Music
Music is the art of arranging sounds in time through the elements of melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.[1][2] It is one of the universal cultural aspects of all human societies. General definitions of music include common elements such as pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics (loudness and softness), and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture (which are sometimes termed the "color" of a musical sound). Different styles or types of music may emphasize, de-emphasize or omit some of these elements. Music is performed with a vast range of instruments and vocal techniques ranging from singing to rapping; there are solely instrumental pieces, solely vocal pieces (such as songs without instrumental accompaniment) and pieces that combine singing and instruments. The word derives from Greek μουσική (mousiké; "(art) of the Muses").[3]
In its most general form, the activities describing music as an art form or cultural activity include the creation of works of music (songs, tunes, symphonies, and so on), the criticism of music, the study of the history of music, and the aesthetic examination of music. Ancient Greek and Indian philosophers defined music in two parts: melodies, as tones ordered horizontally, and harmonies as tones ordered vertically. Common sayings such as "the harmony of the spheres" and "it is music to my ears" point to the notion that music is often ordered and pleasant to listen to. However, 20th-century composer John Cage thought that any sound can be music, saying, for example, "There is no noise, only sound."[4]
The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of music vary according to culture and social context. Indeed, throughout history, some new forms or styles of music have been criticized as "not being music", including Beethoven's Grosse Fuge string quartet in 1825,[5] early jazz in the beginning of the 1900s[6] and hardcore punk in the 1980s.[7] There are many types of music, including popular music, traditional music, art music, music written for religious ceremonies, and work songs such as chanteys. Music ranges from strictly organized compositions—such as Classical music symphonies from the 1700s and 1800s—through to spontaneously played improvisational music such as jazz, and avant-garde styles of chance-based contemporary music from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Music can be divided into genres (e.g., country music) and genres can be further divided into subgenres (e.g., alternative country and country pop are two of the many country subgenres), although the dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often subtle, sometimes open to personal interpretation, and occasionally controversial. For example, it can be hard to draw the line between some early 1980s hard rock and heavy metal. Within the arts, music may be classified as a performing art, a fine art, or as an auditory art. Music may be played or sung and heard live at a rock concert or orchestra performance, heard live as part of a dramatic work (a music theater show or opera), or it may be recorded and listened to on a radio, MP3 player, CD player, smartphone or as film score or TV show.
Allegory of Music, by François Boucher, 1764
In Greek mythology, the nine Muses were the inspiration for many creative endeavors, including the arts.
Khatia Buniatishvili playing a grand piano
People composing music in 2013 using electronic keyboards and computers.
French Baroque music composer Michel Richard Delalande (1657–1726), pen in hand.
Sheet music is a written representation of music. Homorhythmic (i.e., hymn-style) arrangement of the traditional "Adeste Fideles" in standard two-staff format for mixed voices.
Improvisation plays a central role in jazz; musicians learn progressions using scale and chord tones (Pictured is Johnny Hodges)
The melody to the traditional song "Pop Goes the Weasel"
When musicians play three or more different notes at the same time, this creates a chord. In Western music, including classical music, pop music, rock music, and many related styles, the most common chords are triads– three notes usually played at the same time. The most commonly used chords are the major chord and the minor chord. An example of a major chord is the three pitches C, E and G. An example of a minor chord is the three pitches A, C, and E. (Pictured is a guitar player performing a chord on a guitar).
Singers add expression to the melodies they sing using many methods, including changing the tone of their singing, adding vibrato to certain notes, and emphasizing important words in the lyrics.
Sheet music notation for the chorus (refrain) of the Christmas song "Jingle Bells"
Funk places most of its emphasis on rhythm and groove, with entire songs based on a vamp on a single chord. Pictured are the influential funk musicians George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic in 2006.
Musicians of Amun, Tomb of Nakht, 18th Dynasty, Western Thebes
Indian women dressed in regional attire playing a variety of musical instruments popular in different parts of India
Musical notation from a Catholic Missal, c. 1310–1320
Allegory of Music, by Filippino Lippi
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (seated at the keyboard) was a child prodigy virtuoso performer on the piano and violin. Even before he became a celebrated composer, he was widely known as a gifted performer and improviser.
The piano was the centrepiece of social activity for middle-class urbanites in the 19th century (Moritz von Schwind, 1868). The man at the piano is composer Franz Schubert.
Assyrians playing
zurna and
Davul, instruments that go back thousands of years.
Trill sign—a rapid alternation between two notes.
Painting by Boldini of a woman playing the piano
The primary auditory cortex is one of the main areas associated with superior pitch resolution.
Song Dynasty (960–1279) painting,
Night Revels of Han Xizai, showing Chinese musicians entertaining guests at a party in a 10th-century household
19th-century composer and pianist Clara Schumann
Navneet Aditya Waiba- Nepali Folk Singer. The only singer using authentic/original folk instruments and singing authentic unadulterated Nepali Folk songs.
Music production in the 2000s using a digital audio workstation (DAW) with an electronic keyboard and a multi-monitor set-up
Music store selling various singles and albums
A Suzuki violin recital with students of varying ages
Manhattan School of Music professor and professional double bass player Timothy Cobb teaching a bass lesson in the late 2000s. His bass has a low C extension with a metal "machine" with buttons for playing the pitches on the extension.
Ethnomusicologist Frances Densmore recording Blackfoot chief Mountain Chief for the Bureau of American Ethnology (1916)
A music therapist from a "Blues in the Schools" program plays harmonica with a US Navy sailor at a Naval Therapy Center.