Soul music emerged from African-American gospel and rhythm and blues music, playing an influential role during the civil rights movement and helping launch Motown and Stax Records. Characteristics of soul include catchy rhythms, handclapping, call and response between lead and backup vocalists and catchy hooks and melodies.
Soul subgenres such as deep soul and southern soul combine the energy of R&B with gospel music sounds from southern US. Philadelphia soul (or Philly soul) features lush string and horn arrangements combined with doo-wop inspired vocals for an exciting soundscape.
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues music for soul YouTube was first developed during the post war period from a combination of African American musical styles such as boogie woogie, gospel, jazz, and blues. This genre became the most widely consumed form of black music in America during this time period and helped shift society by uniting young people from across racial lines around its singers – something demonstrated here by this Texas rhythm and blues artist performing at the Library of Congress in 2009. His performance included lyrics that might offend some listeners.
YouTube videos featuring soul music typically fall under Creative Commons (CC-BY) licenses and can be used for non-commercial purposes, provided the artist is acknowledged in the video description.
Disco
The Bee Gees hit their disco stride with this track featured in Saturday Night Fever with John Travolta at his dance floor best. Considered a female empowerment anthem by many, its origins lie with Dino Fekaris’ experience as a Motown staff songwriter himself. With its uptempo beat compared to ballad Yvonne Elliman recorded for this same album, this track cemented their reputation as disco royalty and propelled the group forward as disco royalty.
Soul music’s harmonic structure is more sophisticated than its pop/rock counterparts, so before diving in you must have an understanding of extended harmony. Ottman Books 1 & 2, as well as the Jazz Theory Book can provide this knowledge, though I recommend starting off by familiarizing yourself with simpler examples from pop / rock and country & western first; once this foundation has been laid, moving onto more sophisticated genres will become much simpler.
Funk
Funk is an irresistibly rhythmic genre characterized by an emphasis on beat one that creates an undeniable groove. Its complex rhythmic structure features syncopation – which adds interest and excitement by accentuating beats three or four instead of just the dominant one – creating an undeniable groove that never falters. Blues harmonies complete its rich musical fabric full of anticipation and personality. Funk traces its musical roots back to jazz and blues but has its own identity; during its 1970s peak, funk inspired people to join dance floors everywhere by getting them moving to its rhythm; artists such as Sam Cooke and Rick James bridged soul and funk while Parliament/Funkadelic heavily leans towards funk.
Though distinguishing funk from soul music may seem trivial, these distinct genres hold significant meaning within Black American history. During the Civil Rights Movement, blacks found release and liberation from oppressive practices through dancing to funk music.
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a genre that explores love, relationships and personal development through music. Artists in this genre typically incorporate multiple styles – such as trap beats, new jack swing and neo soul – into their sound to produce appealing pieces for contemporary listeners. Contemporary R&B has quickly become a favorite choice of young musicians with many songs appearing on Billboard Hot 100 charts; its success has also resulted in collaborations between contemporary R&B artists and musicians from other genres.
R&B artists are known for their smooth vocals and emotive performances. They utilize different vocal techniques such as runs and ad-libs to evoke various emotions within their music; additionally, harmonies and percussion add depth. Today’s R&B musicians tend to experiment by mixing in pop, hip hop, or electronic sounds to their style of R&B music.
Rooted in traditional Rhythm and Blues and soul music, soul music has long been popular with African American audiences. Over time, however, its roots have evolved to incorporate elements of gospel and jazz to form its signature sound; many classic soul artists, like Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye used call-response vocals and handclaps to elicit emotion during performances.
Contemporary R&B has evolved over time, drawing inspiration from various musical genres such as funk, disco and hip hop. These modern influences allow artists to produce songs that feel both timeless and current; male audiences especially are drawn to this music due to its powerful beats and lyrics that speak directly to them. Furthermore, its videos often portray artists wearing casual clothing while showing off luxury items like designer watches to convey wealth.
Neo soul
Neo soul music is an eclectic genre encompassing elements of both classic soul and contemporary R&B, known for its passionate vocal performances and thoughtful lyrics influenced by jazz and funk music. Neo soul has made a comeback in the 2010’s thanks to artists like D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Maxwell, Lauryn Hill; some artists even include hip-hop or electronic elements in their work.
Stefan Guy shows how to create a Neo Soul Beat using Reason 10. He begins by loading a drum loop that has been un-quantized for a more laid back vibe before adding in synth bass and melodic basslines to give his beat an upbeat edge. Finally, he experiments with effects to get just the sound he wants.
Neo soul music relies on soulful chord progressions played on classic vintage electric pianos and an infectious bassline to drive listeners into dance mode, with guitarists adding their own twist by including blues scales or R&B style embellishments into their playing. Unfortunately, however, this style is difficult to master due to a limited supply of high quality tutorials online.
Neo soul music has experienced a revival over the last several years, with several emerging and new artists showing promise like Ego Ella May, Cleo Sol, Daniel Caesar, Gaidaa, Ari Lennox Pip Millet Nyah Grace Giveon as well as Dwele and Sade still flourishing in the scene.