Music Sound

Progressive music is the name given to a certain approach to musical composition that has been applied to several different music genres. One way the term has been applied is to subgenres that have evolved from their root genre by innovating, either through incorporating instruments from other genres or using new techniques within the framework provided by the instrumentation of the root genre to make a new or crossover style. Another is in reference to a gradual build-up of energy within progressive music track or throughout an album.

Contents 1 History 2 Progressive rock 2.1 Examples of progressive rock artists 3 Progressive metal 4 Progressive electronic music 5 See also 6 External links

History

The description "progressive" was first applied to jazz. The term, coined by Stan Kenton, was in reference to cool jazz tracks that used instrumentation create an almost art rock like sound. The genre is closely related to bebop.

Progressive rock

Main article: Progressive rock

In rock, the word usually describes music that expands traditional musical structures by adopting influences of jazz, symphonic, folk and world music. Progressive rock artists often string together the songs so that the entire album will become an uninterrupted musical "journey". Long tracks that can be divided into separate movements, all with its own place in the overarching theme of the song, are very common in prog. An important aspect of progressive rock is the juxtaposition of contrast elements such as the raw, loud and fast with the calm and slow. Thus progressive rock not only tends have strong melodic elements, but also expands the harmonic margin of rock music by utilizing atonal patterns from modern classical music as well as advanced chords from jazz theory. Progressive rock's popularity peaked in the early to mid 1970s with bands such as the "big four" consisting of Yes, Genesis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and King Crimson.

Examples of progressive rock artists

Camel
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Genesis
Van der Graaf Generator
King Crimson
Pink Floyd
Gentle Giant
Jethro Tull
Kansas
Marillion
Procol Harum
Rush
Soft Machine
The Mars Volta
Yes
Young Democrats
Frank Zappa

Progressive metal

Main article: Progressive metal

Progressive metal emerged in the 1980s with thrash bands such as Diamond Head (Lightning to the Nations), Metallica (...And Justice For All) and Megadeth (Rust In Peace), who brought complicated guitar compositions, time changes, and longer songs to heavy metal. Combined with traditional sounds of the 70s movement of prog rock, progressive metal has evolved through the work of artists like Dream Theater, Opeth, Queensrÿche, Stratovarius, Symphony X, and Tool.

Progressive electronic music

Main article: Progressive electronic music

Progressive electronic music styles include the progressive subgenres of house, techno, trance and breakbeat (also known as breaks). The use of the term here applies to both the use of new instrumentation within existing genres to create a new sound and the use of arrangement and dynamics to subtly (unlike with genres such as hard house or Hi-NRG) build up to peaks within the track, something used creatively by DJs who beatmatch to build up energy on the dance floor when playing to a crowd.

See also

• Art rock
• Progressive bluegrass
• Avant-progressive rock
• Chord progression
• Concept album
• Electronic art music

External links

• ProgArchives.Com
• PerfectProg.Com Music
• Progressia
• Progressive Rock Forum - Melo's Prog Bazaar
• Progressivehouse.com A popular portal for progressive house producers, DJ's and listeners.
• Progressive Ears A stimulating forum-based progressive rock website, with user-contributed reviews and a wealth of resources.
• Progressive Trance music Profiles of artists, DJs and record labels