What Gives a Genre it's Sound?

guitarjack66

Ok,so what specifically,notes,chords,theory,etc,gives a genre such as Country,Jazz,Blues and so on its unmistakeable sound?
Looking forward to being schooled.

pintspiller

Chords, rhythm, lyrical content, instrument choice, sometimes the artist irrespective of sound

octatonic

A combination of elements that are accepted as representative of a specific genre.

It is in the liminal spaces where this becomes interesting.
For instance, 'blackened death metal'- where elements of black metal and death metal become fused to create a new genre, How many elements of one genre can you take away before it ceases to be 'blackened death metal' and just either black or death metal?

There is a great (academic) book called 'The Cultural Study Of Music' that is worth checking out.

HAL9000

Great question. IMHO the differences are often less than you’d first think - for instance rock’n’roll is essentially country but with a backbeat. Blues is a bit like rock’n’roll (ie lots of dominant 7ths) but with more of a triplet feel. Obviously these are sweeping generalisations but you get the idea. There are often more similarities than differences.

viz

There’s a hilarious description of pop music in a book by my father - he devotes less than a page to it and it includes references to The Damned, the Sex Pistols, Cliff Richard and Tommy Steele I know where he got the first two references - no idea where Cliff and Tommy came from. He must have asked someone else!

My father is more on the classical side of things. 

HAL9000

viz said:

My father is more on the classical side of things. 

I get where you’re coming from - my dad reckoned decent music died with Mahler.

guitarjack66

HAL9000 said:

viz said:

My father is more on the classical side of things. 

I get where you’re coming from - my dad reckoned decent music died with Mahler.

He must have been Brahms and Liszt!

merlin

All the above plus rhythm and relationship to pulse. 

koneguitarist

Not sure it’s relevant now, as so many genres have merged you could be listening to classic country and be told its Americana, Hip hop and be told its Country. I’ve given up!