Gospel has changed over the last few decades. Various artists are discovering and creating new sounds to use for gospel music. In this post, we will discuss the different types of gospel music and how the sounds have changed over time. 

The Waves of Gospel

Gospel used to be considered the preaching of sermons. As time progressed Gospel music took on a different tune. Gospel music is composed of hymnals, call-response, acapella singing, stomping, clapping and shouting. The basis of Gospel music was based on Negro Spirituals and Secular Folk music. It cultivated the ideas of Traditional, Transitional and Contemporary Gospel Music. 

Transitional Gospel Music

Transitional Gospel Music was the bridge between Traditional Gospel Music and Contemporary Music. The improvisation, call-response and harmonization was used to discuss distinctive stories that African Americans, particularly Christians, experienced. 

Traditional Gospel

Traditional Gospel music was similar to Negro Spirituals is the way that it explicitly came from church. The use of choirs established the sound of harmony to be heard in the church setting. In addition to mass choirs creating the music, quartets were synonymous to the same sounds composed. 

Contemporary Gospel

Contemporary Gospel is considered the most recent type of gospel music that is heavily present in today’s time. As time progressed, a wider array of instruments were used to expand the sound of the gospel. The tempos became paced faster and the messages changed based on circumstance. The gospel that currently exists does not just take the form of choirs, but soloists, rappers, etc. The notion of the Gospel is becoming a more expressive and less restrictive genre. Artists like Tye Tribett, Kirk Franklin, Kierra Sheard, Donnie McClurkin, Cece Winans, etc. display distinctive changes within their music to change the idea of gospel music. 

Gospel From Then to Now

The idea of Gospel music went from being Negro Spirituals, a slave tradition that is solely dependent on hymnals, call-response, and acapella. As time progressed the call-response, and acapella remained the same, but the vast amount of instruments and spread of the music through mainstream media changed the evolution of music. The transition from quartet groups to mass choirs to duets and solos made the biggest impact on the changes in Gospel. The dynamic and themes inspired by Gospel continue to change and evolve. 

In conclusion, Gospel will continue to evolve and change the lives of many individuals all over the world. Although there are three types of gospel: traditional, transitional and contemporary; those three will not be the last. 

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