Large Ensemble symphony orchestra, concert or symphonic band, marching band, big jazz band. Mixed Instrumental and Vocal Media 1. Chamber Group any small vocal and instrumental combination, 2. Genre Other than determining the medium or media of a composition, a composer must also determine the genre before the creative work of making music begins. Genre is concerned with basic compositional design when considering the Eight Basic Elements and the Three Foundational Procedures.
Names exist that have been used over the many centuries to identify all musical genres.
Below is a list of the most common genres of music from the history of Western music. A short description of the model of compositional approach accompanies certain genres. Each genre is listed under the general category of milieu. Some genres were more prevalent than others in certain historical musical style periods.