The evolution of

music
Sebastian Tudor
1023

The evolution of music

Have

you
ever
wondered
where
music came from?
Or, why music that
you like to listen to
is so different from
the
music
your
parents listen to?

 Music, just like people, has evolved

(changed) over thousands of years.
Human knowledge and technology have
grown, so have our taste for more
complicated sounds and rhythms.

 Each new generation of

people
creates
new
music that either builds
on or rebels against the
music of their parents
and grandparents. This
means that new types of
music and new sounds
are
always
being
invented.

So, where did it all start?

How it all began

The first music, the first
rhythms
and
melodies
were sounds from nature.
Birds singing, the pit-a-pat
of rain on a rock, the low
rumble of thunder, or a
steady heartbeat are all
noises and rhythms that
still occur everyday all
around us.

 The earliest Man most likely tried to

imitate these sounds by using their
voices, hands and feet. Eventually, they
created new sounds and rhythms by
beating sticks or tools against trees and
rocks. They also learned to make new
sounds with their mouth such as
whistles, humming, and singing.

 Early humans began

to
repeat
these
sounds and tones in
patterns. We now
call these patterns
songs.
Eventually
humans began to
create special tools
to make the sounds
that
they
liked,
called instruments.

 The oldest musical

instrument
discovered
is
a
flute. It is made
from the hollow
bone of a bear and
is believed to be
about 45,000 years
old.

 Since ancient music was not written

down, not much is known about early
music styles or songs. Most of what we
know about music history begins in the
middle ages.

Medieval
Music

 During the Medieval period in

history
(450-1450),
Christianity was the focal
point of culture in Europe so
almost all music was about
God and worship. At that time
music was mostly made up of
one melody line with no
background music. This is
called
monophony.
These
monophonic songs from the
medieval period are referred
to as Gregorian Chants,
named after Pope Gregory,
who was the leader of the
Christian church from 590640 A.D.
During the later stages of the
medieval
period,
music

Renaissance
Music

 The

renaissance period
(1450-1600) was a time of
great change in music.
People had a renewed
interest in things like art
and music and musicians
had more freedom to be
creative
and
show
individual style. Sacred
music, or church music,
was still the most popular
type of music.
New musical instruments
such as the clavichord and
the lute were invented and
became very popular. Also
new printing technology

Baroque Music

 Baroque (ba-roke) is a
word used to describe a
style that followed the
renaissance
in
European
music
between the years 1600
and 1750. The word
baroque
means
strange
or
excessive.
Music in the baroque
period
was
more
difficult and complex
than in the renaissance
period. The music had
more than one melody

Recorders, still in use

today, were a most
popular instrument
during the baroque
period

 Composers used loud, soft, fast and slow tones to

make the listener understand a story or feel certain
emotions. At this time secular music (non-church
music) was becoming popular and the orchestra and
opera were invented.
An orchestra is group (ensemble) of instruments
playing music together.
An opera is a story with drama representation that is
set to music.
Vivaldi, composer of the four seasons concertos, and
J.S. Bach, creator of many of todays composing
techniques, were two of the most prominent
composers of the time

Classical Music

 The

classical period in
music history lasted for only
70 years, between 17501825; however there were
many changes during this
time.
Strict rules were applied to
music composition and the
sounds were more balanced
and restrained.
Homophony, which is music
that has one melody and
background music, became
popular.
Joseph Haydn is considered
as
the
father
of
the

 New instruments such

as the clarinet, flute and
other instruments were
added to the orchestra
and new types songs, or
musical
compositions,
were created to adapt to
the new sounds.
Two major composers of
the classical era you
may have heard of are
Haydn and Mozart.
W.A
Mozart
wrote
hundreds
of
compositions
even
though he died at only

Romantic
Period Music

 Romantic

period
music
(1850-1920) reflected the
political and social changes
that were taking place all
around the world.
Composers experimented
with
their
music
and
showed
much
more
creativity.
Melody
became
the
dominant feature of the
music and used melodies to
express
nationalism
(loyalty to a country or
group of people).
Beethoven is considered

 The opera and orchestra

continued to be well-liked
and new sounds were
added. Virtuosos (a very
skilled performer) became
very
popular.
Singer,
pianist and violinist were
the
most
admired
virtuosos of the period.
It is said that Franz Liszt,
a Hungarian composer,
played the piano with so
much
emotion
that
women in the audience
would faint while listening
to him play.

Tchaikovsky, composer of
the famous
ballet

Nutcracker

Modern Music

 Music in the 20th century

is considered to be mostly
about rebellion, or going
against tradition.
In the early to mid 20th
century many new music
styles such as Jazz, Rock
and Roll and Country
were invented and have
become
enormously
popular.
Recorded music in every
style
has
become
available to everyone and
it made listening to music
more popular than ever.

 Technology has played a very important

part in the evolution of modern music.
New styles of music were created around
instruments such as the electric guitar and
keyboard.
The use of computers has also had a huge
influence on musical styles by allowing
composers and musicians to manipulate
sounds.

Where is it going?
You can now see that changes in
music are based on the music
from past generations.
Sometimes a composer creates a
new sound or style by building on
the popular style of the day.
Other times, a composer rebels
against the popular style and
creates something totally new and
different.

Where is it going?
As long as humans exist, we
will continue to express
ourselves through music, and
music will continue to change
with us.
Many styles were developed as an
expression of a particular culture.
For example, hiphop and rap
music came out of inner city
cultures.
Country and Bluegrass music are a
reflection of people that live and
work outside of big cities.

Where is it going?
Every new generation will create
new sounds and styles that reflect
their world. Just as your music is
different from your parents, your
childrens music will be different
from yours.

What is good music - is the music accepted with the current

standards?
The goodness of music may change in the course of history
according to the technology used?
For example Beethovens music once was considered good music,
but is still the case today? It still has the power to speak to
millions?
Today, with the modern technological production techniques
available to us, we wonder if the good music that we create
continues to be music.
We live in a digitally created music era caused by the
standardisation and commercialisation of radio, were recording
songs doesnt include real instruments, and the vocals may be
auto-tuned.
I believe that music has ceased to be an art when it became an
industry.