Word for songs and music

Whilst you need to have a broad music vocabulary so that you can answer questions on any aspect of the topic, it’s a good idea to pay particular attention to words and phrases related to your favourite genre of music. There are just so many different types and styles of music that it would be poor use of your study time to try and learn vocabulary for them all.

Most of us enjoy listening to music, or even performing ourselves, which makes music questions fairly easy to answer, especially if it’s about your favourite band, singer or song.

The subject of music could come up in any part of the IELTS exam and this list of music vocabulary is equally relevant for Writing, Speaking, Reading and Listening questions.

This page contains over 130 common words and phrases, together with an explanation for each one and a sample sentence to show it in context. This will help you to learn how to use it correctly.

Don’t try to learn them all. Look at my suggestions below as to the best way to use the list.

Music can be performed anywhere.

To help you create the best possible answers, I’ve included four things here:

You’ll find
PDF downloads of both the questions and sample answers and the vocabulary list
at the bottom of the respective sections.

The
questions relate to the Speaking test because this part of the exam offers the
broadest range of possible questions on this topic. They give the best
opportunity for me to demonstrate the vocabulary and for you to practise using
it.

I’ve
included IELTS-style questions and answers for all three parts of the Speaking
test. I’ve highlighted keywords and phrases in bold.

You’ll find
these words and phrases, and many others, in the vocabulary list beneath. There’s
also an audio to listen to the pronunciation.

Finally, at
the bottom of the page, I’ve added links to topical articles, short videos and
podcasts that will help you to improve both your music vocabulary and your
reading and listening skills.

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IELTS-Style
Speaking Test Questions and Answers

Common music vocabulary
is highlighted in bold.

Do you enjoy going to live music gigs?

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Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band are a famous US rock band.

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Children who learn to play a musical instrument at school often enjoy playing for the rest of their lives.

Download PDF Now

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Music Vocabulary

* Important

I recommend that you create
your own answers to the Speaking questions on this page. You will find many
other IELTS-style practise questions by searching online. 

For help on how to learn
vocabulary, what to learn and how to record it, visit these pages:

How to Learn Vocabulary for
IELTS

Top 6 Types of IELTS
Vocabulary & Topic Word Lists

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Music Vocabulary – Common Words & Phrases

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Music Vocabulary Pronunciation

Download PDF Now

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Ways to Improve Your Music Vocabulary

One of the best
ways to improve your music vocabulary is through reading. Watching topic related YouTube
videos and listening to podcasts is also hugely beneficial.

Here are some
online resources I recommend.

Music Articles

These online publications contain music news and related articles. Most music genres have their own publications so search for those that particularly interest you, e.g. «Jazz magazines» or «Jazz articles».

Pitchfork

BBC News — Music

The Guardian — Music

TED Talks

I love TED Talks. They are short videos
with a powerful message and are generally very interesting. They’re ideal for
improving your vocabulary and give valuable listening skills practise.

Search TED Talks — Music to help you improve your music vocabulary. It will take a bit more searching to find something relevant than with some other topics but it’s worth seeing what you can find.

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All Topic Vocabulary

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English vocabulary
Page 41 of 65
➔ Sports and games	Musical instruments ➔

They say music is a universal language, understood by everyone. 

Isn’t that beautiful? 

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about music vocabulary. To understand that, you’ll have to make an effort to learn it!

From different types of music to words that can describe a song, basic music vocabulary can be very useful—whether you’d like to try learning English with music or simply want to chat with a music-loving friend.  

In this article, we’ll go through some music vocabulary in English: musical genres, musicians, vocabulary that you can use to discuss music and, of course, lots of examples!  

• Musical genres
• 15 terms to talk about music

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Musical genres

There are many genres, or types of music, in the world. Here are a few of the most common ones, along with some of the musicians who made these genres famous. 

Alternative rock

What it is: A type of music made popular in the 1990s that is derived from rock and includes other musical influences like folk or punk.

Famous artists: Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Radiohead, Weezer, R.E.M.

