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New Age Music - How It's Made

Different styles of music have different "sounds." We can
all pretty much agree on that point. For example, Jazz uses
seventh chords almost exclusively. This, and the kind of chord
progressions used in Jazz gives it its unique flavor. But what
about new age music? Does it have it's own special ingredients?
Yes it does.

Now, there are no hard and fast rules here but for the most
part, new age music is a consonant music. That is, there is
little or noharshness going on in the music. No Saxes wailing
and what not. Having said that we can eliminate most of the
tense jazz chords and their voicing. So what are we left with?
Mostly Major and minor chords based on the regular scales and
the modes. The chord progressions are simpler and usually start
on the l chord. No ll-V-l progressions here.

What about melody? In jazz, we have a soloist who usually plays
a lot of chromatic notes. This is rare in new age music because
it would create dissonance. New age melodies tend to be softer
and more on the spiritual side. Solos, if there are any, are not
so much concerned with the expression of the self than they are
with letting the music express itself. A subtle but very important
distinction. Jazz players may have some ego invested in their
performance. New age musicians learn to let the music play them.
They learn to become a channel for the music itself allowing it
to speak through them. Of course, I'm not saying that this can't
happen in Jazz, but, just watch a Jazz performer and you'll see
what I mean.

Last but not least is rhythm. Let's do a comparison/contrast
between Jazz and New Age music. Jazz has a definite discernible
rhythm. It is what makes Jazz Jazz. New age music can have a
pattern or an underlying rhythm to the music. It can be used to
create trance like states in the listener. Drums are usually
a part of Jazz music. Percussion is mostly absent from the New
Age sound simply because it would not add to the atmosphere most
New Age musicians create. Timing is very important to the Jazz
musician. The soloist has the freedom to play whatever he wants
as long as he maintains the meter and stays in time. New Age music
is more elastic in that timing is there, but is not a master of
the player. The New Age player can disregard time altogether.
Just listen to Zen flute music as a good example of this.

Now, what does all this mean for the aspiring New Age musician? A
couple of good things. It means that there is a definite new age
"sound" out there. That it is here to stay and that people like
and need to hear it. And it means that there are some guidelines
out there for what defines the meaning of New Age music.

Article written by Edward Weiss.