Musical genres with examples. Musical works and musical genres

The textbook is intended for students and teachers of pedagogical colleges for use in “Playing Musical Instruments” lessons. The manual includes theoretical material that introduces students to the main genres of music. The application contains sheet music material that can be used for students to listen to and perform in class.

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Music genres

Translated from French the word genre means type, kind, manner. This word refers to a type of work that has its own distinctive features, content, form and purpose. To better understand what a genre is, let's turn to painting. You know well that if a person is depicted in a painting, this painting is called a portrait. If the canvas depicts nature, it is a landscape. The image of fruits and game is called a still life. Portrait, landscape and still life are genres in painting. In literature, this is a story, a novel, a story, an essay.

Music also has its own genres. Let's start with three musical genres: song, dance and march. Wonderful teacher and composer D.B. Kabalevsky compared them to three pillars on which all music rests.Song, dance and marchhave become part of our everyday life and have merged with it so much that sometimes we do not notice or perceive them as art. Who among us thought, when listening to our mother’s lullaby, walking in a sports formation, or dancing at a disco, that a piece of music was being performed? Of course, no one. But they are always with us - song, dance and march.

In opera, in symphony and choral cantata, in piano sonata and string quartet, in ballet, in jazz, pop and folk music, in a word, in any field of musical art we will receive the support of “three pillars”.

Song

Long before professional music appeared, folk songs truthfully and artistically reflected the typical features of the national character of a particular people.The birth of the song has long been associated with the lives of people, their work activities, and everyday life. Song , like sobbing or laughter, reflects the state of the human soul, which is why they are so diverse and numerous. The peculiarity of the song is the harmonious combination of words and music

Very often the word “folk” is added to the word “song”. Each folk song has a pronounced national flavor, because the people of all nations and all continents sing in their own way. Hard to confuse Russian song from Georgian, Uzbek, Neapolitan or Negro.Like a precious stone, the song was passed down from mouth to mouth from one generation to the next. Each performer contributed something of his own, individuality to it. Therefore, often the same texts were sung in different villages with different tunes. There are different types of folk songs: work songs, games, ritual songs, family songs, round dance songs, dance songs, lyrical songs, epic songs and many others.

Most often the song is performed accompanied by a musical instrument. Using folk themes, composers create new song genres, as well as monumental works: cantatas, oratorios, operas and operettas. The song organically entered into symphonic music. And there are many such examples.

Dance - one of the oldest manifestations of folk art. IN

People sought to convey their feelings through rhythmic or smooth movement

moods and thoughts. This is how ritual dances appeared, which became

an indispensable attribute of every holiday. Many peoples have preserved them

And until our time. People dance, sometimes turning their dance into art

- ballet. They dance while participating in ceremonies or having fun in

free evenings and on holidays. Each nation has its own

National traditions of dance with its characteristic music.

French dance chime (courante - “running”, “current”)

Of court origin, but quite fast, different

complex, intricate figures and music corresponding to them.

A completely different dance sarabande - slow, majestic. He was born

in Spain and arose from a solemn mourning rite. This was reflected in

The name (sacra banda in Spanish - “holy procession”).

Zhiga - an old dance of English sailors, fast, cheerful,

casual. These four dances have long been combined by composers

to the suites.

Many wonderful dances have long existed in Poland. Most

The most famous of them were the polonaise, mazurka, and krakowiak.

The oldest of them is polonaise . In the old days he was called great or

walking dance Its current name comes from the French

polonaise ("Polish"). Polonaise - a parade procession opened

court balls. In addition to the courtier, there was also a peasant

Polonaise, calmer and smoother. Favorite dance was

mazurka , more precisely - Mazury (from the name of one of the regions of Poland -

Mazovia). Folk mazurka with a cheerful, perky, sharply accented

Melody is a pair dance in which there are no pre-conceived figures.

Third dance - Krakowiak differs from the first two in clear size.

All these dances are presented in the works of Chopin, We hear them in

Glinka's opera "Ivan Susanin".

Polka dance belongs to another Slavic people - the Czechs.

Its name comes from the word pulka - “half”, as they danced

his small steps. This is a lively, relaxed dance that

They dance in pairs in a circle. The most beloved of Czech dances, it sounds in

Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride.

The interesting fate of the Austrian peasant dance Ländler. Doubles

A circle dance that takes its name from the Austrian region of Landl, it is

At the beginning of the 19th century, it migrated from villages to cities in Austria and Germany. His

they began to dance at balls, and gradually he became well-known and

everyone's favorite waltz.

In Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsodies" and Brahms's "Hungarian Dances"

characteristic melodic turns, sharp, rhythmic figures. They

immediately recognizable by ear, reminiscent of Hungarian folk dance Czárdáše.

Its name comes from the word csarda - “tavern”, “tavern”.

Hungarian taverns have long served as original clubs, where

the surrounding residents gathered. In them or on the platform in front of them and

danced. Chardas arose at the beginning of the 19th century, and not in the peasant

Wednesday, but in the city. This dance consists of two parts: slow,

pathetic and moving, fire dance.

The city of Toronto is located in southern Italy. He gave the name

national dance tarantella.

The dances of Spain are very colorful. Khota - favorite Spanish dance

The provinces of Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia are characterized by a fast pace,

sharp rhythm, which is emphasized by the clicking of castanets. This is a doubles

dance performed to the accompaniment of a guitar or mandolin. The originality of the

Glinka was captivated during his trip to Spain. His orchestral

"Aragonese Jota" was written on a genuine folk theme.

Another common dance is bolero (in Spanish volar - “to fly”)

more moderate, with a rhythm reminiscent of the polonaise.

In Russia, purely instrumental dance music has not received such

widespread: Russians have long loved to sing, and all dances - and

fast cheerful dances and smooth round dances - usually accompanied

singing. The most popular lively dance in the 19th century"Lady" even

It got its name from the chorus of the song “Madam-lady”. Among

dances of other nations are known to Ukrainian Cossack , fast, perky

Moldovenyaska.

Caucasian dance has gained enormous popularity lezginka Music

Lezginki - with a clear rhythm and energetic movements - attracted

attracted the attention of many composers. Stormy, full of elemental force and

Lezginka passions are heard in the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by Glinka, in the ballet

"Gayane" by Khachaturian.

March. The French word marche means "walking". In music, this is the name given to pieces written in a clear, energetic rhythm that is comfortable to march to. Although the marches differ from each other, they have one thing in common: the march is always written in an even size - two or four quarters, so that those walking do not lose their feet. But every rule has exceptions. Listen to the song by A. Alexandrov based on the verses of V. Lebedev - Kumach “Holy War”. It is written in three-part time, and yet it is a real march, under which the soldiers went to the front. The march is an important organizing, unifying principle. It is no coincidence that many revolutionary songs are written in a march rhythm. These are the famous “Marseillaise”, “Internationale”, “Varshavyanka”. The king of the march was called the Soviet composer I.O. Dunaevsky. He wrote many famous marches: “March of Enthusiasts”, “March of Athletes”, “Sports March”. There are several types of marches: drill, counter, concert, funeral.

Chaikovsky. March of the Wooden Soldiers;
Funeral of a Doll ("Children's Album");
"Wedding March" by Mendelssohn;

Marches from operas: M. Glinka “Ruslan and Lyudmila”;
G. Verdi "Aida"; C. Gounod "Faust";
F. Chopin. Sonata in B flat major;
L. Beethoven. Finale of the Fifth Symphony;
V. Agapkin. "Farewell of the Slav";
V. Alexandrov. "Holy war";
I. Dunaevsky. March from the movie" Funny boys ".

Determination of genre in works of classical music.

Musical genres also differ in the way they are performed. INsymphonic musicit is a symphony, a concerto, a suite.

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

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

Seasons Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi - the first four violin concertos from his eighth opus, which is a cycle of 12 concertos, one of his most famous works, also one of the most famous musical works in the Baroque style. Written in 1723, first published two years later. Each concert is dedicated to one season and consists of three parts corresponding to each month. The composer prefaced each of the concerts with a sonnet - a kind of literary program. It is assumed that the author of the poems is Vivaldi himself. It should be added that the paradigm of artistic thinking is not limited to a single meaning or plot, and involves secondary meanings, hints, and symbols. The first obvious illusion is the four ages of man, from birth to death (the final part contains an unambiguous hint of the last circle of Dante's hell). Equally overt is the allusion to the four regions of Italy, according to the four cardinal directions and the path of the sun across the sky. This is sunrise (east, Adriatic, Venice), midday (sleepy, hot south), magnificent sunset (Rome, Latium) and midnight (cold foothills of the Alps, with their frozen lakes). But in general, the content of the cycle is much richer, which was clear to any enlightened listener of that time. At the same time, Vivaldi here reaches the heights of genre and direct depiction, without shying away from humor: the music contains the barking of dogs, the buzzing of flies, the roar of a wounded animal, etc. All this, coupled with an impeccably beautiful form, led to the recognition of the cycle as an indisputable masterpiece .

