Religious music

David playing his harp (unknown artist, c. 960). The book of Psalms, included in the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and said to have been written largely by David, is one of the earliest collections of sacred music, and still plays a role in the liturgies of the two religions.

Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Religious songs have been described as a source of strength, as well as a means of easing pain, improving one's mood, and assisting in the discovery of meaning in one's suffering. While style and genre vary broadly across traditions, religious groups still share a variety of musical practices and techniques.

Religious music takes on many forms and varies throughout cultures. Religions such as Islam, Judaism, and Sinism demonstrate this, splitting off into different forms and styles of music that depend on varying religious practices.[1][2][3] Religious music across cultures depicts its use of similar instruments, used in accordance to create these melodies. The use of drums (and drumming), for example, is seen commonly in numerous religions such as Rastafari and Sinism, while wind instruments (horn, saxophone, trumpet and variations of such) can be commonly found in Islam and Judaism.[4][5]

Throughout each religion, each form of religious music, within the specific religion, differs for a different purpose. For example, in Islamic music, some types of music are used for prayer while others are used for celebrations.[6] Similarly, a variation like this is shared between many other religions.

Music plays a significant role in many religions. In some religions, such as Buddhism, music helps people calm their minds and focus before meditation. In Sikh music, known as Kirtan, the music helps people connect with the teachings of the religion and with God.[7] Some other religions, such as Islam, use music to recite the word of their holy book.[8] Some religions relate their music to non-religious musicians. For example, Rastafarian music heavily relates to reggae music.[9] Religious music helps those of all religions connect with their faith and remember their religious values.

  1. ^ A. Rasheid, Omar. "Muslim Prayer and Public Spheres: An Interpretation of the Quranic Verse 29:45". Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology. 68: 41.
  2. ^ "Jewish Sacred Music | Sacred Music Radio". 2013-08-28. Archived from the original on 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  3. ^ "InKAS – Korean shamanism". inkas.org. Archived from the original on 2022-05-21. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  4. ^ "Instruments | Hong Kong Quanzhen Temples Taoist Ritual Music". daoistmusichk.org. Archived from the original on 2022-08-13. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  5. ^ "BBC – Religions – Rastafari: Worship and customs". BBC. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  6. ^ "Muslim Call to Prayer | Smithsonian Folkways Magazine". folkways.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Amuzu, Delali (2021-07-03). "Rastafari and Reggae Music as Tools for Critical Pedagogy in the African Academe". Muziki. 18 (2): 74–94. doi:10.1080/18125980.2021.2011612. ISSN 1812-5980. S2CID 247078421. Archived from the original on 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-03-11.