i Music Club

Western music can be associated broadly with the music of the west and in reference to USA it can be associated with the country music or in other terms the country music itself. However, considering the former the later is also covered with in.

Western music or music of the west can be classified into classical music, pop and popular music. Classical music can further be distinguished between medieval music, renaissance music, baroque music, classical music era, romantic music, 20^th century classical music and contemporary or new music. On the other hand pop and popular music can be generally segmented in to acid (disambiguation), bluegrass, blues, country music, disco, folk, hymns, jazz, metal, neofolk, punk rock, rap, rock and roll, ska, soul, spirituals, swing, synthpop, techno and trance. These categories themselves have various sub genres and fusions.

When it comes to classical music, we are talking about the golden age of music. Music! That was based on codes and staff notation. Classical music gets its roots in the 9^th century AD however, it was in the 1550’s that this music started getting its composite shape and later on we find music of legends like Bach, Beethoven and altogether new concepts of andante and allegro Dante. It was classical symphonies and sonatas that made the court houses to admire music in its unique form. Performance of classical music requires dexterity and proficiency in sight reading and ensemble playing, thorough understanding of tonal and harmonic principles, understanding of performance practice, and a familiarity with the style/musical idiom inherent to a given period, composer or musical work are among the most essential of skills for the classically trained musician.

Works of classical selection often exhibit artistic complexity through the use of thematic development, phrasing, harmonization, change of key, texture, and, of course, musical form itself. Larger-scale compositional forms (such as that of the symphony, concerto, opera or oratorio, for example) usually represent a hierarchy of smaller units consisting of phrases, periods, sections, and movements. Musical analysis of a composition aims at achieving greater understanding of it, leading to more meaningful hearing and a greater appreciation of the composer’s style. Recently classical music has started to gain reputation among people who have started to admire it in its originality and listen to it more and more.

There is no specific description available for pop music. A variation of word popular music, pop music has changed the music industry greatly both in terms of music taste as well as commercially. Pop music has always identified to be aimed at the youth and have represented itself as a soft alternative to famous rock music of the 1950’s, the golden days of Elvis Presley. However, it broadly encompasses rock music itself.

Most of musicologists associate certain attributes with pop music that separates it as a distinct genre. These include orientation towards a single market and songs that are individual. Also, rather than performing live there is an emphases on recorded performance. Technology greatly impacts composition of song rather the musical abilities of the musician. There is a prevailing artificiality or craftsmanship over artistic values. We find unimportant or simple themes in the songs. The songs are thus more appealing to general population. We also find a tendency to follow existing practices and fashionable trends over progressing developments. It is these traits that have contributed to shape other genres of pop music including country music.