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

In chamber musicgenres are distinguished: trio, quartet, sonata, prelude.

Trio (from Latin tria - “three”) - a musical ensemble of three performing musicians, vocalists or instrumentalists.

Quartet - musical ensembleof four performing musicians, vocalists or instrumentalists.

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

Prelude (from Latin - before and game) is a short piece of music that does not have a strict form.

In vocal music- romance, oratorio, cantata.

Romance - a vocal composition written on a short poem of lyrical content, mainly love; chamber musical and poetic work for voice with instrumental accompaniment.

Oratorio - major piece of music for choir, soloists and orchestra. In the past, oratorios were written only on subjects from the Holy Scriptures. It differs from opera in the absence of stage action, and from cantata in its larger size and branching plot.

Cantata (Italian cantata, from Latin сantare - to sing ) is a vocal-instrumental work for soloists, choir and orchestra.

To musical and theatrical genresinclude opera, operetta and ballet.

Opera - a work for the theater, which is performed by artists - singers and orchestra. This musical genre combines poetry and dramatic art, vocal and instrumental music, facial expressions, dancing, painting, scenery and costumes into a single whole.

The literary basis of the opera is the libretto. Often the libretto is based on some literary or dramatic work. For example, the opera “The Stone Guest” by Dargomyzhsky was written based on the full text of Pushkin’s “Little Tragedy”. But usually the libretto is reworked, since the text should be concise and concise.

Almost every opera begins with an overture - a symphonic introduction that generally introduces the listener to the content of the entire action.

Music in opera reveals the innermost feelings of the characters, their character,

talks about their thoughts. In dramatic performances this is conveyed in

monologues of actors. In the opera, the role of a monologue is played by an aria (translated from

Italian - “song”). The arias are characterized by wide chanting. To more

The hero is fully shown; several of his arias are introduced into the opera. In the opera P.I.

Tchaikovsky "Eugene Onegin" Lensky performs the aria "Where, where have you gone", which shows his emotional experiences, excitement,

uncertainty about the coming day. Lensky's Arioso “I love you, Olga” -

A small aria of free construction of a lyrical nature.

Another important component of opera is ensembles. During the simultaneous

Singing several soloists, we not only hear the voice of each

The performer, but we also feel the beauty of such a joint sound.

The largest ensemble, without which not a single opera can do, is the chorus.

The orchestra plays an important role in opera. He not only accompanies the entire opera,

but is also a kind of protagonist, since the music performed

orchestra, reveals the idea of ​​the work, reveals thoughts, feelings,

The relationship between the characters determines the dramatic development of the plot.

An important component of the opera is the dance scenes. In the opera M.I.

Glinka's "Ivan Susanin" the second act is almost entirely based on

dancing. This is a peculiar characteristic of an arrogant, confident in her

victory of the Polish gentry. That's why they dance the polonaise at this ball,

krakowiak, mazurka, presented by the composer not as folk, but

Knightly dances.

Operetta (from the Italian operetta, literally small opera) -

A theatrical performance in which individual musical numbers

Alternate with dialogues without music. Operettas are written in

Comic plot , the musical numbers are shorter operas in general

operetta music has a light, popular character, but inherits

directly to the traditions of academic music.

Ballet (from Italian ballo - dancing) - type of stage performance art;

performance, the content of which is embodied in musical

choreographic images. Most often, the basis of ballet is

a certain plot, dramatic concept, libretto, but there are also

plotless ballets. The main types of dance in ballet

are classical and character dance. An important role here

A pantomime is played, with the help of which the actors convey the feelings of the characters, their

“conversation” among themselves, the essence of what is happening. In modern ballet

Elements of gymnastics and acrobatics are also widely used. Ballet

requires endurance and endurance from any person engaged in it.

Music genres– historically established types and types of musical works, united by a common content, form, conditions (place) of performance and composition of performers.

In musical science, various classifications of genres of compositional creativity have developed. They depend on which of the factors determining the genre is considered as the main one. By composition of performers genres are divided into instrumental and vocal (including vocal-instrumental). In turn, in each group one can distinguish solo, ensemble, orchestral/choral genres.

