I've always imagined dwarven music including a lot of banging things, usually drums, and shouted or chanted lyrics. The sort of stuff they play at the Highland Games in Scotland, with lots of drums and yelling to get the crowds fired up, echoing through the stony caverns and rebounding until it seems like the very earth is shaking as the listeners stomp their feet and smash their weapons and shields against each other. Anyone that points out that Dwarven music and Orcish music sound pretty much identical (and that someone will probably be an elf) is in for a righteous arse-kicking.
Elves always seemed likely to use one of two options;
1) purely a capella music, but freeform, like improvisational jazz performances, with dozens of elves eventually finding their voice and joining in for total audience participation (the more skilled vocalists would adapt what they are doing to blend with the untrained, but enthusiastic, audience). Most common among wood / wild elves and high elves who aren't pretentious. The wild/wood elves would be likely to add in banging on tree trunks and other sorts of rthymn.
2) one artist with some honkin' impressive instrument (stationary floorharp, pipe organ, etc.). Most common among grey elves and the more pretentious 'city-fied' high elves. Everybody would sit quietly and there would be no applause afterwards, because it's considered gauche. (Everyone would thank the artist and compliment them on the performance afterwards, however, during the post-recital-soiree. The worst insult a performer can get is if everyone politely praises their outfit or the weather or their appearance or something, but not their performance, as it's a tacit admission that they couldn't find anything nice to say about the music...) Technical expertise and impossibly complicated works would receive a warmer reception than anything with any sort of emotional impact, any passion or power. Anything too 'raw' or 'primitive' makes the sophisticated grey elven audience uncomfortable.
Gnome and Halfling performances would be hyperkinetic. They wouldn't just sing, they'd also dance and twirl each other around. They might appear to be country folk-dancing, or they may be hopping around like AC/DC, but they'd never sit still.
Elves always seemed likely to use one of two options;
1) purely a capella music, but freeform, like improvisational jazz performances, with dozens of elves eventually finding their voice and joining in for total audience participation (the more skilled vocalists would adapt what they are doing to blend with the untrained, but enthusiastic, audience). Most common among wood / wild elves and high elves who aren't pretentious. The wild/wood elves would be likely to add in banging on tree trunks and other sorts of rthymn.
2) one artist with some honkin' impressive instrument (stationary floorharp, pipe organ, etc.). Most common among grey elves and the more pretentious 'city-fied' high elves. Everybody would sit quietly and there would be no applause afterwards, because it's considered gauche. (Everyone would thank the artist and compliment them on the performance afterwards, however, during the post-recital-soiree. The worst insult a performer can get is if everyone politely praises their outfit or the weather or their appearance or something, but not their performance, as it's a tacit admission that they couldn't find anything nice to say about the music...) Technical expertise and impossibly complicated works would receive a warmer reception than anything with any sort of emotional impact, any passion or power. Anything too 'raw' or 'primitive' makes the sophisticated grey elven audience uncomfortable.
Gnome and Halfling performances would be hyperkinetic. They wouldn't just sing, they'd also dance and twirl each other around. They might appear to be country folk-dancing, or they may be hopping around like AC/DC, but they'd never sit still.
