History of Music

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History of Music

I . Introduction

Music - sounds arranged into meaningful - expressive patterns . The composing and playing of music is both a science and an art . Musicology is the study of music as a field of knowledge , with emphasis on history and theory

The raw materials of any kind of music are certain characteristics of sound - pitch (highness or lowness , timbre (tone color , intensity (loudness , and duration . These raw materials are organized by means of the basic elements of rhythm (the pulse , or beat , melody

(the tune and harmony (the blending of tones

Music is often called the universal language because its meaning and appeal are largely the same for people everywhere . It has almost limitless variety . Music can express the widest range of human experience and feeling - joy , and grief , love and hate , amusement and reverence . It may be vocal or instrumental , and may be performed by soloist or by orchestra , band , or chorus

Moreover , Jazz is a form of music that developed in the United States between 1900 and 1915 . The origin of the word is uncertain . The music was created originally by the American Negro , but within 40 years it was being performed and created by people of every national and racial background . By the 1940 's no phase of contemporary American music serious as well as popular , remained untouched by jazz . Jazz bands magazines , and festivals are found in Japan , in South America , in North Africa , and throughout Europe (O 'Meally , 2002

Jazz is difficult to define , and not even jazz musicians and critics agree on a definition . It is a performer 's art , a way of playing . Jazz cannot be written down to show the precise manner in which it is played It is most accurately preserved not in published scores but on phonograph records

This discusses a brief history of the development of some mechanical ' aspects of music such as musical styles , particular instruments , the recording industry , growth of jazz , etc

II . Discussion

A . The Nature of jazz

Rhythm . The infectious , compelling rhythms of jazz are based mainly on the 4 /4 march tempo . In conventional music , the first and third beats of a four-beat measure are accented . In jazz , however , the second and fourth are accented , producing a syncopated rhythm . Additional complex contrasting rhythms are built upon the simultaneous use of another form of syncopation in which a tone is held through a beat stringer than the one in which it began . Underlying these multiple rhythms is a regularly accented basic rhythm called the beat ' or swing ' - a pulsating rhythmic feeling that is hard to define and cannot be represented in writing by notes (Lopes , 2002

Improvisation is the composing of music while in actual performance without previous rehearsal . It is a basic element of jazz . The improvising musician may compose a new theme , or melody , or may create new variations and patterns on an existing melody . While one member of a band develops a theme another will...