An Overview of Music

Music is the science of arranging sounds from sound in time through the basic components of melody, harmonic harmony, tempo, and melodic timbre. It is also one of the oldest universal artistic traditions of all human cultures. Common definitions of music generally include basic elements like rhythm, pitch, textures, and dynamics. The main objective of music is to evoke emotion in listeners through tonal consistency and musical structure. There are various types of music, with each having diverse uses and purposes.

For instance, dance and music go hand in most of the African cultures, such as the Zulu, Bemba, Sothasikai, Damaraland, and others. Dance is used for social gatherings such as marrets and gatherings of elders, while music can be used to express feelings of joy, sadness, admiration, passion, or even sorrow. The use of music in the spiritual and religious practices of Africa is varied. Most traditional spiritual songs are sung in a monotone manner, while there are some modern instrumental pieces added into the hymns for added effect.

Most contemporary music is created for personal enjoyment and has been categorized into genres, such as rock music, jazz music, hip-hop, pop music, country music, classical music, etc. Jazz and hip-hop are the two most popular music genres in the United States. Rock music is a term loosely applied to a number of music styles, including folk, blues, folk-rock, psychedelic, classic rock, metal, and other such styles. These varieties of music have had varying influences and brought a variety of musical influences to the surface.