Disclaimer: This is a machine generated PDF of selected content from our products.
This functionality is provided solely for your
convenience and is in no way intended to replace original scanned PDF. Neither Cengage Learning nor its licensors make any
representations or warranties with respect to the machine generated PDF. The PDF is automatically generated "AS IS" and "AS
AVAILABLE" and are not retained in our systems. CENGAGE LEARNING AND ITS LICENSORS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY
AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES FOR AVAILABILITY,
ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. Your use of the machine generated PDF is subject to all use restrictions contained in The Cengage Learning
Subscription and License Agreement and/or the Gale In Context: High School Terms and Conditions and by using the machine
generated PDF functionality you agree to forgo any and all claims against Cengage Learning or its licensors for your use of the
machine generated PDF functionality and any output derived therefrom.
Music
Date: 2024
From: Gale In Context Online Collection
Publisher: Gale, part of Cengage Group
Document Type: Topic overview
Length: 1,142 words
Content Level: 4
Lexile Measure: 1200L
Full Text:
Music is sound organized in an arrangement of tones characterized by melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, textural, and dynamic elements.
A single arrangement may be referred to as a song, work, tune, or composition. It may include vocal or instrumental sounds, or a
combination of both. Music is an artform and aims to evoke an emotional and aesthetic response. There are numerous styles of
music associated with various cultures and periods in history. Some well-known examples of music styles include classical, popular
(pop), rock, jazz, blues, hip-hop, country, and soul.
Critical Thinking Questions
What are some of the earliest historical examples of the existence of music?
How are different genres of music differentiated?
In what ways does western music tend to differ from eastern music?
History
Evidence suggests that early humans may have begun to develop music in the prehistoric era. Musical instruments have been found
in archaeological sites dating back to the Paleolithic period, which ended around 10,000 BCE, although it is likely humans were
making music using voice and other primitive implements long before that. In western civilization, the beginning of music as
performance art dates back over three thousand years to ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks created musical forms that could be
distinguished from more traditional, or folk, music. By this time, non-Western cultures such as China and India had also established
their own classical music traditions.
Western music underwent several transformations, or style periods, beginning with the Medieval period (c. 500–c. 1500 CE). During
this time, most music was religious. For example, Gregorian Chants were sung by monks. Medieval instruments included the flute,
recorder, and lute. During the Renaissance of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, people began experimenting with non-religious
styles and a wider range of musical instruments. Choral music, sing by choirs, was important during this time. Instruments used
during the Renaissance included the trumpet and harpsicord.
The earliest versions of the modern orchestra with standard instrument groupings emerged during the Baroque period (c. 1600–c.
1750). Opera also developed during this period; the first opera, Dafne, was composed by Jacopo Peri (1561–1633) in 1597. The
Classical period (c. 1750–1820) of Western music was marked by the works of famous composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart (1756–1791) and Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827).
Composers of of the Romanic period (1830–1900) focused on expressing the range of human emotion. Romantic works often
followed a narrative form and were tied to stories or poems. For example, Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s (1840–1893)
Romeo and Juliet is based on the play by William Shakespeare (1564–1616).
The Modern period began in the early twentieth century and continues into the twenty-first century. Many new music styles developed
during this time, including jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, hip-hop, and rap. Technological advances changed the way people
listened to music, as recorded works became available through albums, cassettes, compact disc (CDs), and digital downloads and
streaming.
Elements of Music
Music contains several distinct elements that define its sound. Melody and harmony are two important components of music
composition. A melody is a series of tones varying in duration and pitch to form an organized, recognizable pattern. Melodies are
often styled according to the type of music as well as the culture of origin. Harmony is the construction of two or more tones played
together. A series of harmonic tones is organized to accompany the melodic sequence to form a progression.
Rhythm, tempo, and meter also play a role in music making. Rhythm is a general term that identifies the temporal pattern or
periodicity of notes in a musical work. More specifically, tempo is used to define the rate of speed of these patterns; for example, a
work may be fast or slow. Meter is used to identify a pattern, such as the 1-2-3 measure of a waltz or the 1-2 beat of a march.
The sonic quality, or texture, of an instrument (including voice) used to produce musical tones is called the timbre. Specifically, it is
the harmonic signature, or overtones of an instrument, and it enables the listener to distinguish, for example, a trumpet from a violin
or a clarinet from a flute. Also referred to as tone-color, these qualities are often described in metaphorical terms, such as warm,
sharp, rich, or dark.
In music, the dynamics of a work describe the varying amplitude (loudness or softness) of musical tones or passages in a musical
work. Certain styles or genres of music are defined by their dynamics; a march, for example, is typically played loud, while music for
meditation or ambient effects is most often played softly.
Notation
Musical notation involves the use of written symbols to represent the sounds in a work of music. The forms of notation are as diverse
as the styles and history of music they represent. Modern notation, based on the classical period, uses a five-line staff on which to
code the notes, clef (which binds the notes to a particular range of tones), key signature, and time signature (meter). Additional
directions are added to indicate the tempo and dynamics, which can vary throughout the course of the work.
When played by a group or ensemble, the music is written out on separate sheets, each sheet containing only the music to be
performed by each individual musician. A score is a collection of all the parts, created by the music’s composer, and may be used by
a conductor or arranger during a performance or review of the work.
Genres and Styles
Musical styles exhibit organizational patterns corresponding to the cultures and historical periods from which they originate. A trained
musicologist can often detect regional variations within a single musical tradition or identify the period in which a certain piece of
music was composed. Even the untrained ear can discern a musical work based on the western seven-note (heptatonic) scale from
that of the Asian five-note (pentatonic).
However, there are no organizing principles by which the casual observer might categorize all of the different genres and styles of
music. Some sources list well over fifteen hundred styles as well as some twelve hundred regional and cultural genres. The list
changes frequently, and while almost every culture has its own forms of classical, popular, or traditional styles, globalization and the
cross feeding of so many cultures has produced an almost infinite variety of fusion styles as well.
Did You Know?
The Neanderthal flute, dating back some 60,000 years, is the oldest musical instrument in the world. The flute was made
from the thighbone of a cave bear and has four holes.
The earliest known song is the “Hurrian Hymn,’ an ode to the goddess Nikkal written on clay tablets in the fourteenth century
BCE. The tablets were discovered in the 1950s by archaeologists excavating the ruins Ugarit in Syria.
Elvis Presley (1935–1977) is the best selling solo artist with more than 1 billion sales worldwide. He is known as the “King of
Rock and Roll.”
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2026 Gale, a division of Cengage Learning, Inc.
Source Citation (MLA 9th Edition)
"Music." Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2024. Gale In Context: High School,
[Link]/apps/doc/EJ2181500071/SUIC?u=j212905045&sid=bookmark-SUIC&xid=060af24b. Accessed 2 May 2026.
Gale Document Number: GALE|EJ2181500071