Blues

What it is: A musical genre created by southern African-American people in the late 1800s, typically expressing hardships and oppression and using instruments like the guitar, harmonica and piano

Famous artists: B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Bessie Smith, Freddie King

Country

What it is: A variety of music that originated in the southern and western United States; it includes both slow melodies and dance beats and often incorporates the guitar, fiddle, drums and keyboard

Famous artists: Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks

Folk

What it is: A type of popular music that uses only acoustic instruments and whose lyrics often involve storytelling; also the traditional music of a certain region (e.g., German folk music)

Famous artists: Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel, Ani DiFranco

Heavy metal

What it is: A loud, intense style of rock music developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States and the United Kingdom that uses a strong drum beat and electric guitars

Famous artists: Metallica, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Slipknot, Tool

Jazz

What it is: A type of music developed in African-American communities in the early 20th century that usually includes piano and brass and woodwind instruments and a lot of improvisation

Famous artists: Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday

Pop

What it is: A general category of music that has widespread commercial popularity; short for “popular”

Famous artists: Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber

Rap

What it is: A style of music created in New York and popularized in the 1970s whose key features are rhythmic, rhyming speech and the use of slang

Famous artists: Jay-Z, Ice Cube, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj

Reggae

What it is: A musical style that originated in Jamaica in the 1960s that has a strong second and fourth beat and often expresses political and Rastafarian ideas

Famous artists: Bob Marley and the Wailers, Toots and the Maytals, Shaggy, Ken Boothe, Burning Spear

Rock

What it is: A loud, energetic type of popular music that was developed in the 1950s; aka rock ‘n’ roll. 

Famous artists:  The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Ramones, Queen

15 terms to talk about music

Now that we’ve covered some genres, let’s look at a few adjectives, nouns and verbs that can help you in your musical discussions.

Adjectives

1. Acoustic 

Meaning: Describing an instrument or music that doesn’t use electricity to modify its sound (e.g., electric guitar vs. acoustic guitar)

Example: “I love listening to acoustic versions of heavy metal songs.”

2. Catchy

Meaning: Enjoyable and easy to remember 

Example: “I tried not to like Justin Bieber, but his music is just so darned catchy!”

3. Chill 

Meaning: Easygoing and relaxed

Example: “My favorite kind of music is reggae because it usually has a chill vibe.”

4. Dark

Meaning: Gloomy and depressing 

Example: “I love Billie Eilish’s music but I can’t listen to it all the time because some of it feels so dark to me.”

Nouns

5. Tempo

Meaning: The speed at which music is played

Example: “When I’m working out, I need to listen to music with a really fast tempo to keep me energized.”

6. Beat

Meaning: The “pulse” of a song; the basic time measurement of music

Example: “This song always makes me want to dance—it’s got such an awesome beat!”

7. Classic

Meaning: An older song that’s recognized and loved by many people and that can bring up memories and emotions

Example: “I will never get sick of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ no matter how many times I hear it. It’s such a classic!”

8. Collab

Meaning: The process or result of two or more people working on a project together; a collaboration

Example: “In my opinion, ‘Old Town Road’ by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus was a really good collab.”

9. Chorus

Meaning: The repeated section of a song (often after every verse); typically the most memorable part 

Example: “‘Thinking Out Loud’ by Ed Sheeran has one of the most romantic choruses I’ve ever heard.”

10. Lyrics

Meaning: The words of a song

Example: “Before the internet, we often had to guess the lyrics of a song—and we were often wrong.”

Verbs

11. Blast

Meaning: To play music very loudly

Example: “I have to wake up for work at 5:30 in the morning and my neighbors won’t stop blasting their music.”

12. Hum

Meaning: To make a musical sound with your lips closed

Example: “There’s a guy in my office who hums the same tune all day long; it’s incredibly irritating!”

13. Jam

Meaning: To gather together informally to create music

Example: “Wow, you’re really awesome on the guitar! I play the drums. You should come to my place and jam with me sometime.” 

14. Lip sync

Meaning: To move your lips at the same time as a recorded song is playing to make it look as though you’re singing the song

Example: “When I was in the fourth grade, I made up a dance and lip-synced to a Madonna song for a talent show.” 

15. Release

Meaning: To make a song or album available for the public to listen to or buy

Example: “I was excited that Drake had released a new album but I found it disappointing—it’s not his best.”

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Chat about music with confidence

We hope these music vocabulary words will give you the boost you need to start expressing your musical opinions and knowledge. Review regularly, and it won’t be long before you can speak confidently about all things music!   

