Jazz Vs Rock Music Essay

One of the main differences between jazz and rock is that the lyrics of rock music are typically more explicit than those of jazz. In jazz, when there were lyrics in the song, they used more metaphors as codes for situations, like the slaves’ field hollers. However, in rock music, lyrics are much more common as a main part of the song and the dirty lyrics have a clearer meaning, although there are still some metaphors. Another difference is that rock music has, from its start, been influenced by electric instruments. However, jazz music started without this type of instrumentation, therefore being more confined to playing live with a certain acoustic range and then later becoming more influenced by electric sounds in the fusion period. Another …show more content…
With the influences of the city and urban blues, rock music developed with a wild, frenzied beat reminiscent of the sounds of the city. Jazz music had more of a rural sound, in terms of instruments and overall sound, and the new city citizens did not want to hear their past in that music. Rock music also rebelled against the previous generations that listened to jazz or classical music and was more of a youth movement. For young people, it offered them a way to distinguish themselves as a group unlike their parents, which was aided by the ability to have music accessible in their homes, on the radio and television. Many of the young white people that listened to rock music discovered it for being different than what their parents listened to, while reflecting their problems and city life. Rock also had a showier performance element that fit better on the new means of television and so performers could take advantage of this. Jazz did not have the same performance appeal that people wanted, admiring their new technology. The new rock artists provided the new generation of young people with an entertaining voice and presentation that excited them for being different and