Brief History Music

The skill of arranging sounds in time using melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre is known as music. It
is a universal cultural characteristic of all human communities. Pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and the
acoustic aspects of timbre and texture are all included in general definitions of music. Music has
always been a vital part of human life, perhaps even before we learned to talk.

Voice would have been our distant ancestors' first and most natural form of expression, used to bond
socially or comfort a sleeping child. The music we listen to today evolved from these humble
beginnings.

Music originated in the Paleolithic period, while it is unknown whether it was the Middle (300,000 to
50,000 BP) or Upper Paleolithic (50,000 to 12,000 BP).

The Greeks and subsequently the Romans combined influences from the west and east in their pre-
Christian music. Traveling musicians may have added a lot of variation and inventiveness to musical
practices and customs.

EVOLUTION OF MUSIC
1. Medieval Period - Music was a dominating art form in taverns to cathedrals at this period,
and it was practiced by rulers and peasants alike. The sound of music became increasingly
known during this extended period of music.
2. Renaissance Period - The introduction of instrumental compositions in its own right near the
end of the high medieval period prepares the way for various musical forms in the next time:
the Renaissance. In music history, the Renaissance (1450– 1600) was a golden age. The
Renaissance composers established a fresh path forward, freed from the confines of
Medieval musical norms.
3. Baroque Period - The Baroque Period (1600-1760) has some of Western Classical Music's
most famous composers and works. Some of the most important musical and instrumental
developments occur during this time.
4. Classical Period – The Classical period was an era of classical music between roughly 1730
and 1820. The Classical period falls between the Baroque and the Romantic periods. It
preserved many Baroque styles while emphasizing elegance and simplicity (as opposed to
the grandiosity and complexity of Baroque music) in both choral and instrumental music.
Classical music has a lighter, cleaner texture than Baroque music, yet it uses form in a more
sophisticated way.
5. Romantic Period – Compositions were more expressive and innovative throughout the
Romantic period, which began around 1830 and concluded around 1900. Romantic music is a
kind of Western Classical music linked with the period of the nineteenth century known as
the Romantic era. The quality and range of many instruments improved dramatically
throughout the Romantic period, encouraging composers to write more expressive and
diverse music. Composers gave wide and uncontrolled license to their deepest feelings and
dreams in musical forms like the Romantic orchestra, which became immense landscapes.
ELEMENTS OF MUSIC
1. Rhythm - The pattern of movement in time. This musical phrase is used to define the length
or shortness of a sound. This refers to how long or sustained the notes of any given
instrument in a piece of music are
 BEAT
 TEMPO
 METER
2. Melody - A coherent succession of pitches or a series of pitches that make a tune.
 PITCH or NOTE or TONE
 SCALE
 MELODIC CONTOUR
3. Harmony - The relationship of pitches as they sound simultaneously
 INTERVAL
 CHORDS
4. Timbre - Refers to the unique sound quality of an instrument. The character of a sound
distinct from its pitch, length, or intensity. Timbre can also be described using the term tone
color.
 MATERIAL OF INSTRUMENT
 ATTACK/ARTICULATION
 SUSTAINED PITCH
5. Texture - Refers to the number of instruments or voices that contribute to the overall density
of the music. The pattern of sound created by the interaction of musical voices.
 MONOPHONY
 HETEROPHONY
 HOMOPHONY
 POLYPHONY
6. Dynamic - The aspect of music relating to degrees of loudness. Refers to the volume of a
piece of music.
 FORTISSIMO
 FORTE
 MEZZO FORTE
 MEZZO PIANO
 PIANO
 PIANISSIMO
 CRESCENDO
 DIMINUENDO
7. Form - The shape of a musical composition as defined by new and repeated segments; the
musical roadmap. Refers to the order and arrangement of the different parts.

Types of Musical Instruments

 Flute: The flute has been a part of the musical world for ages
and was used as a means to produce high-pitched sounds.

Cymbals: These can be considered as the biggest noisemakers

of the entire orchestra. Cymbals are two big metal discs, mostly
made of spun bronze.

Violin: Another commonly used instrument which falls in this

category is the violin. Sometimes violins are also referred to as
fiddles.

Guitar : A very commonly known string instrument is the

guitar. The guitar is a relatively more straightforward
instrument than other instruments in this category.

Piano: the biggest advantage of learning piano is that you

acquire an in-depth knowledge of music theory, which is
applicable in nearly all other instruments. It also allows you to
add an audio interface for better quality recording.

