Music is the art of putting together various sounds in varying sequence to create a melody or rhythm, through the components of harmony, melody, pitch, and rhythm. It is also one of the oldest universal artistic aspects of all human cultures. It is a basic need of human beings to be able to communicate. The use of music has been observed since prehistoric times, when man needed to make simple sounds to communicate with other wild creatures. These early ancestors had to make use of nature’s sounds to create and convey messages.
In modern times, there are many different types and genres of music ranging from classical music through rock and pop to jazz. Jazz music expresses an artistic taste that goes along with jazz dance and is popular amongst younger generations. Classical music is a style of music developed in Europe during the period of Renaissance, lasting for hundreds of years. It includes many traditional instruments and sounds like the sitar, lute, harp, recorder, and keyboard. While some of these instruments have been modernized, others have remained virtually unchanged.
The oldest known musical instrument is the flute. Flutes date back to the fourth century BC and were used by ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans. A type of flute called the tuba was used by the Chinese in the Song dynasty, which is the earliest known flute design. The French language uses the term for flute in its phrase “as belles de la boucherie” (flute song).
Pop music is another form of music that evolved along with the music styles of its counterparts. Most pop songs are sung in simple iambic pentameter, which requires relatively less musical notation than classical music. Most pop music is centered on a single basic drum beat, and most contemporary pop music is written around this beat. Many pop music composers use a form of diatonic music to create simple patterns and textures.
Jazz is a form of popular music that was created by black Americans after the adoption of whites by European and Asian immigrants. This style of music often utilizes complex rhythmic and chromatic patterns to evoke a sense of adventure, spirit, or spirituality. It also makes use of traditional musical instruments. Early jazz musicians played percussion instruments but later developed their own signature style that incorporated the use of keyboards, horns, microphones, and various other instruments. Other popular features of jazz music often include complex rhythm patterns and the use of Western instrument sets such as sitar, guitar, and piano.
The key components of classical music, which are rhythm, pitch, and harmony, are often used in baroque. Baroque is a style of music that evolved in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries from Italian classical music called pietra e giardia. Baroque instruments and techniques include string quartets, choirs, and choruses. Early baroque composers often used non-traditional instruments such as violins, keyboards, and cellos.