Soul music has long been beloved by musicians for its expressive vocals and emotive lyrics, and continues to remain one of their go-to styles. Guitarists frequently perform this genre with ease. Additionally, upper register chordal accompaniments may provide accompaniment on slower tempo songs.
Soul music emerged in America during the 1960s. This genre combines gospel with rhythm and blues influences, often featuring call and response, claps, handclaps, and body movement as characteristic features.
R&B
R&B music encompasses many styles, from traditional rhythm and blues to hip hop and beyond, while having roots in jazz, gospel and funk. R&B’s signature record production style features lush vocal arrangements with melisma singing techniques often employed by R&B artists; in addition, contemporary R&B often incorporates elements from hip hop culture as well as dance and pop influences into its production techniques and trendiness.
R&B music has always enjoyed wide appeal. While initially restricted to African Americans, white teens began purchasing R&B records by the early 1950s. Though R&B draws upon many genres for inspiration, its distinctive urban contemporary sound remains intact.
R&B songs often explore themes related to love and relationships; in fact, 83% of R&B hits from this quarter featured love/relationship-related lyrics. Claps, drums/beats and bass were often present; 57% also contained saxophones or brass instruments prominently featured.
In the 1990s, R&B took another turn with the rise of Neo-soul. This subgenre combined smooth melodies from classical Soul music with contemporary Hip Hop production and beats. Neo-soul was popularized by artists such as TLC, Boys II Men, and Bel Biv DeVoe.
Neo-soul is currently experiencing a revitalization, as new generations of fans discover its distinctive sound. Neo-soul’s popularity has given birth to an explosion of independent R&B musicians creating new sounds and pushing boundaries that is breathing new life into this genre.
While some producers push trap forward, others prefer keeping closer to its roots. Its ever-shifting dynamics make it impossible to define exactly, yet certain characteristics distinguish it from other styles of music. For instance, great producers give vocals room to breathe by using reverb and echo effects to highlight singer’s voice while accentuating breath noises for an intimate feeling; long reverb delays also add depth while distortion or heavy autotune may not be used on vocals at all.
Neo soul
Neo soul music emerged during the 1990s. A hybrid of classic and contemporary influences, its focus lies in raw emotion and artistic expression. Neo soul has left an indelible mark on both culture and music industry alike and continues to inspire artists today.
A great neo-soul song starts with its melody and lyrics: the lyrics should be honest yet emotive, while its melody should be catchy and memorable. Additionally, chord progressions should vary; most neo-soul songs use piano for accompaniment but other instruments such as acoustic guitars or synthesizers may also be utilized depending on its purpose.
Neo-soul is distinct from traditional R&B in that it combines elements of pop and British soul music, while featuring strong female artists with conscious lyrics. This music fuses jazz, funk, hip hop, classical African music and rock into one cohesive sound – more experimental than other genres yet still satisfying listeners’ ears!
Neo-soul music arose naturally as an offshoot of 20th century African American music, which included blues, gospel, and jazz styles such as Marvin Gaye’s soul music to express important social issues while touching people’s hearts; Stevie Wonder experimented with various kinds of music in search of new styles while Aretha Franklin sang powerful songs that made people feel strong and valued.
Neo-soul has become a marketing term, but in reality is an umbrella genre which blends elements of R&B with elements from funk, jazz fusion and hip hop music. Due to its diverse influences and eclectic style, it has gained immense popularity among fans of contemporary R&B.
Neo-soul songs should feature strong melodic hooks, memorable vocals and catchy choruses with an infectious rhythm. Many artists also possess the skills required for using acoustic and electronic instruments such as the saxophone, violin and piano in their compositions.
Neo soul artists frequently compose their own melodies; others may start from an initial beat and work from there. Additionally, many neo soul musicians use keyboards to produce the distinctive 2-5-1 chord pattern characteristic of this genre.
Memphis soul
Soul music evolved from rhythm and blues in the 1950s and 60s, becoming popular for dancing and listening. Soul became an integral part of African-American culture as well as helping shape the civil rights movement, and its global popularity led to a resurgence with subgenre neo-soul which combined modern production elements with hip-hop influences – much of this music created by African-American artists and producers has had an effectful effect on both rock music as well as Africa’s traditional styles.
Memphis soul music first made its debut at Stax Records and Hi Records in Memphis, Tennessee during the 1960s. This style fuses R&B with gospel influences for an engaging vocal sound; key ingredients include melodic unison horn lines, driving beats and bass drum. Memphis soul was an early precursor of both funk and disco genres; its distinctive sound sets it apart from Motown soul from Detroit or Chicago soul genres.
The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is dedicated to honoring and perpetuating its legacy. Situated in Memphis, Tennessee and accessible via public transit, this museum showcases how Stax Records overcame racial barriers to create some of soul music’s most celebrated artists including Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MGs and Sam & Dave.
The Memphis Stax Museum boasts many interactive displays, such as an exact replica of the studio that once housed Stax Records. Additionally, this building houses both Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Stax Music Academy for workshops and performances by local musicians. Visitors can learn about Stax through multimedia exhibits and historical documents.
Deep soul
Deep soul music began in America during the 1950s. This genre blends rhythm and blues with Southern gospel, popularized by singers such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Percy Sledge. Many musicians associated with deep soul used Memphis Tennessee’s Stax Records house band as backing musicians; their unique sound included placing vocals further back in the mix while employing lively horn parts.
In the 1960s, soul music quickly became a hit in Britain as well. British Mod culture adopted an interpretation of American soul-influenced dance moves called northern soul dance style that featured fast tempo and heavy beat music recordings played at nightclubs across Northern England and Midlands by DJs; rare Motown releases could also be heard there.
As Motown and Stax released albums of music similar to blue-eyed soul’s sound, subgenres emerged. One such subgenre was blue-eyed soul; this term described white artists who performed R&B similar to Motown or Stax releases; such performers included The Righteous Brothers, Spencer Davis Group and Van Morrison & Them as examples of this subgenre.
By the 1980s, soul had diverged into two distinct subgenres – funk and contemporary R&B – while contemporary R&B had more commercial appeal while funk was rawer and eclectic. Following its decline during this period, soul made a comeback during the late 1990s through Neo Soul, an updated form with elements from hip hop production styles like Dillan’s Tight Knuckle.
R&B remains alive today, with artists like Janelle Monae and Kelela continuing to produce atmospheric songs using both electronic and acoustic instruments to create a moody musical landscape for emotive lyrics about depression, drug dependency, heartbreak and heartbreak. Furthermore, non-mainstream styles like alternative R&B began appearing as early as 2010 thanks to artists such as Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) and Frank Ocean who started using both instruments simultaneously to produce atmospheric tunes.