# Similarities and Differences Between Classical and Other Genres



## Jeanette Townsend (Oct 12, 2018)

My brother is convinced classical music is just early heavy metal, despite my arguments. He thinks that because one band said they were inspired by a certain composer in classical, that amounts to the two genres being extremely alike to the point of being essentially the same. I keep telling him that musicians can get their inspiration from all over, not even just from music: other arts, animals, people, nature, etc. Is Mozart the same as a tree? Um, no. And pop writers have been inspired by heavy metal; it doesn't mean they're anything alike.
He also believes it's extremely difficult to write lyrics to a song. He was astonished when he learned that Taylor Swift writes the lyrics to a song everyday, claiming that she doesn't have the talent. Yet it doesn't take talent to write simple, repetitive lyrics, nor much time. For example, it only took me a couple of hours to write three pages worth of lyrics, with the additional pages of sheet music. Do I have talent? No, certainly not; I wouldn't even say I have skill when it comes to songwriting and composing. I do have experience with various forms of writing, including poetry. It's fairly simple once you've found an outlet.
Another common claim I often hear from him is that rock is the only genre with emotion, beside the odd song in early pop, country, and maybe classical. I reminded him of that rock song going on about getting sodas. I doubt much emotion was put into that one. They essentially repeat "Might as well get a soda," and call it a song. Nevertheless, it seems to me that whenever a songwriter writes, it's because some emotion propelled them to, whether love, disapproval, hatred, anger, sadness, grief, joy, boredom, jealousy, etc. Now, I'm certain that many songwriters and composers do not emotionally connect to a handful or even the majority of their works; however, I know from firsthand experience that whenever I write anything, be it a story or the rare song/piece, it's because I was indeed emotionally propelled to. I always connect to my stories in some way. I also know a classical/jazz composer whose compositions are always magnificently rich in emotion, while also weaving complexity and technicality in. He uses music as a way to grieve.
One similarity I often hear of between classical and rock is that they both use actual instruments. I would argue that folk and country are closer to classical in that regard, because they use acoustic instruments more often, and don't use autotuning that vocalists in other genres do. 
Anyway, I'm curious to read your opinions on the differences and similarities of genres.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Heavy rock and metal are not like classical in a harmonic sense. Metal is usually melodic-based, in that the chord progressions are based on (usually) pentatonic melodic steps. The "chords" are usually just two notes, tonic and fifth, which are moved around in parallel on the scale steps of a pentatatonic or similar exotic scale.
Also, like most popular music, it is not scored beforehand; it is 'ear' music created in recording studios. If there is any kind of notation, it is usually in the form of a simple "lead sheet" which is very general and basic, and created after the fact.

Another difference is the power base from which the two genres operate. Classical music was often times composed for the Church, and is derived from a long tradition of Church oriented music. Metal and hard rock, by contrast, often explicitly or implicitly are done for the Devil.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

millionrainbows said:


> Heavy rock and metal are not like classical in a harmonic sense. Metal is usually melodic-based, in that the chord progressions are based on (usually) pentatonic melodic steps. The "chords" are usually just two notes, tonic and fifth, which are moved around in parallel on the scale steps of a pentatatonic or similar exotic scale.
> Also, like most popular music, it is not scored beforehand; it is 'ear' music created in recording studios. If there is any kind of notation, it is usually in the form of a simple "lead sheet" which is very general and basic, and created after the fact.
> 
> Another difference is the power base from which the two genres operate. Classical music was often times composed for the Church, and is derived from a long tradition of Church oriented music. Metal and hard rock, by contrast, often explicitly or implicitly are done for the Devil.


Seems you are painting all 'heavy' rock and metal with a pretty broad brush.

Some genres of metal (technical-metal and prog-metal, for example) are quite complex, and are very carefully scored.

Prog is the same way, especially the avant-garde bands, where many members come from the classical world. Bands like: Thinking Plague. Aranis, Univers Zero, Art Zoyd, Henry Cow, U Totem, just to name a few, all have members that are grads from respected music schools.

Avant-prog is much closer to classical than metal is, or any other form of 'popular' music, as far as I can tell. If, of course, late 20th century and contemporary classical are the metric of comparison.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

In classical music, the composer and the music are of foremost importance.

In every other genre, the performer(s) is the most important.

Take any symphony such as Beethoven 5th. There must be well over 100 recordings by now. All of them are recognizable as Beethoven's 5th - the way he wrote it, with his orchestrations, harmony and everything else. Sure, there a differences in tempo, expression, dynamics, etc. But it's still Beethoven's work.

