How do you describe types of music?
 

I can identify different types of music, when I hear them. I can tell when I hear disco vs reggae, classical vs blue grass. But how do you tell someone "I can tell it's reggae because..."? I don't read music, play an instrument, or know music theory (obviously). Any insights?

I can tell it's reggae because there is a lazy and usually slow beat on 2 and 4, the guitar is played as a percussion instrument along with 2 or more actual percussion instruments, and the singer is a Marley or has a legitimate Jamaican accent.

If the singer does not have a Jamaican accent, it's modern ska.

If the beat is 2-4 but not lazy, enforced at 120 beats per minute plus or minus 5, and incredibly rigid and heavily reinforced, it's disco.

Pick a band that describes the general universe of the movement and try to fit the unlabeled band into that sound.

Add: I keep thinking what Flint will say. In reggae, the snare drum is thin and metallic sounding... probably because it's thin and made of metal. It sounds more like a percussion instrument than a thick, wooden sounding rock snare drum, which sounds more meaty and resonant, like firing big guns.

I also think that in reggae, the meat of the song is produced by cheap keyboards and women backup singers.

as a guitarist, reggae highlights the upstroke across the strings instead of the down. if you listen to The Police, you can hear this.

My wife is predisposed against country music. A song will come on and she'll say, See this is what I don't like about country music. And I'll say, That's not country music, that's the Allman Brothers (or CCR, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc.).

Country music uses more Major scales and chords. the notes sound 'brighter'

blues is primarily Minor, so the sound a bit down or mournful.

I think that traditionally genres were identified by both the instruments and method and style of playing the instruements that defines the genre. We are also including vocals in the instrument category.
Ok now lets talk about experimental reggae. Ok let's not.

The closest I've come to describing reggae is that the drum rythm is on beats 1 & 3, and the guitar rythm is on beats 2 & 4. Or something. Is that what I'm hearing you describe as the "upstroke"?

When I discuss music with musicians, this always runs through my mind

How do you describe "rock".

Which type of rock?

igneous

I like sedimentary rock myself.

igneous work for me

I like Indigenous but aren't they more blues? ;)

I describe types of music sometimes by reference other types of music, and then saying why type of music X is or is not like type of music Y.

It can get quite involved, and sometimes involves broad hand gestures.