printed for the session. This practice was called "roadshowing" and became obsolete in the early 1970s, although variations still exist occasionally, particularly for individual films competing for Academy Awards.

Etude

Etude(from the French ?tude - training) - a small instrumental musical composition, usually of considerable complexity, is practical material designed to improve the technical skills of a musician. The tradition of writing etudes appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, due to the growing popularity of the piano as a home instrument. Of the huge number of etudes from that era, some are still used as educational material, and some works by leading composers, for example, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Claude Debussy and others, have taken a place in today's concert repertoire. The heyday of the etude as a musical form occurred in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries; the practice of composing etudes continued into the 20th century and still exists today, using completely different performance techniques.

This article is intended primarily for those who are interested in what musical means their idols use when creating works within a certain genre. In addition, every self-respecting composer (and I’m sure you are one of them) must know what style the music he creates is. Good orientation in musical genres and subgenres is the first sign of high professionalism.

Most modern critics identify three main musical branches: pop, rock, rap, which in turn evolved from earlier styles and spawned many of their own branches.

Pop. Contemporary popular music. A very broad term that covers many genres: disco, trance, house, techno, funk, new wave, etc. Let's take a closer look at their features.

Disco. In the recent past, the most popular genre of dance-pop music. Disco is characterized by: an abundance of effects, the leading role of the rhythm section of drums and bass, and the secondary, background sound of strings and wind instruments.

Trance. This genre of electronic music is notable for the fact that it has a high emotional impact on the listener. A similar effect is achieved in trance through the use of sad, “cosmic” melodies.

House. Dance, completely electronic music. The main and only house instrument is the synthesizer. This genre is characterized by the presence of looped musical phrases and solo melodies. Effects are widely used.

Techno. Futuristic music of the big city. Signs of techno: fantastic melodies, dark, metallic sound, “cold”, unemotional vocals.

Funk. A dance genre characterized by clearly defined drummers dominating over other instruments, low melody, and “sloppy” rhythm.

New wave. A genre of popular music transformed from punk rock. Uses almost the same musical means as the parent.

Rock. Rock, as an independent genre, originated from the “black” American blues, which appeared in the 20-30s. Traditional blues has 12 bars. A measure is a segment of a composition consisting of several notes, the first of which has a stress or accent. The main instrumental set of blues: double bass or bass that sets the rhythm, lead guitar, drums, often keyboards and winds. Rock itself emerged from a branch of this genre - guitar blues, which sought to free itself from wind and keyboard instruments. To better understand the musical intricacies of the blues, let's launch Cakewalk and open the Blues in C Major file in the Sample Content folder:

This is an example of blues in the key of B major. Instruments used to create this composition: Chorused Piano, Acoustic Bass and Cymbal. Regular blues set. Notice the numbered scale located above the tracks. These are bars. As you can see, there are exactly 12 of them. Listen to this example. The emphasis is on the first note of each measure. Look at how the volume is distributed between the tracks: the solo piano sounds loudest, whereas in rock it is the prerogative of the drums. By the way, it's time to talk about rock itself.

The emergence of rock and rock and roll (these concepts are often equated) is associated with the name of Elvis Presley and the Beatles. The merit of the first is in popularizing this genre, turning it into a fun dance style. The role of the Beatles is somewhat different - this legendary group managed to turn rock into art.

In purely musical terms, rock is practically the same as blues, but in a broader sense it is music of protest against society, power or something else.

Rock has a huge number of subgenres. We'll look at the main ones: soft rock, hard rock, pop rock, folk rock, punk rock, psychedelic rock, heavy metal and thrash.

Hard rock literally means “heavy, hard.” Indeed, the sound of music performed in this style corresponds to the name. Heaviness in hard rock is achieved by the dominance of a loud and powerful rhythm section over other instruments. Usually the drummers, bass or rhythm guitar are "weighted". Hard rock often uses Overdrive and Distortion effects.

Pop rock is popular rock. Well balanced, enriched with all sorts of effects and popular arrangements. Pop rock can also be called any rock music intended for a wide audience of listeners.

Folk rock - rock with elements of folk music.

Punk rock is rough, often unprofessional, but expressive music. Punk is characterized by simple, unpretentious, but shocking melodies.

Psychedelic rock is complex, non-standard music, stuffed with effects, which is characterized by a high level of emotional impact on the listener.

Heavy metal is harsh metal music, often not harmonious and far from the usual musical standards.

Thrash - this incomparably tough genre is characterized by the complexity and unusualness of melodies and improvisation.

Rap. Rap as a genre originated from dance music. It is characterized by uneven rhythm, complex experiments with drummers, and looped musical fragments. An important feature of rap is the absence of vocals, replaced by recitative. Rap is read like poetry, not sung. The main instrumentation of this genre: drums and complex, in many cases, solo bass. Often in their work, rap musicians use the scratch effect - the creaking of vinyl records.

One of the most likely musical ancestors of rap is reggae, a dance style that originated in Jamaica. It has a lot in common with rap - the same uneven, ragged rhythm, looped musical fragments, a complex drummer. Let's open a file in Cakewalk with an example of reggae - Reggae:

Instruments used in this composition: Synth Bass 2, Rock Organ, Clavinet, Jazz Drumset. The classic rap instrumentation is somewhat poorer, sometimes just a drummer and bass.