Why Categorizing your Song into the Correct Genre matters:

[senntenial]

Genres are not defined by mood or tonality, as most people would think. Genres are defined by beat structure and BPM. SUBgenres are defined by tone. Chances are, if you're making a DnB track, it's not going to turn out as moombahton. Unless you're deliberately trying to break genre boundaries, labeling your track with the genre is incredibly important, and let the listeners correct you if you're wrong.

And yes I am a HUGE genre nazi.

This is the problem though - there is no standard way of categorizing a genre. Sure, we know the feel and what most people do, but when it comes down to it genres are called such because what the general public calls songs. If enough people start calling 3/4ths breakcore waltzcore, that's a new subgenre completely made up by other people. If enough guys start calling moombacore songs dubstep, guess what? They are now dubstep. It's weird.

[Stu Beef]

stuff i said

Thing is, some genres ARE limited in their definition, for example, Grunge, Hair Metal, UK Hardcore (and any niche genres), which is why experimentation between genres is important in these cases to make your music stand out.

Then there are obvious genres that are really broad, like jazz, rap or rock, but at this point, you can't make a "pure" rock song. It will most likely be categorized into some kind of niche rock variant that already has a name.

Yeah, the genres are limited obviously, but you aren't, so what's the matter? "Let me play it first and I'll tell you what it is later"; you generally want to have some kind of context for a listener to appreciate what you're doing, but (unless it's your job or something) no one is forcing you to sit there sweating wondering "OH GOD I WANT TO DO THIS WITH THE BASS LINE BUT THAT WOULD BE HERESY TO THE WHIMS OF THE GODS OF MUSIC."

[Sonarch]

I feel like labeling your own music should really just be limited to the broad definition, and see if the listeners can agree on what subgenre your song fits in, if any.

[LoreRD]

Yeah, the genres are limited obviously, but you aren't, so what's the matter? "Let me play it first and I'll tell you what it is later"; you generally want to have some kind of context for a listener to appreciate what you're doing, but (unless it's your job or something) no one is forcing you to sit there sweating wondering "OH GOD I WANT TO DO THIS WITH THE BASS LINE BUT THAT WOULD BE HERESY TO THE WHIMS OF THE GODS OF MUSIC."

Nothing's "the matter", I'm just stating facts. Some genres are quite limited. If you want to specifically make song in that precise genre, you're going to be more restricted.

But that doesn't mean that there's no room to experiment.

[Stu Beef]

Ok, so we agree with each other and are basically saying the same exact thing, great!

[cloudshovit]

I think genre names should be some times made so it won't be confusing or annoying to people who are into one particular genre but is not into the other. like dubstep and brostep for example. sorry but its annoying when youre looking for dubstep and you get halftime electro or complextro stuff otherwise known as brostep. Or something like new dubstep or old dubstep like classic rock and nu metal, even though dubstep and brostep are worlds apart IMO.

[XXDarkShadow79XX]

Music without genres would sound a bit like this:

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/c6xrrvisx86kyp ... Genres.wav

IS THIS WHAT YOU PEOPLE WANT????!!!

[Sonarch]

Is it sad that I can't even do that

[Grace Note]

I classify other music into genres, but considering I'm so inspired and influenced by many types of music, I don't classify my music into genres. If it sounds good and I like it, that's all that matters.

[Omegastick]

Music without genres would sound a bit like this:

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/c6xrrvisx86kyp ... Genres.wav

IS THIS WHAT YOU PEOPLE WANT????!!!

That's a genre... That's glitch.

[XXDarkShadow79XX]

Music without genres would sound a bit like this:

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/c6xrrvisx86kyp ... Genres.wav

IS THIS WHAT YOU PEOPLE WANT????!!!

That's a genre... That's glitch.

fml

But seriously, no one in their right mind would listen to that for serious pleasure or play it at a party. Also, I don't consider glitch a genre. My definition for a genre is something that has

A set Bpm range
Specific beat structure
Differentiating placement of the sub (Ex: on the kick or corresponding to the actual mid bass)

Glitch doesn't seem to fulfill or answer for any of these.

[Acsii]

i like glitch ;_;

[Nine Volt]

You're not the only one :3

[Acsii]

:3

[Sai]

But seriously, no one in their right mind would listen to that for serious pleasure or play it at a party. Also, I don't consider glitch a genre.

"You opinion is wrong" is all I'm getting from this. It doesn't matter if you don't consider it a genre; it is. If we start developing personal definitions for what we all consider "genres", we're going to end up with genres of genres and that would just be weird.

Side-point: I could play a piece of solo jazz piano and people could recognise it a part of the "jazz" genre. While there's not really a "beat" as such, there could be a variable rhythm structure and tempo, and there's really no sub-bass at all (I'm not even sure what you meant by that last point).

Side-side-point: I like glitch.

[Acsii]

Oh hi Sai... Haven't seen you here for a while
On your post... This is good

[natsukashi]

Music without genres would sound a bit like this:

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/c6xrrvisx86kyp ... Genres.wav

IS THIS WHAT YOU PEOPLE WANT????!!!

You should make more of this. It was p cool tbh. Scrap whatever wobbyshit you're trying to do, keep it on the wonky side

[Acsii]

Agreed with natsukashi make more glitch stuff

[Sonarch]

what was the point of this thread like really i don't think we are even really on it anymore

[Nine Volt]

Senn tried to illustrate a point and most of us disagreed; this thread is kind of derailed now.

[XXDarkShadow79XX]

But seriously, no one in their right mind would listen to that for serious pleasure or play it at a party. Also, I don't consider glitch a genre.

"You opinion is wrong" is all I'm getting from this. It doesn't matter if you don't consider it a genre; it is. If we start developing personal definitions for what we all consider "genres", we're going to end up with genres of genres and that would just be weird.

Side-point: I could play a piece of solo jazz piano and people could recognise it a part of the "jazz" genre. While there's not really a "beat" as such, there could be a variable rhythm structure and tempo, and there's really no sub-bass at all (I'm not even sure what you meant by that last point).

Side-side-point: I like glitch.

mmkay that comment was definitely a general statement. For all I know there could be people that jam out every night to this stuff. But what I think is we need to define genres before we can define the music in them. I was just sharing my opinion of what the definition could be. Also, I was talking about electronic music, (Prolly should have mentioned that) as for some reason genre "rules" don't seem to apply to acoustic music that much. "Rock" music is pretty much... anything that people call rock. I mentioned mood and tonality in a previous post. Those factors usually define subgenres. Liquid DnB and Neurofunk have the same beat structure, (For the most part) making them both subgenres of DnB, but still different.

tl:dr Genre rules are important and a more specific meaning of the word "genre" should probably be developed. A bold request from me that won't happen anytime soon.

U feel meh? Jus' my opinion.

[Sonarch]

But how can subgenres be defined by mood? Isn't mood kind of a subjective thing?

[Nine Volt]

oh god don't even start this

[Sonarch]

I'm sorry, I just don't really get subgenres most of the time

[Nine Volt]

I'm sorry, I just don't really get subgenres most of the time

It's fine, I see why you might be confused, but genre discussions always end up going nowhere and just derail the thread