At the place of execution genres can be chamber (for performance in small rooms by a solo or ensemble), concert (for performance from a concert stage by an orchestra and/or choir), musical theater. Everyday genres (song, dance, march) stand apart.

The cumulative effect of these criteria in relation to the main genres of academic music can be presented in the following table:

By shape genres are divided into miniatures (small one-part works - songs, romances, plays), large one-part works (overture, symphonic poem), cycles (works consisting of several parts - sonata, concert, symphony, suite).

By content musical works, like literary works, are lyrical, dramatic and epic. However, the classification of musical genres according to this criterion is the least accurate, since in music the qualities of narrative, expressiveness, and effectiveness are sometimes difficult to differentiate. Thus, a romance can go beyond the lyrical genre if there is dramatic development. And a dramatic symphony can acquire the quality of a confessional lyrical statement.

Summarizing several criteria, we can give the following definitions to the main musical genres:

The song is the most common genre of vocal music, folk and professional (author's). Solo or choral musical and poetic work. It can be intended for performance at home, for chamber or concert performance.

Romance is a chamber vocal work for voice with instrumental accompaniment. Lyrical miniature.

Cantata is a concert vocal-instrumental genre, a work for a choir, one or more solo singers and an orchestra. Includes arias, recitatives, choruses.

Oratorio is a large vocal and instrumental work for choir, solo singers and orchestra. Includes arias, recitatives, choruses. It differs from the cantata in its larger size, and from the opera in that it is intended for concert performance.

Opera is a musical and theatrical genre based on the synthesis of words, stage action and music. Includes arias (solo forms with chanting melody), recitatives (solo forms with melody approaching natural speech), ensembles, and choirs. Opens with an overture (orchestral introduction), may contain other instrumental episodes (introductions to individual actions, dances)

An instrumental piece is a general name for chamber, mostly solo instrumental miniatures. It has dozens of genre varieties and author’s designations (nocturne, impromptu, musical moment, “song without words”, “leaf from an album”, etc.)

Sonata is one of the main genres of chamber instrumental music, a work for a soloist or a small ensemble. A three-part (rarely four-part) cycle with fast outer parts.

Symphony is one of the main genres of concert instrumental music, a work for a symphony orchestra. The cycle usually consists of 4 parts.

A concert is a work for one, or less often several, solo instruments with a symphony orchestra. A cycle of 3 parts, contrasting in tempo (fast, slow, fast). There are also concerts for one instrument (without orchestra), for orchestra (without soloists), for voice with orchestra, for a capella choir (without instrumental accompaniment).

Suite is a genre of instrumental music, chamber and concert. Work for solo instrument, ensemble, orchestra. A cycle consisting of an arbitrary number of parts, usually contrasting in tempo, rhythm, and character.

There are a great variety of musical genres and trends. If you start listing the genres of music, the list will simply be endless, since dozens of new musical movements appear on the borders of different styles from year to year. This is due to the development of music technologies, new developments in the field of sound production, sound production, but first of all - with people’s need for a unique sound, with a thirst for new emotions and sensations. Be that as it may, there are four broad musical movements that, in one way or another, gave rise to all other styles. There are also no clear boundaries between them, and yet the production of a musical product, the content of songs and the structure of arrangements are noticeably different. So what are the different genres of vocal music, at least the main ones?

Pop

Pop music is not only a movement, but also an entire mass culture. The song is the only form that is acceptable in the pop genre.

The key points in creating a pop composition are the presence of the most simple and memorable melody, construction on the verse-chorus principle, and the rhythm and human voice are brought to the fore in the sound. The purpose for which pop music is created is purely entertainment. A pop performer cannot do without show ballet, stage performances and, of course, expensive video clips.

Pop music is a commercial product, so it constantly changes in sound depending on the style at the peak of popularity. For example, when jazz was in favor in the United States, performers like Frank Sinatra became popular. And in France, chanson has always been honored, so Mireille Mathieu and Patricia Kaas are unique French pop icons. When there was a wave of popularity of rock music, pop artists widely used guitar riffs in their compositions (Michael Jackson), then there was an era of mixing pop and disco (Madonna, Abba), pop and hip-hop (Beastie Boys), etc.

Modern world stars (Madonna, Britney Spears, Beyonce, Lady Gaga) have picked up the wave of rhythm and blues and are developing it in their work.

Rock

The lead in rock music is given to the electric guitar, and the highlight of the song is usually the expressive solo of the guitarist. The rhythm section is heavy, and the musical pattern is often complicated. Not only powerful vocals are welcome, but also mastery of the technique of splitting, screaming, growling and all kinds of roars.

