Judging Music - The Art Of Music Appreciation

There are many different styles and genres of music. Some are easier to listen to than others. It’s no surprise that pop music is the easiest and most infectious music to listen to, that is if you’re just a casual listener wondering what’s been stirring in the charts.

What about the rest? There are musically and technically superior styles of music that aren’t pop, which include jazz, classical, experimental and the diverse palette of world music. They don’t have the instantaneity of pop music, but they are incredibly absorbing for different reasons.

Jazz music is heavily improvised, and that improvisation takes away a defining melody or collection of harmonies. Although that isn’t the point with jazz, as when you listen to it you should appreciate the complexity and skill of the instrumental playing, and learn to go with the flow as the musician seemingly glides from tuneful to, quite often, tuneless playing. It’s the boldness of jazz music that makes it so appealing, the excitement and the adventure of the blue notes is its own trademark.

Classical music arguably reigns supreme over every other type of music, with is complex, intricate and technically astounding sound. It is largely redundant in the pop charts, which is a shame because when you listen to the music closely you start to appreciate the decoration and mastery the music gives you. It is only on film soundtracks that this music is heard to a mass audience. It can be tiring and overwhelming to listen it over a long period of time, but the skill of it is incredible. You may need to read up on reference books to fully understand and differentiate between different types of classical music, but it’s worth it.

Experimental music is difficult to understand, but again, that has its own code of listening. Music can be defined as any organization of sound, and that is most prevalent in the avant-garde. Its greatest attribute is the element of surprise, giving you unexpected pleasures and sonic artefacts that provide their own fascination. If pop music is going to innovate in the future then one of its main influences needs to be experimental music, to, if nothing else, provide escape for its own formulaic mediocrity. Listen to experimental music properly and your perspectives of sound and music will change for the better.

Then there is world music. It is impossible to list, let alone analyse every style of world music. There is a staggeringly wide scope of world music, but its definitive feature to listen out for is rhythm.  A lot of African and South American music employs the use of polyrhythms, which are basically two or more rhythms playing at the same time. This complexity adds a new dimension to the way you hear rhythm, and it is far superior compared to the rhythms of most western music. With world music, the groove is essential.

There are many other examples from different genres I could talk about, these are just a few examples. The most important point to consider is that music genres have different languages, and there are certain ways to understand and appreciate them, so you can hear them to their full potential.