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Andrea is a Canadian freelance writer and editor specializing in English, e-learning, EdTech, and SaaS. She has a background as an ESL teacher in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. In her free time, Andrea loves hanging out with her husband and children, creating recipes in the kitchen, and reading fiction. She also loves camping and jumping into lakes whenever possible. Learn more about Andrea on LinkedIn or check out her website.

British people have a real passion for music and love to talk about the latest songs they have heard or music they already know and love. However, as a native speaker and teacher of English, I know that there are many informal ways to talk about music that are commonly used. In this article, I present 15 of these informal phrases and words to describe music that are not likely to be in your textbooks. So if you’re looking for music adjectives or words to describe a beautiful song look no further.  

Firstly, I am going to introduce informal words for songs, secondly, words for expressing your musical likes and dislikes, thirdly, words related to dancing and music and finally, a quick way to describe music by turning music genre names into adjectives.

Informal Words for Songs

Tune

There are two ways to define tune, the traditional way is as follows: A melody, especially one which characterizes a certain piece of music.

If you use tune in this way you are referring to a part of the song. However, people sometimes will just say “tune” rather than song in everyday speech. The meaning is exactly the same. So when someone says, “I like the new Blur tune” they simply mean, “I like the new Blur song,” referring to the whole song not just a part of it.

Examples:

• The DJ played some great tunes yesterday.
• I heard a great tune on YouTube last night.

Track

Track can also simply be used instead of song. In the days of compact discs, the songs were numbered so you could easily find the song you wanted to listen to. People would say, “Tracks 2, 3 and 5 are good but skip tracks 4 and 7, they’re no good”.

Examples:

• The latest track by Blur is amazing!
• What was that track you just played? I liked it.

Banger

Banger is a word used mostly to describe electronic dance and hip hop music. You can use banger to refer to the latest club tunes. “Hey did you hear the new banger by Daft Punk? It will blow your mind”.

Examples:

• The new Jay Z track is a right banger!
• The Chemical Brothers first album has some bangers on it!

Classic

A song that becomes super popular can be called a classic. However, in everyday speech anyone can call a song a classic. There are no rules. So, if you hear a song and you really like it you can say “That song is a classic!” But be warned, this does not mean that other people will agree with you!

Examples:

• Dylan has got so many classics.
• Bob Marley made some classic records.
• Last night the DJ played all the ‘80’s classics.

Note, classic can also be used when talking about films, books or even experiences as well as music.

Anthem

This refers to a very popular song. In music festivals, when this type of song is played, most of the crowd will know all the words and sing along. If it is a dance track everyone will get up and dance to it. It is very similar in meaning to a classic but there is more of an emphasis on the song being loud and that you would sing along to it or dance to it, kind of like the national anthem, just way cooler.

Examples:

• Oasis has got some anthems.
• The new track by Calvin Harris is going to be a summer anthem.

So now we know there are a few different ways to call a song such as tune, track, banger, classic and anthem. Hopefully, knowing these variations can help you express yourself more like natives and has increased your understanding of musical terms.

Informal Phrases

Next, I am going to introduce five phrases that natives use to express their like or dislike of music( how to say a song is good or not).

Oh my God! That’s a wicked tune!

I remember when I was at school in the ‘90’s, my friends and I started saying wicked as an alternative to cool or great. The old meaning of wicked was bad and was often used like this by the older teachers, “That boy did a wicked (bad) thing”. As young people do, the meaning was changed so when someone says “That was a wicked tune” they mean “That was a cool/great tune”. This a one way that you can use when you don’t know how to describe a song you love.

Why do we say it this way? I guess at first, just to be different from our parents and teachers, and then later it just became a habit.

Examples:

• The Gorillaz is a wicked band.
• The DJ on Saturday will be wicked.
• The club last night was boring. They didn’t play any wicked tunes there.

Lastly, wicked can be used in a non-musical context. So if your friend suggests you meet up and hang out, you can reply, “Wicked, let’s do it!”

What a sick tune!

