Music is an
art form, social activity or cultural activity whose
medium is
sound and
silence. The common elements of music are
pitch(which governs
melody and
harmony),
rhythm (and its associated concepts
tempo,
meter, and
articulation),
dynamics, and the sonic qualities of
timbre and
texture (which are sometimes termed the "color" of a musical sound). Different
styles or types of music may emphasize, de-emphasize or omit some of these elements. Music is performed with a vast range of
instruments and with vocal techniques ranging from singing to
rapping, and there are solely
instrumental pieces,
solely vocal pieces and pieces that combine singing and instruments. The word derives from
Greek μουσική (
mousike; "art of the
Muses").
[1] In its most general form the activities describing music as an art form include the production of works of music (songs, tunes, symphonies, and so on), the
criticism of music, the
study of the history of music, and the
aesthetic examination of music.
The creation,
performance, significance, and even the
definition of music vary according to culture and social context. Indeed, throughout history, some new forms or styles of music have been criticized as "not being music", including
Beethoven's
Grosse Fugein 1825
[2] and early
jazz in the beginning of the 1900s.
[3] There are many types of music, including
popular music,
traditional music,
art music,
music written for religious ceremonies and
work songs such as
chanteys. Music ranges from strictly organized compositions (and their recreation in performance), through
improvisational music such as
jazz and
aleatoric (chance-based) 20th and 21st century forms of music. Music can be divided into
genres (e.g.,
Country music) and
subgenres (e.g.,
Country blues), although the dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often subtle, sometimes open to personal interpretation, and occasionally controversial. For example, it can be hard to draw the line between 1980s
hard rock and
heavy metal from that same era. Within
the arts, music may be classified as a
performing art, a
fine art or as an auditory art. Music may be played or sung and heard live, part of a
dramatic work (a
music theater show or
opera) or
film or TV show, or it may be recorded and listened to on a radio,
iPod or
CD player.
In many cultures, music is an important part of people's way of life, as it plays a key role in
religious rituals, ceremonies (e.g.,
graduation), social activities (e.g.,
dancing) and cultural activities ranging from amateur
karaoke singing to playing in a
funk band or singing in a
choir. People may make music as a hobby, for example in a
youth orchestra, or as a professional
musician or
singer.
Ancient Greek and
Indian philosophers defined music as tones ordered horizontally as melodies and vertically as harmonies. Common sayings such as "the harmony of the spheres" and "it is music to my ears" point to the notion that music is often ordered and pleasant to listen to. However, 20th-century composer
John Cage thought that any sound can be music, saying, for example, "There is no noise, only sound."
[4]
