Experimental music

Experimental music is a special kind of music that tries new and different things. It doesn't follow the usual rules of music and often uses surprising sounds and ideas. Musicians who make experimental music like to explore and try things that have never been done before.

This type of music became well-known in the middle of the 20th century, especially in Europe and North America. One of the first musicians to use the term was John Cage, who liked to use chance and surprise in his music. In France, Pierre Schaeffer used the name musique expérimentale for music made with tapes and sounds from everyday life. In America, other musicians used computers to create new kinds of music.

Experimental music can include many different styles and sounds. Some musicians use instruments they built themselves, while others use computers or tape recordings. Free improvisation is a type of experimental music where musicians make up the music as they go along, without following any set rules. This kind of music helps us hear sounds in new ways and shows that music can be much more than just songs.

Definitions and usage

Origins

The Groupe de Recherches de Musique Concrète, led by Pierre Schaeffer, held the First International Decade of Experimental Music in June 1953. This event aimed to bring together different types of music under the idea of "experimental music." Around the same time, John Cage also used the term, describing experimental music as actions where the result cannot be predicted beforehand.

Alternative classifications

Michael Nyman used the term "experimental" to describe many American composers who focused on sound itself rather than traditional methods. Other experts have noted that experimental music often challenges common musical traditions and explores new ideas.

Abortive critical term

In the 1950s, some critics used the word "experimental" to dismiss music that didn’t follow usual rules. Later, especially in the 1960s, the term was used in America to describe innovative composers who didn’t fit into standard categories. Because experimental music is always changing and unpredictable, it cannot be easily classified into a single genre.

Computer composition

Main article: Computer music

In the late 1950s, composers began using computers to create music, calling it "experimental" in the sense of testing new ideas. This period also saw the early development of electronic music.

History

Influential antecedents

Some early American composers from the 1900s, like Charles Ives, Charles, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Henry Cowell, Carl Ruggles, and John Becker, were important influences on later experimental music.

New York School

Main article: New York School (art) § The composers

The New York School was a group of artists, writers, dancers, and musicians active in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. They were inspired by artists like Marcel Duchamp, Dada, and other modern art styles, including pop art, jazz, and experimental music. Important composers in this group included John Cage, Earle Brown, Christian Wolff, Morton Feldman, and David Tudor.

Musique concrète

Main article: Musique concrète

Musique concrète is a type of electronic music that uses any sounds, not just instruments or voices. It was started by Pierre Schaeffer in the late 1940s.

Fluxus

Main article: Fluxus

Fluxus was an art movement from the 1960s that mixed different types of art and often included performances. Yoko Ono was part of this movement.

Minimalism

Main article: Minimalist music

Transethnicism

The word "experimental" is also used for music that mixes different types of music from various cultures. Musicians like Laurie Anderson, Chou Wen-chung, Steve Reich, Kevin Volans, and others have done this.

Free improvisation

Main article: Free improvisation

Free improvisation is music made up on the spot with no rules, letting the musicians decide what to play.

Game pieces

Main article: Game piece (music)