Now take any pop song: White Christmas will do. For many people, Bing Crosby is White Christmas. They don't care who wrote it, who arranged it, or what the backup group was. It's Bing Crosby. Then take any other singer who does it - and it's different, sometimes markedly so, and sometimes horribly done. Two country crooners, Glen Campbell and Clay Walker couldn't be more different, and each wholly different from Bing. 

In most pop/rock a piece of music is so linked with a performer, and not always the first, that no one else can touch it. MacArthur's Park is owned by Richard Harris for all time. Frank Sinatra's "My Way" is the only way - Elvis can't touch it. 

Even pop music that eventually becomes a classic - Silent Night - exists in arrangements that the composer couldn't have imagined. When the classical world moves into the Star System - that's when things go wrong. When the performer is more important than the composer and the music. And that sadly is where a lot of groups are nowadays. Dudamel, Yo Yo Ma, Lang Lang, Sir Simon Rattle and others become the attraction. Not the music. In the pop arena, the music is always secondary to the performer. In all genres, too, whether it's Hip Hop, Country, Jazz, Gospel, Metal.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Classical and say pop/blues/rock/heavy metal/conventional big-band jazz tunes can have similar chord progressions. Some differences are Classical tends to have multiple voices or more intricacy in melodies and rhythms, while popular music tends to reduce and focus around the beat. Prog rock and Jazz progressed beyond the beat-hugging by some, and went further harmonically, and rhythmically.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Classical pieces generally have beginnings, middles, and ends -- nost pop pieces nowadays just fade out as if composers have just forgotten how to end something.

Classical pieces don't require a constamt beat to be considered any good.

Although there are certainly occasional loud passages, classical pieces in general are not played so loud you can't hear them.

Although there are a few exceptions, classical pieces don't generally repeat the same musical line or lines over and over again.


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## JeffD (May 8, 2017)

Jeanette Townsend said:


> My brother is convinced classical music is just early heavy metal, despite my arguments. He thinks that because one band said they were inspired by a certain composer in classical, that amounts to the two genres being extremely alike to the point of being essentially the same..


I think it is extremely rare that one goes to a live concert of one of these types of music and accidentally finds it was the other one. I don't see too many rockers accidentally showing up at the symphony, and I am pretty sure they wouldn't stay if the did. And vice versa of course.


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## Samehada (Aug 10, 2018)

Metal is ignored or even actively disliked by a lot of people. A lot of fans like to talk about the genre's relationship to classical music as a way to legitimize this music. If you are a metal fan, but never listen to classical or only very casually (such as myself a few years ago) you can find similarities between the genres such as a sense grandiosity, emphasis on virtuosity, and long-form compositions. Classical does fulfill some of the same itches as metal, which is why I feel it can be easy for a metal fan to begin appreciating classical. But once I started really listening to classical a lot I found that there is little comparison between the two.


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## Jeanette Townsend (Oct 12, 2018)

Thanks for your opinions!
I agree, Samehada, that occasionally there can be similarities. I'm more classical-oriented. Pretty much any other genre gives me a headache.
Yes, mbhaub! In classical, we tend to put much more importance on the composers. Even people who don't listen to it and who don't know the name of a piece will guess the composer's name. I very rarely hear the same regarding other genres, and I agree that when someone tries to guess it, they guess the performer's name. That includes myself.
JeffD, he claims "Ride of the Valkyries" is evidence of it. He's an odd one. 
MarkW, that's what I always think of! Sure, some classical pieces are repetitive, but the majority isn't. I haven't seen one song in other genres that doesn't just repeat the same lines with the same constant beat and guitar, over and over and over for a few minutes and then call it a song. Seems sloppy to me. And why is it that lovers of other genres want to blast the stereo so loud it drowns out thoughts ans logic? That annoys me to no end. I'm sure many classical lovers do it, too, but the ones I know or have heard of, don't. And most songs of other genres DO just "fade out," which leaves me, at least, confused and grasping for an actual decent ending.
Millionrainbows, I somewha disagree, though this thread was created just to see the differences of opinions! Baroque music was more frequently composed for religious purposes than classical or romantic. In the classical period, composers began to compose because they felt like it, not because they needed it for an ocassion, although that was still common. A lot of operas in the classical period, though, are religious, aren't they? Unfortunately I'm not as familiar with many operas as I'd like to be. And I have to disagree that rock/heavy metal was made primarily for the devil. Some of it is pretty weird like that, but the majority, from what I've heard, isn't. And pop music isn't as innocent as people think it is.
Fascinating topic; thanks for your responses!


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