10 international and local artists and their artworks

1. ROCK
International artist: Led Zeppelin
Song Title: Black Dog
Background of artist:
 Is British rock band that was extremely popular in the 1970s. Although their musical style
was diverse, they came to be well known for their influence on the development of heavy
metal.
 The group consisted of vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John
Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham.
 Led Zeppelin's legacy and influence encompass the rock 'n roll genre. They pushed the limits,
challenged ideals, and pulled out all the stops when it came to making music. They were
rooted in blues but unlike some of their contemporaries, they went in hard and heavy.
Background of song:
 The song’s title is a reference to a nameless, black Labrador retriever that wandered around
the Headley Grange studios during recording.
 The sounds at the beginning of the song are those of Jimmy Page (guitarist) warming up his
electric guitar. He called it “waking up the army of guitars”.
LATEST (ROCK)
International artist: Måneskin
Song Title: Beggin'
Background of artist:
 Måneskin is an Italian rock band formed in Rome in 2016.
 The group consists of vocalist Damiano David, bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas
Raggi, and drummer Ethan Torchio
 Måneskin — Danish for “Moonlight”
 General music audiences are looking for catchy songs they can gravitate to, and Måneskin
fits that descriptor. General Music, and teenage music fans, helped Måneskin reach that
pedestal and become the fresh faces of rock.
Background of song:
 The song was originally a hit for the Four Seasons back in 1967 and it is a massive successful
cover of Beggin’ for Måneskin
 The sounds at the beginning of the song are those of Jimmy Page (guitarist) warming up his
electric guitar. He called it “waking up the army of guitars”.

LED ZEPPELIN MÅNESKIN

2. JAZZ

International artist: Miles Davis

Song Title: So What
Background of artist:
 He is by far the most influential jazz musician of all time and it’s unlikely that anyone will ever
supplant this position.
 He is known for cool jazz music (a style of jazz that emerged in the United States during the
late 1940s) The term cool derives from what journalists perceived as an understated or
subdued feeling in the music of Miles Davis.
 Miles Davis was an innovator in jazz music, helping to define jazz fusion, and develop modal
jazz. Most notably

Background of song:
 Opening track of Kind Of Blue, which is arguably the biggest-selling jazz album of all time.
 It was recorded by Miles Davis in 2 days giving only brief instructions to a new band – yet all
tracks were recorded in one take.
 Rolling Stone magazine placed it 12th on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

LATEST (JAZZ)
International artist: Esperanza Spalding
Song: Chamber Music Society (album)
Background of artist:
 She is entitled as The 21ST Century’s Jazz Genius
 She didn’t exactly came out of nowhere. Spalding played classical violin as a child and gigged
in an indie band on bass as a teenager. She graduated from the Berklee College of Music on
only three years, becoming at the time, the youngest instructor in the school’s history at the
age of 20.
Background of song:
 From 2010, her third album (Chamber Music Society) got her the title of the first jazz artist
to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

MILES DAVIS ESPERANZA

SPALDING

3. ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC

International artist: Avicii
Song Title: Levels
Background of artist:
 Real name: Tim Bergling
 Stage Name: Avicii (In Buddhism, it means the lowest level of hell)
 One of the most popular DJs of the late 2000s and he was a Grammy nominated Swedish
Producer
 Avicii was a Swedish musician, DJ, remix artist, and record producer.
 Started making music at the age of 16 and began posting his singles on various online music
forums and soon caught the attention of a music label.
 In 2011, he achieved nationwide fame with his single “ Levels”

Background of song:
 This is a song that Avicii never perceived as a hit. But a global smash it was, charting in nearly
30 nations.
 It reached number one on Billboard US Dance Blub Songs ranking.
 Why did Avicii write Levels? The concept describes the idea that “we are already in Avici,
and that maybe we at times are aware of this and the existence of other levels. It describes
that reality is an infinite loop of reality.

AVICII

4. DUBSTEP
International artist: Skrillex
Song Title: Bangarang
Background of artist:
 Real name: Sonny John Moore
 An American DJ and music producer
 Skrillex has won 8 Grammy Awards, thrice in 2012 and 2013, and twice in 2016.
 He has established his very own record label OWSLA
 Skrillex composed the track “Bug Hunt” for the 2012 animated film “Wreck It Ralph”
 Skrillex used to sing for a band, but it didn’t work out, so he ended up pursuing his solo
career in 2007.
Background of song:
 Bangarang won the Best Dance Recording at the 2013 Grammy Awards
 The title is a word derived from the Peter Pan lexicon, more specifically the 1991 movie
Hook based on characters. In the film, it is “the battle cry of the Lost Boys” that’s why the
vocalist of the song is giving a “shoutout to all
her lost boys”
 SKRILLEX
5. TECHNO MUSIC
International artist: Jeff Mills
Song Title: The Bells
Background of artist:
 Mills became known as The Wizard in the early mid 1980s.
 He is an American DJ, record producer and composer.
 He is one of the biggest American names in Techno.
 He uses instruments like Turntable, synthesizer, drum machine.
Background of song:
 His most iconic track and is arguably one of the top techno tracks of all time.
 It is a face-paced, raucous banger that’s simply impossible to replicate.

