Walk into Music: Music Knowledge and Appreciation

Author: Zhao Shuyun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-08-01
Features: Lyrical Songs
The term "lyrical songs" exists by convention. Since all songs are meant to be lyrical, there is no such thing as a "lyrical song." Here, it refers to a type of song that emphasizes lyrical and vocal qualities, with melodious and flowing tunes, free and relaxed rhythms, delicate expression, and the ability to reveal people's inner world. It is primarily performed in solo form and is a popular song genre in the current stage. Examples include: "The Song of the Girl Under the Iron Hooves" (lyrics by Xu Xinzhi, music by Nie Er) and "Nighttime Singing" (lyrics by Tian Han, music by Xian Xinghai) from the May Fourth period in China; "Three Wishes of a Rose" (lyrics by Long Qi, music by Huang Zi) from the post- period; "Why Are the Flowers So Red" (lyrics revised by Lei Zhenbang, music composed by Lei Zhenbang); "Song of Karamay" (lyrics by Lü Yuan, music by Lü Yuan); and recent film such as "Sister Seeks Brother in Tears" (lyrics by Kai Chuan, music by Wang Ming) and "Young Friends Meet" (lyrics by Zhang Meitong, music by Wang Ming).
Narrative Songs
Narrative songs, as the name suggests, are songs that tell stories. Their main characteristics are: colloquial lyrics, stricter requirements for the combination of lyrics and music compared to general songs, and often incorporating tunes from folk songs, quyi, and opera. Examples include: "Singing Xiao Er the Cowherd" (lyrics by Fang Bing, music by Jie Fu), "Xiao Shuangshuang's Little Song" (lyrics by Xiao Jie, music by Wang Yu Xi), and "Listening to Mother's Story of the Past" (lyrics by Guan Hua, music by Qu Xi Xian).
Humorous and Satirical Songs
Humorous songs are composed with a playful touch to achieve a humorous and witty effect. They use means to amuse and praise advanced and beautiful things, showcasing the cleverness, humor, and optimism of the working people. Sometimes, they also gently mock amusing characters or behaviors. Satirical songs, on the other hand, use ridicule and mockery to expose backward and negative aspects of life or to satirize and mock the dark and reactionary old world. Examples of the former include the male solo song "Truly Too Joyful to Death" (lyrics by Lin Zhong, music by Sheng Mao), popular in the 1950s, which depicts a new soldier's "unfortunate" experiences and desires to join the army at a welcoming banquet, as well as his proud and delighted mood after his wishes are fulfilled. Examples of the latter include "Teahouse Little Tune" (lyrics by Chang Gong, music by Fei Ke), which satirizes the Jiang family regime's fascist dictatorship and suppression of freedom of speech, evening "Don't Discuss National Affairs" notices in teahouses.
Dance Songs
Dance songs originated in folk culture and have been popular throughout history in both China and the world. Their main characteristics are cheerful and lively melodies, distinct rhythms, square structures, and suitability for both singing and dancing. Examples include the Tibetan dance song "Laundry Song" (lyrics by Li Jun Chen, music by Luo Nian Yi) and Zhejiang's "Tea Picking Dance Tune" (lyrics and music by Da Feng).
Children's Songs
Children's songs are specifically created for and performed by children and young people. Since their creation, performance, and audience are children, they should consider the characteristics of children of different ages. Generally, children's songs can be divided into three categories based on age: preschool songs (3–6 years old), children's songs (7–10 years old), and adolescent songs (11–14 years old). Preschool songs typically have a vocal range of up to an octave, with a maximum of nine degrees (from C1 to D2), and their melodies primarily consist of stepwise movement and small leaps, with short phrases and brief breaths. An example is "Little Harmonica, Sing a Song" (lyrics by Jin Ben, music by Wang Ling). Children's songs are aimed at lower and middle primary school students, with slightly fewer restrictions on vocal range, melody progression, phrase length, and rhythm compared to preschool songs. Adolescent songs are even more flexible.
