"MUSIC DIRECTLY REPRESENTS THE PASSIONS OF THE SOUL. IF ONE LISTENS TO THE WRONG KIND OF MUSIC,
HE WILL BECOME THE WRONG KIND OF PERSON." - ARISTOTLE
HE WILL BECOME THE WRONG KIND OF PERSON." - ARISTOTLE
General Rules for Discerning Music:
I. Lyrics:
Is there profanity or vain use of the Lord's name?
Is there impurity or innuendos?
Is sin glorified or encouraged in any way?
Is the theme of the song immoral?
Is the song empty, meaningless, or superficial?
If so, avoid.
Is there profanity or vain use of the Lord's name?
Is there impurity or innuendos?
Is sin glorified or encouraged in any way?
Is the theme of the song immoral?
Is the song empty, meaningless, or superficial?
If so, avoid.
II. Style of Singing
Is there rapping, yelling, screaming, or any disturbing style of singing?
If so, avoid.
Is the singer repeatedly using vocal riffs in order to show off vocal technique or belting incessantly?
Does the singer sound strained like they will lose their voice if they continue?
If so, proceed with caution, as these are harmful more often than not.
Is there rapping, yelling, screaming, or any disturbing style of singing?
If so, avoid.
Is the singer repeatedly using vocal riffs in order to show off vocal technique or belting incessantly?
Does the singer sound strained like they will lose their voice if they continue?
If so, proceed with caution, as these are harmful more often than not.
III. Genre, Style, and Rhythm
Is there a distinct rock beat?
Famous example: "Sweet Child O Mine" by Guns N' Roses
Example 1: Rock Drum Beat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ceiFrrHlbI
Example 2: Soft Rock: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtiA-8FRroU
Example 3: Hard Rock: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3DTSp850DU
Example 4: Smooth Rock Ballad: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7XD8yVZtec
Is there an R&B beat?
Famous Example: "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5
Example 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz_aU5FsdMY
Example 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXZA2MVV7-U
Example 3: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quc5rWbJ5Mg
Is there a strong electronic beat: pop, techno, electronic, etc?
Famous Examples: "Titanium" by Sia, "Kids" by MGMT, "We Found Love" by Rhianna & Calvin Harris
Example 1: Pop: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxUqJigCups
Example 2: Pop Electronic (Calvin Harris): www.youtube.com/watch?v=XclNcFENpvA
Example 3: Club Dance/Techno: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQsTErnDbC4
Is there a Latin Jazz/Fusion Beat: Latin, Bossa Nova, Samba, etc?
Famous example: "Smooth" by Santana
Example 1: Standard Latin: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRt2XRSKUcI
Example 2: Bossa Nova: www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0j_xIm4fW0
Example 3: Samba Drum Beat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC0yHAw3-8w
Example 4: Samba Instrumental: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltz77YuVfPM
Example 5: Latin Jazz: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEmvgvByD_g
Is the genre Swing, Big Band, or any genre of Jazz? *Note* not every song ever written or performed in the genre of "Jazz" is inherently disordered, but the vast majority and the genre as a whole is harmful and careful discernment is necessary in this area. There are very few exceptions, and almost all of the exceptions are slow ballads of old American standards.
Example 1: Standard Jazz Drum Beat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwyAP9A7WBE
Example 2: Big Band/Swing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2S1I_ien6A
Example 3: Big Band & Vocalist: www.youtube.com/watch?v=le1QF3uoQNg
Example 4: Jazz Ballad: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zre0u5XyNfY&list=PL7C9F345DB5C8626B
If so, avoid. These rhythms disrupt your natural bodily rhythms (heartbeat, digestion, blood flow, etc.) and arouse lust, anger, or both.
Many of the rock, R&B, Latin, and electronic beats increase blood flow to the sexual organs, which is why they inspire impure styles of dancing. This is why so much pop music is immodest and often graphic, and why clubs and music festivals are full of impurity.
