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Hear the connections.
Connect genres, eras, regions, artists, instruments and recordings. You do not need to know the answer before you begin.
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Practical listening guides
Funk vs soul: what to listen for
Compare funk and soul through rhythm, vocal phrasing and two recording examples. Build your ear without treating genre labels as fixed rules.
Read and explore →Jazz for beginners: a three-pass listening guide
Start listening to jazz with melody, pulse and conversation. Try Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughan examples, then explore the connected music map.
Read and explore →Reggae vs ska: compare the offbeat, bass and space
Compare ska and reggae through the placement of chords, bass and drums. Follow two credited recordings while keeping Jamaica's musical context in view.
Read and explore →Samba vs bossa nova: listen to how rhythm is arranged
Explore samba and bossa nova through guitar, percussion and vocal space, using Luiz Bonfá's source audio and a clearly credited catalog recording.
Read and explore →Rhythm vs tempo vs beat: hear the difference
Separate beat, tempo and rhythm with a counting exercise, two recording starting points and a way to explain why busy music can feel fast.
Read and explore →Song vs recording vs track: what are you comparing?
Understand a musical work, a particular recording and a track on a release. Use credits and version information to compare performances accurately.
Read and explore →Six selected genre gateways
Put music back in its decade
1900sA visual guide to 1900s
1910sA visual guide to 1910s
1920sBlind Lemon Jefferson · representative artist
1930sRobert Johnson · representative artist
1940sSarah Vaughan · representative artist
1950sMel Tormé · representative artist
1960sReverend Gary Davis · representative artist
1970sBessie Jones · representative artist
1980sJoe Williams · representative artist
1990sAlain Bashung · representative artist
2000sTaj Mahal · representative artist
2010sB.B. King · representative artist
2020sKyle Eastwood · representative artist