Rock is a sphere of experimentation, expression of one's own thoughts, and sometimes revolutionary judgments. The subject matter of the texts is quite broad: the social, political and religious structure of society, personal problems and experiences. It is difficult to imagine a rock performer without his own band, since performances are only performed live.

The most common rock music genres - list and examples:

• rock and roll (Elvis Presley, The Beatles);
• instrumental rock (Joe Satriani, Frank Zappa);
• hard rock (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple);
• glam rock (Aerosmith, Queen);
• punk rock (Sex Pistols, Green Day);
• metal (Iron Maiden, Korn, Deftones);
• (Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, 3 Doors Down), etc.

Jazz

When describing modern genres of music, the list would be worth starting with jazz, since it had a huge influence on the development of other genres, including pop and rock. Jazz is a music based on African motifs brought to the United States from West Africa by black slaves. Over the century of its existence, the direction has significantly transformed, but what remains unchanged is the passion for improvisation, free rhythm and widespread use. Jazz legends include: Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, etc.

Electronic

The 21st century is the era of electronics, and the electronic direction in music today occupies one of the leading positions. Here the bets are placed not on live instruments, but on electronic synthesizers and computer sound emulators.

Here are the most popular and in-demand electronic music genres, a list of which will give you a general idea:

• house (David Guetta, Benny Benassi);
• techno (Adam Beyer, Juan Atkins);
• dubstep (Skrillex, Skream);
• trance (Paul van Dyk, Armin van Buuren), etc.

Musicians are not interested in adhering to the boundaries of style, so the relationship between performers and styles is always quite arbitrary. Music genres, the list of which is not limited to the above-mentioned areas, have recently tended to lose their characteristic features: performers mix musical genres, there is always room for amazing discoveries and unique finds in music, and the listener is interested in getting acquainted with the latest musical novelties every time.

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, approximately until 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 are there 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.

Continuing the series of articles on music theory, we would like to tell you about how genres in music were formed and developed. After this article, you will never confuse a musical genre with a musical style again.

So, first, let's look at how the concepts of “genre” and “style” differ. Genre- This is a type of work that has developed historically. It implies the form, content and purpose of music. Musical genres began their formation at an early stage in the development of music, in the structure of primitive communities. Then music accompanied every step of human activity: everyday life, work, speech, and so on. Thus, the main genre principles were formed, which we will examine further.

Style also implies the sum of materials (harmony, melody, rhythm, polyphony), the way they were used in a musical work. Typically, a style is based on a particular era or is classified by composer. In other words, style is a set of means of musical expression that determines the image and idea of ​​music. It may depend on the individuality of the composer, his worldview and tastes, and approach to music. Style also determines trends in music, such as jazz, pop, rock, folk styles, and so on.

Now let's get back to music genres. There are five main genre principles, which, as we said, originated in primitive communities:

• Motority
• Declamation
• Chanting
• Signaling
• Sound-imagery

They became the basis of all subsequent genres that appeared with the development of music.

Quite soon after the formation of the basic genre principles, genre and style began to be intertwined into a single system. Such genre-style systems were formed depending on the occasion for which the music was created. This is how genre-style systems appeared, which were used in certain ancient cults, for ancient rituals and in everyday life. The genre had a more applied nature, which shaped a certain image, style and compositional features of ancient music.

On the walls of Egyptian pyramids and in surviving ancient papyri, lines of ritual and religious hymns were found, which most often told about the ancient Egyptian gods.

It is believed that ancient music reached its highest point of development in Ancient Greece. It was in ancient Greek music that certain patterns were discovered on which its structure was based.

As society developed, so did music. New vocal and vocal-instrumental genres had already formed in medieval culture. During this era, genres such as:

• Organum is the earliest form of polyphonic music in Europe. This genre was used in churches, and flourished at the Notre Dame school in Paris.
• Opera is a musical and dramatic work.
• Chorale is liturgical Catholic or Protestant singing.
• The motet is a vocal genre that was used both in church and at secular events. His style depended on the text.
• Conduct is a medieval song, the text of which was most often spiritual and moralizing. They still cannot accurately decipher the medieval notes of the conductors, since they did not have a specific rhythm.
• Mass is a liturgical service in Catholic churches. Requiem also belongs to this genre.
• Madrigal is a short work on lyrical and love themes. This genre originated in Italy
• Chanson - this genre appeared in France, and initially choral peasant songs belonged to it.
• Pavana - a smooth dance that opened holidays in Italy
• Galliarda is a cheerful and rhythmic dance also originating from Italy.
• Allemande is a procession dance that originated in Germany.

