Classical vs Modern Popular Music

What is Classical Music?

The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that the word classical can refer to two different things. In this post, I am referring to classical as a genre which includes art music typically of western tradition. Most of the music we think of as classical originates from the common practice period lasting from 1600 to around 1920. With this in mind, note that the word "classical" can also refer to one of the historical periods within the classical genre. We can get into that another day.

Classical music as a genre differs from modern music in that the musical language itself is often more formal and structured (and usually involves more than 4 chords). This style of music is often much more complicated involving multiple simultaneous musical ideas and more varied harmonic progressions. Although there are many instances of classical composers borrowing from each other (just as composers do today), the overall aggregate of classical music is generally more rich both melodically and harmonically.

What Makes Classical Music Different?

While today's music can be quite varied, the most popular music generally isn't. The popular music of today tends to follow a similar pattern and style. This reduces the number of ways that this music can be differentiated. In other words, many popular songs sound familiar and similar to one another. If you want to hear something that sounds really different, you might need to look backwards to the music of the past.

Classical music includes thousands of works, across many styles, spanning several periods in history. Most of this music doesn’t get much of a listen these days. Unfortunately, we are losing track of some of our rich heritage as newer music continues its trends and newer generations rarely encounter places where they might find classical music.

They are missing out…

Listen to the first few minutes this Baroque cantata: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (I call to You, Lord Jesus Christ) by J.S. Bach. This work demonstrates how various musical layers can interact in a beautiful and seamless way (something Bach was particularly well known for). Music like this requires several listens to truly appreciate the structure and beauty, due to the dense compositional elements. While listening, you should notice how different instruments and singers move in and out of the foreground elegantly.

There is much more to music than four-chord songs, choruses, and refrains. I am not saying you should never listen to modern music, but I’d like to encourage you to expand your mind to the reality of beauty. Part of the human experience is creating, appreciating, and sharing art. I want to help promote music that is different than what we hear on the radio with art being the focus rather than consumerism.

Modern Music Tendencies

Not all modern music can be accused of sounding alike, but the vast majority of popular modern music can. The reason for this lies mostly within the harmonic progression used in newer compositions. Harmonic progression refers to groups of musical pitches (known as chords) occurring in sequence. Much of the music that you might hear on the radio use strikingly similar harmonic progressions.

Here are a few YouTube examples of this:

These guys are fully aware of the similarities and have created very entertaining acts based on the idea.

This whole homogenization thing isn’t new, as the second video references a piece that was written in the 1600s. Composers have been copying one another for centuries which has certainly contributed to the resulting homogenization of today’s music. This means that searching for "classical music" might not be enough if you want to find something that you haven't encountered before.

As it turns out, most people just don't know what to search for. Here are a few search terms for you to consider:

• Piano Concertos, Sonatas, Waltzes, Nocturnes, or Ballades

• Music by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, or Beethoven

• Music by Chopin, Debussy, Faure, or Ravel

There is so much out there that it would blow your mind. However, if you listen to some examples of each of these categories, you might find yourself at the entrance of an incredibly interesting rabbit hole.

Classical Music in the Modern Age

Modern popular music often leaves out the beautiful depth and complexity that we find in classical tradition. I would like to encourage you to keep an appreciation for the music of antiquity, as it will enrich your life. Classical music inspires creativity and stimulates the mind. Doing so can even have a measurable effect on brain function, according to several studies.

One of the most common ways that people encounter and learn to understand classical music is by taking piano lessons. The piano is a wonderful way to experience this style of music because all of the parts are represented, unlike many other instruments which rely on some sort of accompaniment to sound "complete".

On this site, I created a way for you to study piano using only classical music! You can even learn the basics of reading music & playing piano for free! 

Feel free to check out some of my other content. I hope you enjoyed this article!