Gospel Music Research Paper

The History of Gospel Music and the use of Percussion

Dictionary.com describes gospel music as a popularized form of spiritual music developed from the rhythm and blues of soul music that was rooted in the churches of the rural blacks in the American South around the late 1800s. What exactly does this mean? This means that African Americas were the first to introduce this genre. Gospel music has been used as a vehicle to spread the power and the love of God to everyone around the world. This is the type of music that can change the lives of those who hear it with an open heart. “Other than Native American music, gospel music is the original form of American folk music” (“A Brief History of Gospel”). We could say that in the late 19th century,

The most widely used instruments are the tambourine, drums, cymbals, and piano. I have personally played each of these instruments and understand the importance of sound within music. For the tambourine, this particular sound accompanies beautifully with the drums. Both the drums and the cymbals add an extra sense of rhythm to the mix. Finally, the piano is used to complement the singer with both a soft or riveting tone. It says in Psalm 150: 3-6, “Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” This encourages the musicians to play each of the musical families to be used in a way that will glorify Him. Personally, music has always been a significant factor in my life. I have been moved to tears by songs like “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe and have jumped up and down to songs like “Shackles” by Mary Mary. Gospel music is truly a blessing and many of the people who do hear this genre understand how the words of a song can move and break down any of the barriers that may have been built up throughout the