Music genre

A genre is defined in Grove Music Online as "A class, type or category, sanctioned by convention"A music genre is a conventional category that identifies pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from musical form and musical style, although in practice these terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

Music can be divided into different genres in several ways. The artistic nature of music means that these classifications are often arbitrary and controversial, and some genres may overlap. Some do not believe that generic classification of music is possible in any logically consistent way.

They argue that doing so sets limitations and boundaries that hinder the development of music. It is possible to note similarities between musical pieces, but it is difficult to do so in a systematic and universal manner.

There are several academic approaches to genres. In his book Form in Tonal Music, Douglass M. Green lists madrigal, motet, canzona, ricercar, and dance as examples of genres from the Renaissance period. According to Green, "Beethoven's Op. 61 and Mendelssohn's Op. 64 are identical in genre – both are violin concertos – but different in form. However, Mozart'sRondo for Piano, K. 511, and the Agnus Dei from his Mass, K. 317 are quite different in genre but happen to be similar in form."Some, like Peter van der Merwe, treat the terms genreand style as the same, saying that genre should be defined as pieces of music that share a certain style or "basic musical language".Others, such as Allan F. Moore, state that genreand style are two separate terms, and that secondary characteristics such as subject matter can also differentiate between genres.A music genre or sub-genre may be defined by themusical techniques, the styles, the context, and content and spirit of the themes. Geographical origin is sometimes used to identify a music genre, though a single geographical category will often include a wide variety of sub-genres.

Kembrew McLeod has suggested that, in electronic music, "the naming of new subgenres can be linked to a variety of influences, such as the rapidly evolving nature of the music, accelerated consumer culture, and the synergy created by record company marketing strategies and music magazine hype. The appropriation of the musics of minorities by straight, middle and upper-middle-class Whites in the United States and Great Britain plays a part, and the rapid and ongoing naming process within electronic/dance music subcultures acts as a gate-keeping mechanism, as well."

Among the criteria often used to classify musical genres are:the trichotomy of art, popular and traditional; time period; regional and national origins; technique and instrumentation; fusional origins; and social function.

The Art/Popular/Traditional distinction

Musicologists have sometimes classified music according to a trichotomic distinction such as Philip Tagg's "axiomatic triangle consisting of 'folk', 'art' and 'popular' musics".He explains that each of these three is distinguishable from the others according to certain criteria.

Art music

The term art music refers primarily to classical traditions, including both contemporary and historical classical music forms. Art music exists in many parts of the world. It emphasizes formal styles that invite technical and detailed deconstruction and criticism, and demand focused attention from the listener. In western practice, art music is considered primarily a written musical tradition,preserved in some form of music notation rather than being transmitted orally, by rote, or in recordings, as popular and traditional music usually are.Historically, most western art music has been written down using the standard forms of music notation that evolved in Europe, beginning well before the Renaissance and reaching its maturity in the Romantic period. The identity of a "work" or "piece" of art music is usually defined by the notated version rather than by a particular performance. This is so particularly in the case of western classical music. Art music may include certain forms of jazz, even though jazz is primarily a form of popular music.

Popular music

Main article: Popular music

The term popular music refers to any musical style accessible to the general public and disseminated by the mass media. Musicologist and popular music specialist Philip Tagg defined the notion in the light of sociocultural and economical aspects:

"Popular music, unlike art music, is (1) conceived for mass distribution to large and often socioculturally heterogeneous groups of listeners, (2) stored and distributed in non-written form, (3) only possible in an industrial monetary economy where it becomes a commodity and (4) in capitalist societies, subject to the laws of 'free' enterprise ... it should ideally sell as much as possible." 

Popular music is found on most commercial radio stations, in most commercial music retailers and department stores, and in movie and television soundtracks. It is noted on the Billboardcharts and, in addition to singer-songwriters and composers, it involves music producers more than other genres do.

The distinction between classical and popular music has sometimes been blurred in marginal areas such as minimalist music and light classics. In this respect music is like fiction, which likewise draws a distinction between classics and popular fiction that is not always precise.

