Style, also called genre, describes songs as being part of a related group of music based on several characteristics. Choice of instruments, lyrical content, vocal style, arrangement and other factors effect what makes a style. Some styles, like rock, include several different sub-styles. Sometimes songs mix more than one style together. Music stores typically sort music by style.
Generally, everyone has styles that they like more than others, but there are really no bad styles of music. It's like ice cream... we each have our favourites, everyone likes different kinds and it can all be enjoyable. If we all liked the same kinds of music it would be like everyone having the same favourite kind of ice cream. How fun would that be? Check your radio dial and see what styles of music are in your neighbourhood!
Here are sixty styles of music:
| Adult Contemporary | Country | Gospel | Modern | Renaissance |
| Alternative |
Dance |
Gothic | Musical | Retro |
|
Ambient |
Disco | Hip-hop | New Age | Rhythm and blues |
|
Baroque |
Dub | House | New Wave | Rock |
| Bebop | Easy Listening | Impressionism | Opera | Romantic |
| Bluegrass | Electronic | Industrial | Polka | Ska |
| Blues | Ethnic | Instrumental | Pop | Soul |
| Cabaret | Experimental | Jazz | Punk | Swing |
| Ceremonial | Folk | Lo-fi | Ragtime | Techno |
| Children’s | Funk | March | Rap | Trip-hop |
| Classical | Fusion | Metal | Reggae | Vocal |
|
Comedy |
Glam | Military | Religious | World |
This list becomes much larger when we consider the following:
Styles can be mixed. E.g. Rap/Metal, Country/Rock, Ska/Punk
Some are really just special versions of all the other styles. Instrumental, comedy, children, and religious music come in many forms, e.g. Christian metal, instrumental jazz . . .
Ethnic encompasses many styles... practically every country and culture has their own ethnic music, Latin, Celtic, Mexican, Inuit, Chinese...
Each form has several sub-styles and variations, e.g. rock and roll, classic rock, hard rock, soft rock. . .
One of the factors that determines style is orchestration, also called instrumentation. When composers write songs they often also have to decide what instruments will be part of the song. Will the song have drums, bass, flute, tuba or some other instrument? Will it be for an orchestra, jazz band, choir, solo performer. . .
Let's look at a few different kinds of music and see what some of the common instruments are:
Bluegrass: Mandolin, banjo,
fiddle, acoustic guitar, string bass
Rock: Electric Bass, guitar, drums, keyboard
Marching Band, or swing band, or jazz band: Tuba, trumpet, drums, bugle, coronet, trombone, saxophone, clarinet
The list could go on and on, but some instruments are common to almost all styles. Singing is a good example, almost every kind of music has singing. Bass and drums are other examples as well, but when you hear an accordion or a fiddle you know there's a good chance you're not listening to speed metal or punk rock!
