In rock and rap, the beat too frequently overpowers what should be more
significant parts. Sheer volume is no substitute for clarity and nuance. In
addition, rockers tend to have a very limited range of both tempo and
meter.
This is often less true of music written by folk and acoustic songwriters. Music expresses the rhythm of emotion, so it’s good to remember that different tempos are suited to expressing different emotional states. I’m 61 years
old, so I grew up at a time when both fast and slow songs were popular.
Actually, my favorite popular music mostly dates back to the big band
era.
As for the direction popular music is going, all I can confidently say is that
it will change over time, but I’d hope to see something emerge that is less
harsh and more subtle.
Check out John Winsor’s video below...
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