Standard rock beats, soft/smooth rock beats, and many jazz beats do the same, although in our day they do this less severely than when they first emerged in the beginning of the 20th century and the mid-20th century. However, our numbness to it now that the world has given us worse music does not change the objective truth that these genres created modern music and are rooted in the same harmful rhythmic patterns and musical styles. When these genres first emerged, they caused waves of sexual revolution first in the Roaring 20s with Jazz, then again in the 50s with Rock & Roll, culminating in the Free Love movement of the 60s & 70s, and opening the door to all types of impurity in the decades following up to the present day.
Faster paced genres of rock leaning towards hard rock, metal, and similar genres (and even many types of rap) arouse anger and incline one towards irritability, harshness, brutality, and hatred. This is why at hard rock and metal concerts there are moshpits, brawls, and fights.
Is there a distinct rock beat?
Famous example: "Sweet Child O Mine" by Guns N' Roses
Example 1: Rock Drum Beat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ceiFrrHlbI
Example 2: Soft Rock: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtiA-8FRroU
Example 3: Hard Rock: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3DTSp850DU
Example 4: Smooth Rock Ballad: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7XD8yVZtec
Is there an R&B beat?
Famous Example: "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5
Example 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz_aU5FsdMY
Example 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXZA2MVV7-U
Example 3: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quc5rWbJ5Mg
Is there a strong electronic beat: pop, techno, electronic, etc?
Famous Examples: "Titanium" by Sia, "Kids" by MGMT, "We Found Love" by Rhianna & Calvin Harris
Example 1: Pop: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxUqJigCups
Example 2: Pop Electronic (Calvin Harris): www.youtube.com/watch?v=XclNcFENpvA
Example 3: Club Dance/Techno: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQsTErnDbC4
Is there a Latin Jazz/Fusion Beat: Latin, Bossa Nova, Samba, etc?
Famous example: "Smooth" by Santana
Example 1: Standard Latin: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRt2XRSKUcI
Example 2: Bossa Nova: www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0j_xIm4fW0
Example 3: Samba Drum Beat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC0yHAw3-8w
Example 4: Samba Instrumental: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltz77YuVfPM
Example 5: Latin Jazz: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEmvgvByD_g
Is the genre Swing, Big Band, or any genre of Jazz? *Note* not every song ever written or performed in the genre of "Jazz" is inherently disordered, but the vast majority and the genre as a whole is harmful and careful discernment is necessary in this area. There are very few exceptions, and almost all of the exceptions are slow ballads of old American standards.
Example 1: Standard Jazz Drum Beat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwyAP9A7WBE
Example 2: Big Band/Swing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2S1I_ien6A
Example 3: Big Band & Vocalist: www.youtube.com/watch?v=le1QF3uoQNg
Example 4: Jazz Ballad: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zre0u5XyNfY&list=PL7C9F345DB5C8626B
If so, avoid. These rhythms disrupt your natural bodily rhythms (heartbeat, digestion, blood flow, etc.) and arouse lust, anger, or both.
Many of the rock, R&B, Latin, and electronic beats increase blood flow to the sexual organs, which is why they inspire impure styles of dancing. This is why so much pop music is immodest and often graphic, and why clubs and music festivals are full of impurity.
Standard rock beats, soft/smooth rock beats, and many jazz beats do the same, although in our day they do this less severely than when they first emerged in the beginning of the 20th century and the mid-20th century. However, our numbness to it now that the world has given us worse music does not change the objective truth that these genres created modern music and are rooted in the same harmful rhythmic patterns and musical styles. When these genres first emerged, they caused waves of sexual revolution first in the Roaring 20s with Jazz, then again in the 50s with Rock & Roll, culminating in the Free Love movement of the 60s & 70s, and opening the door to all types of impurity in the decades following up to the present day.
Faster paced genres of rock leaning towards hard rock, metal, and similar genres (and even many types of rap) arouse anger and incline one towards irritability, harshness, brutality, and hatred. This is why at hard rock and metal concerts there are moshpits, brawls, and fights.