JEFF MILLS

6.RHYTHM AND BLUES (R&B)

International artist: Ne-Yo
Song Title: Miss Independent
Background of artist:
 Real name: Shaffer Chimere Smith, born in Camden, Arkansas.
 His first stage name was GoGo and he joined an R&B group called Envy.
 He later got his stage name Ne-Yo from Big D Evans, a producer who once worked with the
singer.
 Before he became famous as a singer, he earned his reputation as a top songwriter. His first
#1 hit was “Let Me Love You” for the R&B singer Mario.

Background of song:
 Ne-yo told The Boston Globe September 18, 2008 that “This song is an ode to my mom, my
grandmother, my aunts, and all the women that can do it themselves and make no apologies
for who they are. They’re strong because they’re strong, love it or leave it.”

Ne-Yo
7. COUNTRY
International artist: Kenny Rogers
Song Title: Through The Years
Background of artist:
 Full name: Kenneth Donald Rogers
 He was a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer and actor who began
performing in his teens.
 With over 120 hit singles across genres and more than 100 million records sold worldwide,
Kenny was one of the best-selling and most beloved musical artists of all time.
 The song “Lucille” made it possible for Rogers to bring his first Grammy for Best Country
Vocal Performance, Male.
 He also has his own record label called Dreamcatcher Entertainment.

Background of song:
 Songwriter Marty Panzer and his collaborator Steve Dorff rushed to the piano and wrote it in
15 minutes before eating their dinner.
 The song was pass on by big artists before Kenny Rogers get ahold of it.
 KENNY ROGERS

8. POP
International artist: Taylor Swift
Song Title: Love Story
Background of artist:
 Real Name: Taylor Alison Swift
 The first step in her musical career was when she was 12. She was taught how to play three
chords on the guitar by a computer repairman. Because of these lessons, Taylor wrote her
first song, “Lucky You”.
 She is the only female artist to have won two “Album of the Year” awards at the Grammy’s.
 She got 324 awards from 577 nominations, she holds the record for most Billboard Music
Awards as the Most Award Winning Female Artis.
 Not only she is listed in the platinum-selling albums of all time, she also embodies
compassion as she has extended unending support to several charitable organisations.

Background of song:
 Taylor was 19 years old when she released the song Love Story
 It was inspired by a past love interest that didn’t necessarily make it to official boyfriend
status.
 It has a new version released as Love Story (Taylor’s Version) – it sounds identical to the
original which is exactly the point, as she aims to supplant the original master recording with
the new version she has complete control over.
TAYLOR SWIFT

9. INDIE ROCK
International artist: Tame Impala
Song Title: Let It Happen
Background of artist:
 Full name: Kevin Richard Parker
 He was a Law Clerk before Tame Impala
 An Australian singer, songwriter, musician and record producer.
 Tame Impala is a one-man band.
 He chose the moniker Tame Impala to give the impression the musical project was a band.
 In fact, the record label signed, they didn’t know it was Parker that was playing drums and
guitars and multi-tracking.

Background of song:
 The song is nearly eight minutes in length.
 It is the opening song of a Tame Impala concept album entitled Currents
 This track basically alludes to the idea that actually achieving such a goal is virtually
impossible or in the very least an exhausting behavior. – it means the narrator has now
reached a point where as opposed to fighting against external forces, he instead opts to let
them in.

TAME IMPALA

10. ELECTRO

International artist: DJ Snake

Song Title: Let Me Love You
Background of artist:
 Full name: William Sami Etienne Grigahcine
 Stage Name: DJ Snake
 In his youth, he was a graffiti artist, earning him the moniker “Snake” because he was able to
consistently evade the police.
 He is a French rapper and DJ who received two Grammy Award Nominations for his
Production and Composition abilities.
Background of song:
 The song was produced by DJ Snake. Both Justin Bieber and Snake co-wrote the song with
other song writers in the persons of Ali Tamposi, Brian Lee, Louis Bell, Andrew Watt.
 The song is about his love for a girl who is on the verge of ending the relationship.

