What makes a genre a "genre"

grimtraveller

If only for a moment.....
Perhaps this really is a daft question. But what makes bands/artists/songs fit a particular genre ? And what makes the genre itself ?
In a different thread, a few people said that they didn't like musical pigeonholing and classifications, that it's all 'music.' But I've never come across anyone that honestly thought that way. I think we all observe some form of pigeonholing, however primitive. Few of us would honestly put Celine Dion in the same category as Black Sabbath or the Foo fighters in the same pigpen as Bach*.
What makes genres distinctive from other genres ? Why isn't it all just 'music' ?











*Woof
 
Many musicians, by nature, resist classifications. It's understandable because they want to think of themselves as unique. I interpret this as more emotional than factual.

Classifying music by genre is useful because it may enable a person to find more of that they like. Conversely, having too narrow of classifications can defeat this purpose. I know this one guy who thinks he knows about 300 different types of metal. Some bands have their own genre in his opinion. IMO this is just dumb.

Classifications are not entirely subjective though. Tempos, harmonic preferences, form, song lengths, instrumentation, dynamics - these are attributes that recur or become focal points in many specific genres. Like it or not, they are useful descriptors, and genres are a valid way of sorting through things.
 
I DO hate specific genre classifications. You've got to put something down in so many places, I started using 'Indie Acoustic Rock'. When you figure out what that really means let me know so that I can start making music again. :rolleyes:
 
Genres are weird things. One of the the things I've observed is that their are genre shifts. For example, Country was a fairly distinct genre in Australia, with the like of, say, Slim Dusty being an iconic example. Lee Kernaghan is also defined as country, but, in my view, he is straight out rock. And many mainstream songs described as rock are nothing like rock, and are really just pop.

Also, what slots a song into a genre is often just the instrumentation. For example, you play a song and add a pedal steel guitar, it becomes country. Play the same song and add uillean pipes and it becomes celtic.
 
It is, just like all of your questions.
I threw in that opening line for no other person on this planet of ours but you. I knew you'd not be able to resist. It's frightening to exude such control from so many hours away.....:D

I DO hate specific genre classifications.
Do you hate that in terms of your own music or music in general ? I can understand it where it applies to one's own stuff, especially when skating outside rigid confines {not that there's anything wrong in remaining within rigidly defined boundaries}, but I'm curious as to how that applies in general ~ if it does.
 
I threw in that opening line for no other person on this planet of ours but you. I knew you'd not be able to resist. It's frightening to exude such control from so many hours away.....:D
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Don't flatter yourself. When some idiot puts a donut in front of me, I'm gonna eat it.
 
HAHAHA! I'm fucking rolling, man. Every god damn forum I go to, I see a Grim thread, with Greg as the last poster. I can't tell you why it's killing me, but I can't stop laughing. It's like an episode of Gilligan's Island. I know exactly what to expect, but I still can't wait to see it. :laughings:

I love you guys, and I'm not even drunk. :D
 
HAHAHA! I'm fucking rolling, man. Every god damn forum I go to, I see a Grim thread, with Greg as the last poster. I can't tell you why it's killing me, but I can't stop laughing. I love you guys, and I'm not even drunk. :D

Greg is becoming Miro V2
 
HAHAHA! I'm fucking rolling, man. Every god damn forum I go to, I see a Grim thread, with Greg as the last poster. I can't tell you why it's killing me, but I can't stop laughing. It's like an episode of Gilligan's Island. I know exactly what to expect, but I still can't wait to see it. :laughings:

I love you guys, and I'm not even drunk. :D

Grim is trying like hell to start "debates" with these stupid threads so he can micro quote and dissect every last word anyone says. He doesn't actually care what anyone thinks. I'm just having some fun with it. :D
 
I do not appreciate the miro comparison though. That's like calling a jew a nazi.


Cue miro chiming in to not like it either.
 
Also, what slots a song into a genre is often just the instrumentation. For example, you play a song and add a pedal steel guitar, it becomes country. Play the same song and add uillean pipes and it becomes celtic.
That was one of the main things that got me thinking along genre lines.
 
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