Something to set you guys off thinking.

[Ahjon]

Define musical genres as detailed as possible.

E.g. Classical, what are the elements that constitudes to being one?
What about rock?
instrumentals and post rock?

I believe we all know what those genres are in our head, but putting it in words and explaining it is a different thing.

Elements like dynamics/textures/layers/instrumentations/use of motifs/leit motifs etc etc.

A question now: 'How do you classify genres? How do they stand alone to be justified as one? Is it one's perspective or the composers' purpose that constitudes it to be within a genre?

=)

 

[Plastic]

The song structure? The vibe of the song?

Classifications are just there to make things easier to group. Of course bands cross genres and mix, but with classification of genres, makes it so much easier to listen to alot more bands, with programs such as lastfm.

 

[Ahjon]

haha yup!
but i still see a lot of ppl are clueless about genres and their structure or elements.
like can you define a 20th century avant garde vs experimental music?
haha
=D

 

[tuttifrutti]

I think there are too many genres nowadays,to be honest i cant be bothered anymore.

 

[Ahjon]

tutti: i agree with you man.
thats why im asking this question.
hahaha.

 

[VidaK]

A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music.

 

[hifi_killer]

the description of genre changes over time, you cant define a genre in a definite manner. Indie/alternative used to sound alot different in the 90s, so is heavy metal. What is experimental music in 80s may just be pop music present day.

genre, perhaps is a way for the industry to segment the consumer market for wider reach.

 

[blank]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_genre

 

[balloons]

i have yet to seen anyone who can't tell Jazz from rock.

 

[wyldeboon]

i dun understand the genres either lol
to me rock is wide... like wide la...

wat bothers me is the word 'psychedelic' and 'post'... which many young bands are using now...

psychedelic post rock
psychedelic pop
psychedelic metal in the pocket
psychedelic post man
etc

 

[AEnimic]

Psychedelic...most of the time they're just stoners who think they see all the hallucinations.

I think it's overused, psychedelic has to have groove, while all these Psychedelic Rost Pock bands or Rath Mock bands sound like an amazingly horrible trip.

 

[Tetragrammaton]

Yeah...to me there's only Rock, Jazz, Blues, Pop, ...the rest all I don't know lah.

 

[bigblackbear]

over time, genres have been manipulated by bands to set themselves apart from the rest while trying to be original.

but think about it this way...

does it matter if it's post-hardcore or hardcore?
or metal or metalcore?

i feel that such sub-classification of a genre will only cause disharmony and unnecessary argument.

and also INDIE is not a genre.

as quoted from wikipidia
"...independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing. Despite popular associations with Acoustic Alternative Rock, Indie Music is not a genre."

 

[wyldeboon]

Psychedelic...most of the time they're just stoners who think they see all the hallucinations.

I think it's overused, psychedelic has to have groove, while all these Psychedelic Rost Pock bands or Rath Mock bands sound like an amazingly horrible trip.

yeah true...
but i feel guilty coz 1 of my band is called psychedelic 4... then now the word super mis-used... damn

 

[Gravity.]

lol, well said bigblackbear.

but its true, there are so many different types of genres that practically anyone can create his or her own to set themselves apart from the rest and be different.

furthermore, 'solid' genres can easily overlap each other creating 'new' genres.
each genre can also have its own 'theme' like death metal, happy hardcore.. etc.

however, i think what i wrote is kinda out of point.
hahha, sorry.

 

[AEnimic]

yeah true...
but i feel guilty coz 1 of my band is called psychedelic 4... then now the word super mis-used... damn

Hey bro, but psychedelic 4 does have the groovy beats man. I watched you guys performed before a few years back. It was for some Yamaha competition at Plaza Singapura there. Hope I got the correct band though.

 

[extremers]

and also INDIE is not a genre.

as quoted from wikipidia
"...independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing. Despite popular associations with Acoustic Alternative Rock, Indie Music is not a genre."

Like finally! we need to kill off this "Indie" as a genre thingy... music comes from an Indie band IS NOT Indie music... i've been slapping people who claimed their genre is "indie" all these while but they know nothing about "Indie" music at all...

 

[wyldeboon]

yes bro AEnimic...tats us...

i find it hard to understand how ppl get their music genre.

i noe only got rock, reggae, blues, jazz, techno, rnb...

wat if a band plays all the above and mix em all up? like how i like it to be.
is it call 'experimental psychedelic rocking techno jazzy blues with a touch of exotic'?

 

[dir]

Genres were only made to classify music, to fulfil man's need to pigeon-hole everything. Conventions were defined, and musicians either adhere to them to appeal or shun them to set themselves apart.

Unless this is your idea of fun, there's really no point to detail everything to the point of being pedantic, because music will lose its meaning. I always look at genres as what messages or ideas they're trying to convey. This is much more fun to me.

 

[AEnimic]

Ahhh so your band is still around? That's awesome man

I think if they mix alot, it'll be more "Progressive Psychedelic Industrial Jazzcore Blues Rock".