Jazz Music Vs Classical Music Essay

Throughout the history of popular music, jazz and classical are some of the most influential styles of music. Many people, however, cannot distinguish the differences between the two styles and they are often carelessly lumped together during musical discussion. Jazz and Classical have very little in common and they both come from completely different backgrounds. The two genres utilize completely different ensembles of instruments to create a unique and distinct sound in their own right. They also have notably different methods of composition. Jazz and classical music are two different genres of music that are often overlooked and lumped into the same category, but both genres have distinct characteristics that set them apart from one another

Classical music is comprised of distinct periods each lasting around 50 years. This includes the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, contemporary, and 21st century periods. Classical music has incorporated a plethora of different instruments throughout the years, ranging from small chamber groups to large orchestras. Typically, an orchestra will contain various brass, woodwind, string, and percussion instruments.Orchestras will typicall have around 40-80 performers. There are also string quartets which consist of two violins, a viola, and a cello. Then there are chamber groups which consist of a pianist with an accompanying soloist. While jazz music is largely made on the spot, a composer of a classical piece will often spend hours, meticulously refining just one section of a piece. Classical music relies less on individual interpretations of a piece and is typically performed how the composer envisioned the piece. Classical music has its own unique characteristics seperate from jazz.Although the two genres have many differences, they share many similarities as well. Both genres use complex chord arrangements as the foundation of the music. Early jazz music is remarkably similar to that of 19th century classical music. Both genres share the same fundamentals of piano playing. The pianist will often play melodies with their right hand and then play the harmony or bass notes with their left. Musically, they share the same tonalities and harmonic extremities that are often not found in any other style of music. Jazz and classical, although being different, share an equal amount of influence on today's music