DJ SNAKE
DIFFRENT TYPES OF MUSIC GENRES
A music genre is a traditional classification that gathers together works of music that
follow a set of rules or customs. A variety of criteria are used to categorize music into
distinct genres. Due to the creative character of music, classifications are nearly
always contentious and subjective, and many genres overlap.

1. ROCK - Since the early 1950s, rock music, sometimes known as 'Rock & Roll,' has
been a popular genre. String instruments are at the heart of rock music. However,
because the genre now incorporates new instruments, it is difficult to define rock
music precisely. Rock music has propelled some of the world's finest musicians to
popularity, thanks to loud, powerful guitars and compelling rock performers.

Rock stars included some of the finest musicians of all time. John Lennon, Jim
Morrison, Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, and Mick Jagger are among them.

2. JAZZ - Jazz, which is associated with blues and swing notes, has roots in European
and West African culture. Jazz, which dates from the late 1800s through the early
1900s, has a long history of empowering female artists, particularly during periods of
repression. Jazz is still a significant and iconic musical form today.

Jazz music pioneers include Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Ella Fitzgerald.

3. ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC - DJs blend a variety of beats and tones to produce
distinctive music, which is commonly referred to as EDM. Electronic Dance Music is
popular in dance clubs, especially when live DJs mix hundreds of various music in a
single set.

Dance music became a chart hit in the 1990s because to artists like The Chemical
Brothers, Fat Boy Slim, and Under.

4. DUBSTEP - Dubstep is an electronic dance music style that began in South London
in the late 1990s. Syncopated rhythmic patterns and strong sub-bass frequencies are
characteristics of dubstep. Dubstep is a darker style of dance music, according to
music fans. However, since the late 1990s, dubstep has swiftly established itself as
one of the most popular music genres.

Flux Pavillion and Skrillex are two of the most popular dubstep musicians nowadays.

5. TECHNO - Another sub-genre of electronic dance music is techno. This genre rose
to prominence in Germany at the end of the 1980s, influenced by house music, funk,
synthpop, and science fiction.

The techno genre is claimed to have originated in Detroit, and it's a music you may
have heard while clubbing. Techno music's quality has improved dramatically in
recent years, resulting in a spike in popularity for the genre.

Carl Cox and Paul Oakenfold are two of the most successful techno DJs.
6. RHYTHM AND BLUES (R&B) - R&B is a popular music genre that combines gospel,
blues, and jazz elements. African American singers popularized the genre, and Jerry
Wexler of Billboard magazine created the name "rhythm and blues" in 1947.

Previously, R&B was referred to as "race music," a phrase that originated in the
African-American community but was considered objectionable in the postwar
world. When R&B became established, RCA Records promoted it as 'Blues and
Rhythm.' However, when the genre grew mainstream, Atlantic Records, the most
successful R&B company, inverted the wording.

Some of the most well-known R&B performers are Usher, Beyonce, Rihanna, and
Mariah Carey.

7. COUNTRY - Country music is another popular music genre across the world.
Country music has origins in western music and American folk music and dates back
to the 1920s. Country music is distinguished by its distinct singing style, which is
accompanied by steel guitars, mandolins, and mouth organs.

Some of the most well-known Country music musicians of all time are Dolly Parton,
Johnny Cash, and Kenny Rogers.

8. POP - Because the word 'pop' is derived from the word 'popular,' Pop music is a
genre that includes music that is widely popular. Pop music has its origins in rock &
roll, but it also incorporates elements from other genres such as country, Latin,
urban, and dance.

Instruments typically employed in 'Pop' songs include drums, electric guitars, and
synthesizers.

Pop music luminaries include Madonna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and Justin
Bieber, to name a few.

9. INDIE ROCK - Indie Rock is a genre that falls halfway between pop and rock & roll.
In the late 1980s, MTV made indie rock mainstream, and it has been one of the most
popular music genres ever since.
Indie rock legends include The Strokes, Arcade Fire, The Shins, Elbow, and Coldplay.

10. ELECTRO - Electro combines electronic music with hip hop to produce music that
sounds like disco. The usage of vocoders, drum machines, and talkboxes, on the
other hand, establishes electro as a distinct genre.

Freez, Midnight Star, and Man Parrish are notable electro musicians.

REFERENCE: https://cloudcovermusic.com/blog/top-music-genres/
https://www.cmuse.org/history-of-music/