Have you ever heard someone say “What a sick tune!” and wondered what they meant? Well, they didn’t mean the drummer had thrown up all over the drums and somehow that got recorded onto the final cut of the record. Actually, sick also just means great, cool or amazing. So, next time you hear a song you like on the radio, on YouTube or in the club you can tell your friends, “Wow I just heard a sick tune”. You might also hear people say, “That was the sickest (greatest) thing I have ever heard”.  

Examples:

• Goldie has made some sick tunes.
• The Beastie Boys were the sickest.

Just for your notes, skaters or other adrenaline sports junkies might say “Hey, did you see that trick, it was sick!” The meaning is the same: “It was amazing!”

Last night, the band we saw had some killer tunes

For every DJ or band when they go to play a gig they must have some killer tunes to play to their audience. But, what are killer tunes? A simple definition is that these are the DJ’s or bands best songs. But this doesn’t mean that any killing is going to take place! No, it is a metaphor meaning these songs are so good that they cannot be compared to any other songs. They would metaphorically kill off any competition. ( now you know, how to say a song is good)

Examples:

• It was amazing, the DJ played killer tunes all night long.
• They are a good band. But they haven’t got any killer tunes.

Turn it off, it’s too cheesy!

If the music is very simple and without subtlety, and/or the lyrics are corny and obvious (“I will always love you”, “You are my one and only,” etc.) you can say “This music is cheesy”, and accompany this phrase with a pretend sick noise “Urgh” for added effect. Just joking, you don’t need to do this last bit!!

So, when I look back at the music of my youth a lot of times I think, “That music is so cheesy, I can’t believe I liked it!”

It is not all negative though, liking cheesy music can also be a reminder of good times. In this case, you could say, “That music is so cheesy, but I don’t care I love it!”

Examples:

• This music is very cheesy.
• The lyrics are too cheesy.

You can also just say cheese which is simply the noun form.

Examples:

• I can’t listen to this radio station, all they play is cheese.
• The DJ played cheese all night long.

If you need examples of cheesy songs check out; ABBA: “Dancing Queen”, Survivor: “Eye of The Tiger” or anything by the Spice Girls.

It’s not really my thing

If someone asks you, “Do you want to listen to the new One Direction album?” you may instinctively want to reply, “No, I would rather eat a bowl full of broken glass.” But, you don’t want to annoy the person asking, so instead you can use the phrase, “It’s not really my thing”. It has a soft and indirect meaning, but still means no. By saying “not really my thing”, you are being vague as to the reason why you don’t want to listen to the song, therefore avoiding any clash with the other person.

Example:

Friend 1: Do you want to go to a heavy metal gig tomorrow?

Friend 2: Sorry, it’s not really my thing

Again like wicked and classic, this phrase can be used in other conversations such as when talking about films or books.

So those were five informal phrases that can be used to express our likes and dislikes about music. In the next section, I will introduce some words and phrases you can use for music that makes you want to dance. Then the article finishes with a quick and easy way to make adjectives from the names of music genres.

Words and Phrases Related to Dancing:

That groove is amazing!

Oxford dictionaries (2015) define groove as: a particular rhythm in popular or jazz music. In everyday usage, if you listen to a song and the rhythm makes you want to dance, it’s likely that the song has a good groove. So, when your head starts to move in time with the music, or you start to tap your feet you would be, feeling the groove, meaning you are getting yourself into the rhythm of the music.

Examples:

• Great groove on that track.
• We were grooving all night long (verb form meaning: dancing or enjoying the music).
• This rhythm is really groovy (adjective form).

That is a funky tune

What is a funky tune? The definition in the Oxford Dictionary (2015) is: music that has, or uses a strong dance rhythm, in particular that of funk.

Examples of funky music are those made by any funk musician (James Brown, Parliament, George Clinton, etc.) but also some music by pop artists like Madonna. Funk rock bands like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and dance music such as house and techno tunes can be funky. Generally speaking, when people say music is funky in everyday speech, they are usually just saying this music is good to listen and dance to.

Examples:

• I love to listen to funky tunes.
• Heard anything funky lately?
• The DJ played some funky tunes, we danced all night.

Next Saturday, there’s a wicked rave happening!

So, we have looked at wicked already. It’s just a superlative, a word that makes the thing that follows sound good or special. But, how about the following word, rave?