IN XVII-XVIII Over the centuries, rural music – country – has developed quite actively in North America. The genre is heavily influenced by Irish and Scottish folk music. The lyrics of such songs often talked about love, rural life and cowboy life.

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, folklore developed quite actively in Latin America and Africa. In the African American community, the blues originated, which was originally a “work song” that accompanied work in the fields. The blues is also based on ballads and religious chants. Blues formed the basis of a new genre - jazz, which is the result of a mixture of African and European cultures. Jazz has become quite widespread and universally recognized.

Based on jazz and blues, rhythm and blues (R'n'B), a song and dance genre, appeared in the late 40s. He was quite popular among young people. Subsequently, funk and soul appeared within this genre.

It is curious that along with these African-American genres, the genre of pop music appeared in the 20s of the twentieth century. The roots of this genre are in folk music, street romances and ballads. Pop music has always mixed with other genres to form some pretty interesting musical styles. In the 70s, within the framework of pop music, the “disco” style appeared, which became the most popular dance music at that time, pushing rock and roll into the background.

In the 50s, rock burst into the ranks of already existing genres, the origins of which were in blues, folk and country. It quickly gained wild popularity and grew into many different styles, mixing with other genres.

Ten years later, the reggae genre was formed in Jamaica, which became widespread in the 70s. Reggae is based on mento, a genre of Jamaican folk music.

In the 1970s, rap appeared, which was “exported” by Jamaican DJs to the Bronx. DJ Kool Herc is considered the founder of rap. Initially, rap was read for fun, to throw out one’s emotions. The basis of this genre is the beat, which sets the rhythm of the recitative.

In the second half of the 20th century, electronic music established itself as a genre. It is strange that it did not gain recognition at the beginning of the twentieth century, when the first electronic instruments appeared. This genre involves creating music using electronic musical instruments, technology and computer programs.

Genres that emerged in the 20th century have many styles. For example:

Jazz:

• New Orleans jazz
• Dixieland
• Swing
• Western swing
• Bop
• Hard bop
• Boogie Woogie
• Cool or cool jazz
• Modal or modal jazz
• Avant-garde jazz
• Soul jazz
• Free jazz
• Bossa Nova or Latin American Jazz
• Symphonic jazz
• Progressive
• Fusion or jazz rock
• Electric Jazz
• Acid jazz
• Crossover
• Smooth jazz

• Cabaret
• Minstrel show
• Music hall
• Musical
• Ragtime
• Lounge
• Classic crossover
• Psychedelic pop
• Italo disco
• Eurodisco
• High energy
• Nu-disco
• Space disco
• Ye-ye
• K-pop
• Europop
• Arabic pop music
• Russian pop music
• Rigsar
• Laika
• Latin pop music
• J-pop

• Rock'n'roll
• Big Bit
• Rockabilly
• psychobilly
• Neorocabilly
• Skiffle
• Doo-wop
• Twist
• Alternative rock (Indie rock/College rock)
• Math rock
• Madchester
• Grunge
• Shoegazing
• Britpop
• Noise rock
• Noise pop
• Post-grunge
• lo-fi
• Indie pop
• Twi-pop
• Art rock (Progressive rock)
• Jazz rock
• Krautrock
• Garage rock
• Freakbeat
• Glam rock
• Country rock
• Merseybeat
• Metal (Hard Rock)
• Avant-garde metal
• Alternative metal
• Black metal
• Melodic black metal
• Symphonic black metal
• True black metal
• Viking metal
• Gothic metal
• Doom metal
• Death metal
• Melodic death metal
• Metalcore
• New metal
• Power metal
• Progressive metal
• Speed ​​metal
• Stoner rock
• Thrash metal
• Folk metal
• Heavy metal
• New wave
• Russian rock
• Pub rock
• Punk rock
• Ska-punk
• Pop punk
• Crust punk
• Hardcore
• Crossover
• Riot folk
• Pop rock
• Postpunk
• Gothic rock
• No Wave
• Post-line
• Psychedelic rock
• Soft rock
• Folk rock
• Techno rock

As you can see, there are many styles. It would take a lot of time to list the full list, so we won’t do that. The main thing is that you now know how modern popular genres appeared and you will definitely no longer confuse genre and style.