- Rhythm: African music is known for its complex rhythms, which often involve polyrhythms and cross-rhythms.
- Call and response: This is a common feature in African music, where a leader sings a phrase and the rest of the group responds.
- Improvisation: African musicians often improvise while performing, creating unique and spontaneous melodies and rhythms.
- Percussion: Percussion instruments are central to African music, including drums, xylophones, marimbas, and rattles.
- Vocal harmonies: African music often features intricate vocal harmonies, with multiple voices singing simultaneously.
- Dance: Music and dance are closely linked in African culture, with many songs and rhythms specifically designed for dancing.
- Use of traditional instruments: African music often incorporates traditional instruments, such as the djembe, kora, mbira, and talking drum.
- Community involvement: Music is an important part of community life in Africa and often involves participation from the entire community, regardless of age or skill level.
- Spirituality: Music is closely linked to spirituality and religious practices in many African cultures, with certain songs and rhythms used for ceremonies and rituals.
- Polyphony: The simultaneous performance of multiple, non-chordal melodies, often referred to as "stacked voices" or "clustered harmonies."
- Syncopation: The displacement or interruption of the regular pulse of a beat, often through the use of off-beat accents or the sudden withholding or anticipation of beats.
- Vocal techniques: African singers often employ a variety of techniques to produce unique vocal sounds, including vibrato, falsetto, guttural sounds, and growls.
- Call and response: A musical dialogue between a leader and a chorus, where the leader sings a phrase, and the chorus responds with a contrasting or complementary answer.