Music: The Five Different Types Of Music

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Music is something that I believe we could not live without. There is a quote by a philosopher named Friedrich Nietzschethat says “without music, life would be a mistake”. I interpret this to mean that humans would not be creative if it were not for music. There is a reason that music can take us where word cannot. When you hear so many different sounds coming together to make a perfect harmony it is obvious that no words can make you feel the same way as the music. The best thing about music is that there are literally too many genres to choose from. There are different genres of music for any mood you are in. The origins behind these different genres is an interesting and rich history that is begging to be studied and written about. Let me explain.... The definition of the word genre is “a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style or subject matter” (Merriam Webster). These categories are what is used to classify music into different genres. The 5 most popular genres of music include heavy metal, rock n' roll, alternative, hard rock, and classical. The first and most popular genre on the list is heavy metal. This is also referred to simply as metal by most people. Metal is a genre of rock music that was developed between 1969 and 1974. “With roots in blues-rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, heavy, guitar-and-drums-centered sound, characterized by the use of highly-amplified distortion and fast guitar solos” (Ben, History of Heavy Metal). Heavy metal fans have been known around the world as “metal-heads” and “headbangers”. Some of the early heavy metal bands include Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. In the late 1970s heavy ... ... middle of paper ... ...ument. Also during this time, the basic forces required for an orchestra became somewhat standardized. “Wind instruments became more refined in the Classical period. While double reeded instruments like the oboe and bassoon became somewhat standardized in the Baroque, the clarinet family of single reeds was not widely used until Mozart expanded its role in orchestral, chamber, and concerto settings” (wikipedia). Oddly enough four out of the five genres on the top five genres list were associated with rock music. The one genre that was not related to rock music (classical music), was about the farthest you can get from rock music. Each of the five genres have their own unique style and an even more unique history, and I guarantee that if you take the time to research them you will find something that interests you and will make you want to learn more about that genre.

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