The Beatles
The Beatles formed in Liverpool in 1960; it was an English rock band. Original members of the Beatles identify with Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison. It is true that the Beatles were influential and one of the greatest groups in rock era. It can also be argued that rock music played by the Beatles was a combination of music played by other groups within United States and in the United Kingdom, a model that proved that there were other earlier groups with similar talents. The Beatles did not invent anything; they used the already existing music.
Skiffle was a popular music played by the Beatles (Davies 202), tracing the origin of Skiffle went back to the United States; common with blues, jazz, roof influences and folk. The popularity of Skiffle was realized in the United Kingdom in 1950s, and later adapted by the Beatles. Lonnie Donegan was an influential musician specializing in blues, pop, jazz, rock and folk. It is thought that Skiffle originated with the cultures of the African Americans in early periods of the twentieth century, origin of Skiffle was attached to New Orleans jazz, although some scholars argue that the South of America had improvised jug bands that played jazz and blues.
Traditional Skiffle used tea chest bass, washboard, cigar box fiddle, jugs, comb and paper kazoos and the musical saw (Martin and Lewisohn 441). Convectional instruments supporting Skiffle were banjo and acoustic guitar. Skiffle was a slang phrase that represented rental party, which was a party with some charges meant to pay for house rent dating to 1920s in Chicago. Chicago Skiffers identify with Hometown Skiffle, Country blues music and Skiffle Blues among others. Disappearance of Skiffle music from American industry was reinvented in United Kingdom. Skiffle music played by the Beatles existed before, there were no innovations, in this context, there was nothing new done by the Beatles.
The Beatles also played rock and roll (Davies 79), which originated from the United States in 1940s and 1950s. Rock and Roll music was characterized with gospel, blues, rhythm and blues; others are country, jazz, boogie-woogie, electric blues, Chicago blues, jump blues, western swing and the folk. Rock and roll music originated from Southern part of the United States as a result of emerging African and American music (Martin and Lewisohn 127). Common rock and roll was characterized with country music and race music. Rock and roll music rebranded African American music with both characteristics of the whites and the blacks. The Beatles did not invent rock and roll music; this is an indication that there was nothing unique with the music played by the Beatles. It is only that it collected music from other areas outside the jurisdictions of United Kingdom and made it their own.
The Beatles also practiced music genre that identified with music from diverse traditions and convections that were shared (Davies 501). Music genre practiced by the Beatles was part of the music style and music forms depending on artistic models. Examples of original genre music identify with cabzona, madrigal, motet and ricercar among others. The music has been evolving with time; the Beatles practiced a modernized form of genre music, with the music sharing basic language in music and similar styles.
Pop Ballad was common with the Beatles (Davies 348); this was characterized with verses that were narrative in nature. Ballads originated from French, the original concept of Ballads were pegged on dancing songs. The popular model of the music then spread to United Kingdom, United States, Australia and North Africa among other regions. Ballad music later evolved to love music among other presentations.
The Beatles also performed Psychedelic rock that was influenced and inspired by the psychedelic culture (MacDonald 185); this was a form of music developed in countering psychedelic drugs. The music was educative in nature mostly borrowed from the Indian cultures and raga. Common music identified with blues rock and folk rock. The counterculture of the music attracted diverse audiences from all walks of life. Psychedelic rock was characterized with psychedelic soul and psychedelic pop among others.
The Beatles also performed classical music that was characterized with art music rooted and produced with the traditions attached to the western culture (MacDonald 98). It comprised of secular and liturgical music dating back to the eleventh century. Staff notation was a common feature that distinguished European music from non European music. The music was characterized with speed, pitch, meter and rhythms.
Arguments that the Beatles were the most influential entity in the twentieth century are partly true; there were other groups that were influential such as the Yardbirds and the Byrds among others. There was nothing new invented by the Beatles, the group just collected pieces of music from different periods and jurisdictions and made it their own (Martin and Lewisohn 300).
The ideas shared by the Beatles was part of the music evolution from different parts of the world, the revolutions were mainly attached to social cultural essence of music. Beatlemania was a combination of imported music, particularly from the United States, the group lacked originality and innovativeness, a factor that led to the disintegration of the group. It was argued that the group was influential in gathering music from different parts of the worlds and artistically presenting the music as their own.
Works Cited
Davies, Hunter. The Beatles: The Authorised Biography . London: Ebury Press, 2009. Print.
MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head: The Beatles’ Records and the Sixties. New York: Vintage., 2008. Print.
Martin, George, and Lewisohn Mark. The Complete Beatles Chronicle: The Definitive Day-By-Day Guide to the Beatles’ Entire Career. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, 2010. Print.
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