■Blues
The basic form of blues is composed of 12 bars by a pattern of 3 cords cycles. Blues is developed in the whole of United States, and it became the root of evolution of R&B to Rock ’n’ Roll.
■Doo-wop
Doo-wop is a musical and chorus style of R&B. It consists of a main vocal and onomatopoetic back chorus (consists of high, middle and low parts) like ‘shang-a-lang’, ‘doooo -wop-wop’ and ‘bom-bom-bom’.
■Funk
Funk is the genre of black music created by James Brown in the middle of 1960s. Horns, brasses and strings are used percussive, emphasizing syncopation, Brown made the special polyrhythmic sound.
For example, successors of funk are P-Funk and Prince.
■Gospel (Black Gospel)
The Gospel music sung in black churches. Generally, the term ‘Gospel’ in popular music indicates Black Gospel. The Gospel music sung in protestant churches called ‘White Gospel’ or ‘Contemporary Christian Music’.
■Hip Hop
Hip Hop is a musical genre and a street culture originated by young blacks grew up in the ghetto on Bronx, New York City in mid 1970s. It contains not only music but also DJ style, scratching, breaking (dance style), graffiti art and fashion, and it crazed worldwide and had major impact to the 80’s music scene.
■House
The origins of House music are Philly Soul (Philadelphia), Sal Soul, Synth Pops and experimental German Rock. They fused in DJ play of Frankie Knuckles and his followers made House music by cheap drum machines and synthesizers.
Characteristics of House are electronic sound, danceable 4 beats and feeling succeeded by Soul music and its tempo is 115 to 130. Nowadays, House music is divided by various subgenres.
■Jazz
Jazz is the musical genre developed by the mix of european Classic music and african american music. It features improvisation performances by a band mainly consists of brass section. The birthplace of Jazz is regarded as New Orleans, and it spread over whole United States and evolved advanced, sophisticated and various styles.
■New Jack Swing (Swingbeat)
New Jack Swing is the fusion genre influenced by Hip Hop, R&B, Soul and Pops. The feature of it is fuse of breakbeats emphasized syncopation and melodic vocal styles of R&B and Pops.
■New Soul
New Soul is the appellation of distinctive and individual works of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield and Donny Hathaway in the first half 70’s fly out traditional framework of R&B to Soul.
New Soul was generated from Northern Soul such as Motown Records. Motown had production system. On the system, producers and song writers seized real power, singers and groups acted at the bidding of them. In the situation, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder rose in revolt against the production system and were concerned in total production themselves. Similarly Curtis Mayfield founded his own label Curtom. They are not only singers and song writers but also artists produce total concept of work and indicated social messages. Their works signaled the ushering of the new era of Soul music.
New Soul was influenced by Funk music of James Brown and Sly&Family Stone, using latin percussions effectively, constructed sophisticated rhythms. And other characteristics of New Soul were tension voicing like Jazz, chorus works by overdub, adoption of electronic piano, synthesizer and wah-wah guitar. Their experiments can’t expect much of stereo typical production of Soul music. Their songs are but not love ballads and dance tunes, serious message songs hit in charts and heavy air played in the response to 70’s the Civil Rights Movement and the counterculture.
■R&B (Rhythm and Blues)
The word R&B means popular black music in late 1940s to 1950s. It succeeded and developed excitement of powerful beats and shouts of blues style vocal of Jump Blues. R&B possessed various styles such as solo singers to vocal groups. This genre became one of element of Rock n’ Roll, and in 60’s evolved a more sophisticated music Soul.
But, Nowadays the word ‘R&B’ means non-rap music, in other words the contemporary R&B is the general term of popular vocal black music.
■Rock and Roll (Rock ’n’ Roll)
Rock ’n’ Roll is the music of fusion of Jump Blues, Big Band Jazz and Country music. The word root of it is a slung of ‘sex’ had been talked in african americans, and Rock ‘n’ Roll named by a white DJ Alan Freed.
The word of origin of Rock ’n’ Roll is ‘We’re Gonna Rock, We’re Gonna Roll’ by Wild Bill Moore. And, the first Rock hit is mentioned that ‘Rocket 88’ by Jackie Brenston. ‘Rocket 88’ based a Jump Blues song ‘Cadillac Boogie’ by Jimmy Liggins and His Honeydrippers. Without heavy Jump Blues sound, Fats Domino can’t make his sound, Little Richard had begun from a imitation of the Jump Shouter style of Roy Brown and Billy Wright.
Louis Jordan changed the Jump Blues big band style to a small combo style. It gave a big impact to Chuck Berry. And, Berry was deeply influenced by the lyrics and singing style of Jordan. Like Jordan, Berry’s lyrics drew everyday life comical and have story lines.
Another root of Rock ’n’ Roll is Boogie Piano. Both Fats Domino and Little Richards are pianist. In the begging, they played straight Boogie-woogie Piano. And, Chuck Berry’s guitar riff is a replacement of left hand 8 beat patterns of Boogie Piano. From the time there isn’t 8 beat, only he played 8 beat rhythm in the early era of Rock ’n’ Roll.
Then whites musicians succeed these Rock ’n’ Roll styles. Bill Haley’s model was Louis Jordan’s small combo style and R&B or Jump sound. Elvis Presley was highly appreciated of singing like black by Sam Phillips, Sun Records. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones begun their career by covers of Rock ’n’ Roll and R&B.
■Techno
Techno is the brother genre of House music and born in deeply influenced by Chicago House, Techno Pop and Electro Hip Hop. The differences to Chicago House are seriousness, lyricism, cybernetic feeling, minimalism and higher BPM 125 to 140.
Originators of Techno are black young men, Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson (Belleville Three). And in the beginning, Techno is black music on underground scene in Detroit. But Techno spread over to the rest of world. Techno yielded and spread various styles and subgenres. But Techno comparatively has no barriers of subgenres. Subgenres of Techno are connected by the universality of Minimal Techno and Detroit Techno.
■Soul
Soul music is the genre lump together various styles of popular black music evolved from R&B in 1960s. The word ‘Soul’ contained the growing ethnic consciousness of African Americans, its background was the rise of Civil Rights Movement.