Styles of Music

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Styles of music videos without commercials. Click here.

If you get this error when trying to play a video, example below, just click on the box with the arrow in the top right hand corner. That usually works.

Click on the image below and zoom in anywhere. You can see what genre people are tweeting about. Check out Mastic. Enjoy. Pretty Cool.

If you want to hear more styles click on the image below. There are thousands of examples. I obviously have not listened to them all so there may be some samples that are not age appropriate. Click on a genre and you will hear an example. Click the >> next to it and it loads hundreds of artists in that genre with an example of their music. Amazing!!! Very addictive.

Check out this site below to see what genres were popular during certain years.

Dance/Pop/Electronic- Dance music, upbeat, swells (builds in intensity), instrument layers get slowly added, a lot of electronic instruments, synthesizers, strong beat, club music, sounds like Dubstep but it does not have Bass wobble or "Wub Wub" robotic effects.

Heavy Metal- Aggressive style of guitar playing, heavy distortion, very intense, loud, difficult guitar solos, sometimes difficult to understand the lyrics,

Rap- Strong beat! Rhythmically spoken rhymes. The use of samples, short section of a song, is popular. Accent on beat 2 and 4. Head bobbin music. Tempo is usually at a walking pace (Andante).

Rap/Hip Hop- There is a mix of rapping and singing and it has more of a dance feel, hence the Hip Hop.

Alternative Rap- Has rapping but does not sound like your typical "rap" song. Also known as "alternative hip/hop". Incorporates elements from other genres; funk, rock, jazz, reggae and even folk.

starts rapping at 1:44

Latin- Easiest unique characteristic is that they are singing in Spanish. Lots of percussion instruments (conga, bongos, guiro, cowbell, timbales). We also hear a lot of brass. Rhythms are complex and it's fun to dance to. Beat is sometimes difficult to find. A lot of syncopation (accents where we don't expect them).

Broadway- Sounds like Opera however it's in English. Orchestral instruments in background, singers are very animated and dramatic, sounds like they are acting. Strong singers but not as strong as Opera singers. Sing speak.

Folk- Not many instruments, typically singer(s), guitar and harmonica. Storytelling music, almost sounds like poetry sometimes, giving a message. Sounds almost like country however country is more upbeat (has drums) and folk singers are missing that southern accent.

Classical Symphony- A lot of instruments!!! Orchestral instruments. You hear all the families, particularly the string family. No singers, very expressive, all different tempos, all different dynamic ranges.

Big Band Jazz "Swing"- Dance music of the 40's. Tends to be upbeat, you hear a lot of brass, woodwinds and a strong rhythm section (bass, drums, piano). You hear musical conversations going on (solo plays something then group answers together), you also hear collective improvisations going on (instruments talking to one another at the same time). Kids mention they hear it in cartoons.

Early Rock n Roll- Dance music of the 50's, upbeat, old sounding electric guitar, kind of sounds like big band but you hear that electric guitar and solo singer. Sometimes you hear them say "rock" and/or "roll".

Start the rock n roll video below at the 1:00 mark.

Disco- Dance music of the 70's, strong beat on 1,2,3,4. Sounds funky, you hear that electric guitar going "wika" making reference to funk music, lyrics tend to be about dancing and having a good time, feel good music, upbeat.

Country- A lot of guitars (acoustic and electric), also will hear banjo, violin (fiddle), the pedal steel guitar (the one that creates that sliding string sound), singer has a southern accent, topics are (small town, mama, trucks, religious, country girl)

Reggae- Jamaican accent, bouncy beat, almost sounds like the beat is bobbing on the water, you hear a lot of bass and drums, laid back/chill out music, kids think (vacation, Caribbean, Jamaica, Bob Marley), lyrics are sometimes political

Opera- The singer(s) are very powerful, typically sung in Italian, French, German and also English, orchestral instruments in background, Soloist tends to hold out notes to impress audience, very dramatic, sometimes you hear the chorus singing together.

Dubstep- Sounds like techno music however you have that bass wobble effect and Wub Wub sound, also you hear a lot of synthesizer and drumpad sounds, Transformer like sounds, electronic dance music, there is usually contrast (smooth section vs. hard robotic/machine sounding section), not a lot of lyrics,

Blues-Usually sad sounding, lyrics tend to be about some kind of struggle, electric guitar with bending notes is common, harmonica also common, slow tempo, not a lot of instruments, call and response type of patterns

Barbershop-Usually 4 men singing, no instruments, all acapella, harmonies, high singer, low singer and 2 middle, sing at the same time, old sounding, romantic

Contemporary Gospel- Religious text, sounds like R&B or Hip Hop, powerful choir, singer sounds soulful/ blues like, strong lead singer, clapping, preaching, uplifting, organ sometimes used