Traditional music

Main article: Traditional music

Traditional music is a modern name for what has been called "folk music", excluding the expansion of the term folk music to include much non-traditional material. The defining characteristics of traditional music are:

• Oral transmission: The music is handed down and learned through singing, listening, and sometimes dancing;
• Cultural basis: The music derives from and is part of the traditions of a particular region or culture.

Critics of the axiomatic triangle

Musicologist and popular music specialist Richard Middleton has discussed the blurred nature of these distinctions:

Neat divisions between 'folk' and 'popular', and 'popular' and 'art', are impossible to find ... arbitrary criteria [are used] to define the complement of 'popular'. 'Art' music, for example, is generally regarded as by nature complex, difficult, demanding; 'popular' music then has to be defined as 'simple', 'accessible', 'facile'. But many pieces commonly thought of as 'art' (Handel's 'Hallelujah Chorus', many Schubert songs, many Verdi arias) have qualities of simplicity; conversely, it is by no means obvious that the Sex Pistols' records were 'accessible', Frank Zappa's work 'simple', or Billie Holiday's 'facile'.

Other criteria for categorization

Time period

Music is sometimes categorized by its era of origin or greatest popularity, for example '50s rock, 17th century music or music from the romantic era.

Regional and national music

It is possible to categorize music geographically. For example, Australian music includes Australian rock music, Australian traditional music in the European style (such as "Waltzing Matilda"), Aboriginal Australian music, Australian classical music, and Australian jazz.

Technique and instrumentation

Music can also be categorized by some technical aspect such as the instruments used. For example rock music revolves around the electric guitar, and club music is typically accompanied by synthesizers, drum machines, or both.

Fusional origins

A genre can be labelled to express its origin as a fusion of other genres, like blues rock and latin jazz. Some names refer to fusion without identifying both styles. Examples are crossoverand jazz fusion.

Social function

Music genres can be identified by their social function. Trivial examples are wedding music and Christmas music.

Emergence of new genres and subgenres

New genres can arise by the development of new forms and styles of music and also simply by creating a new categorization. Although it is conceivable to create a musical style with no relation to existing genres, new styles usually appear under the influence of preexisting genres. The genealogy of musical genres expresses, often in the form of a written chart, the way in which new genres have developed under the influence of older ones.If two or more existing genres influence the emergence of a new one, a fusion between them can be said to have taken place.

New genres by fusion

In the West, nearly all music except traditional music arises from fusion.

A fusion genre is a music genre that combines two or more genres. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel music and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo and rhythm, and sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided into smaller parts, each with their own dynamics, style and tempo.

Artists who work in fusion genres are often difficult to categorise within non-fusion styles. Most styles of fusion music are influenced by various musical genres.While there are many reasons for this, the main is that most genres evolved out of other genres. When the new genre is finally recognised as separate, musicians may find themselves in a large gray area. These artists generally consider themselves part of both genres. A musician who plays music that is predominantly blues but is influenced by rock, for example, is often labelled a blues-rock musician. The first genre is the one from which the new one evolved. The second is the newer and less dominant component genre in the artist's music. An example of a group that combined blues with the popular music of the time, rock, was Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.

The originality of new genres and subgenres

What constitutes a genuine fusion between genres and what is merely the influence of one genre on another is debatable, as is the level of originality needed to create a completely new genre. But some genres, such as rock music, are certainly distinct from their predecessors. In some cases, many subgenres appear, and their originality and distinctness are dubious.

When a certain level of individuality has been reached, especially when new styles diverge from more established forms, expressions like alternative rock and alternative country have been used. Such styles are often referred to simply as "alternative".

New genres by new categorization

Many music genres have been labeled long after their first appearance. For instance, jazz was not established as the name of a genre until a few years before 1920, yet the musical style had been in existence since around the turn of the century.There can be several reasons for this. One is that the categorization has been done as a process of music historical survey.Another might be that the music is no longer considered merely "popular".