Pop Songs
Pop songs are a type of pop music characterized by "pop singing" and strong entertainment value. They emerged in China in the 1930s and became widely popular after the 1980s. It is a conventional concept with synonyms such as "pop songs" and "light songs." Generally, they focus on expressing the self-perceptions and psychological experiences of contemporary ordinary people, with colloquial lyrics, easy-to-understand content, light music characteristics, novel rhythms, and a natural, unpretentious singing style that does not overly emphasize vocal technique or breath control. They often combine true voice, breathy voice, light voice, and rough voice, with primarily featuring electric instruments. They are easily spread and accepted by the general public. Pop songs come in various types, which some categorize as lyrical, ballad, energetic, and hybrid. Lyrical pop songs are generally beautiful and gentle but can vary in intensity, with melodies that rise and fall significantly, and frequent changes in tempo and dynamics. Their forms are often ternary or binary. Examples include "Love's Offering" and "Is It." Ballad pop songs have a simple, rustic style, with straightforward melodies, regular structures, and strong melodic qualities, often featuring a rich national and local flavor. Their forms are typically monophonic or binary. Examples include "Little Grass," "Song of the Small Town," and "You Don't Understand My Heart." Energetic pop songs have a strong sense of rhythm and faster tempo, blending musical styles with jazz, rock, and disco, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere. Their singing is rough and unrestrained, often accompanied by dance. Typical examples include "Babylon River," "Alibaba," and "Follow Me." Hybrid pop songs combine multiple techniques and characteristics. They can be a blend of lyrical and disco, lyrical and jazz, or ballad and rock. Examples include the theme song "Wine Drains Dry" from the Taiwanese film "Wrong Car" and Su Yue's "Loess High Slope," which combines Shaanxi folk music with rock.
There has been considerable controversy surrounding pop songs. This is mainly because pop songs often contain content, tone, artificial singing, suggestive lyrics, low-grade humor, and poor taste, which are detrimental to the physical and mental health of young people. We should be mindful of this and promote more noble and aesthetically valuable pop songs, especially those with a national style. By leveraging this widely loved musical form, we can popularize musical art and gradually guide the public to improve their musical appreciation, enabling them to further enjoy and accept more refined music such as folk instrumental music, symphonic music, and opera.
(III) Light Music
The term "light music" is commonly used in China. In the United States and the United Kingdom, similar concepts are referred to as "popular music" or "pop music." In Japan, it is called "mass music," in the Soviet Union, "amusement music," and in Germany and Austria, "entertainment music." Although "light music" originated in China in the 1930s, it was not until the 1950s that it became a fixed concept and genre. Its meaning and scope are similar to "pop music," but broader than the foreign concept of "pop music." It is sometimes also referred to as pop music or light music. Light music refers to musical forms that are not overly complex, not excessively large or profound, have a relatively light and lyrical style, and are characterized by being portable, agile, and lively. They are popular among the masses and easily spread, enjoyed by the general public. As a result, the scope of light music is very broad. The pop songs mentioned earlier fall within this category. In addition, there are title pieces from foreign classical music (such as Beethoven's piano piece "Für Elise" and Saint-Sa?ns' cello solo "The Swan"), serenades (which can be vocal or instrumental, or directly composed for instruments), certain light music-style overtures from operas and operettas (such as the overture to Bizet's opera "Carmen"), interludes, marches (such as "Cavalry March," "Triumphal March," and "Wedding March"), and more. Among these, dance music is perhaps the most characteristic of light music. Dance music in various parts of the world is extremely diverse and can generally be categorized as folk dance music, social dance music, and concert dance music. However, the boundaries between these types are not always clear, as many social dance tunes originate from folk music, and many concert dance tunes draw from folk music while also serving as accompaniment for social dance events. Examples include the minuet, known for its small steps, the waltz, characterized by its "sh-sh-sh" rhythmic pattern, as well as blues, foxtrot, polka, tango, rumba, and samba. Some of these dance tunes have gradually spread throughout China's urban and rural areas, becoming one of the self-entertainment musical forms in mass cultural activities.
Minuet
The minuet was a folk dance in France. After being adopted by the French court in the 17th century, it quickly became popular among the upper class in France and throughout Europe under the promotion of King Louis XVI, becoming the most important dance at social gatherings in the 18th century. The minuet had a gentle, elegant, and polite posture, and its music was steady, slow, and slightly reserved. The tempo was mostly moderate, with a triple meter, and the structure was typically ternary form, divided into three parts: A, B, and C. The A section often had a beautiful and lyrical mood, while the B section was more lively and dynamic. Besides accompanying dance, some minuets could stand alone as independent musical works and be performed in concerts.