Well, a rave in today’s language is a large electronic dance music party. When you go to a rave you might hear house, techno, dubstep, drum and bass music, or one of the other many genres of electronic music.

In the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s in the UK, raves might have been in fields in the summer time, but now they are more likely to be in super modern clubs with superstar DJ’s.

A person that goes to a rave is called a raver, and rave can be used as a verb as well, you can say, “I love raving!” So, next time you go to an all-night party with electronic dance music and DJ’s and you end up dancing all night, yes, you are now a raver!

Examples:

• I’m going raving this weekend.
• I love rave music.
• I was a raver.

Who feels like throwing some shapes?

So, imagine you are having a good time with friends listening to music. Your friend asks you, “Do you want to throw some shapes?” You don’t know what she means. Throw shapes? Surely she doesn’t mean she’s going to get a triangle, a square and a circle out of her pocket and throw them at you, does she?

Well, actually no, what she’s asking you is, “Do you want to dance?” So when someone next asks, “Do you to throw some shapes?” You can reply, “Yes, as a matter of fact I do!!”

Examples:

• We were throwing shapes all night.
• She can really throw some shapes.
• I love throwing shapes.

How to Describe Music: Add a -Y

The last of the fifteen words is not actually a word but a letter: the letter -Y. If you think that describing music is hard, you can just add a -y to the name of the genre and you have made it into an adjective. Then, you are able to describe music in a very simple but effective way.

Here are some examples of how to do this:

• Blues: Bluesy
• Folk: Folky
• Jazz: Jazzy
• Punk: Punky
• Pop: Poppy

Examples in sentences:

• My friend writes bluesy songs.
• I know you like folk music so I got you this CD. It’s very folky.
• Mark plays funky music.
• She likes jazzy music.
• That band last night was kind of punky.
• I like pop music but that is too poppy for me.

Also, I should explain that it is also perfectly fine to say “It was a blues tune, or “It was a funk tune”. By adding the -y, you are saying “The song is a little in the style of blues/pop/folk/jazz” or, “It has something of the blues/pop/folk/jazz about it.”

Lastly, with rock and rap music please be careful as we do not say, “That song is rocky” or, “That is a rappy tune.” Sorry, that’s the English language for you, full of irregularities that you just have to learn.

Summary

Now you’ve read some tips on how to speak about music like natives do. You have additional vocabulary you can use instead of plain song all the time. You can talk about the music you like, and I have introduced a few words related to music and dancing.

Hopefully, next time you have a music conversation, you can participate in the conversation more and also understand a little better what people are saying. Good luck with your language learning, and please get in touch with me if you want English lessons on italki!

Bye!

Image Sources

Hero Image by Jason Eppink (CC by 2.0)

a cappella

without musical accompaniment

accelerando

with increasing speed

accent

a diacritical mark used for stress or special pronunciation

accidental

musical notation that makes a note sharp or flat or natural

accompaniment

a musical part that supports other musical parts

accordion

a portable box-shaped free-reed instrument

adagio

slowly

Aeolian

of or pertaining to Aeolus, the Greek god of the winds

allegro

in a quick and lively tempo

alto

the lowest female singing voice

amplify

increase the volume of

analog

having an output that is proportional to the input

andante

at a moderately slow tempo

annotation

the act of adding notes

aria

an elaborate song for solo voice

articulation

the manner in which things come together and are connected

atonal

characterized by avoidance of traditional musical scales

attack

a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase

audition

perform in order to get a role

augmented

added to or made greater in amount or number or strength

bagpipe

a tubular wind instrument

ballad

a narrative poem of popular origin

ballet

a theatrical performance of a story by trained dancers

banjo

a stringed instrument that has long neck and circular body

bar

musical notation for a repeating pattern of musical beats

baritone

the second lowest adult male singing voice

baritone

the second lowest brass wind instrument

baroque

relating to an elaborately ornamented style of art and music

bass

the lowest part of the musical range

bass drum

a large drum with two heads

bass drum

a large drum with two heads

bass guitar

the guitar with six strings that has the lowest pitch

bassoon

a double-reed woodwind instrument that makes a low sound

beat

the basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music

binary

of or pertaining to a number system having 2 as its base

bluegrass

any of various grasses of the genus Poa

blues

a state of depression

brass instrument

a wind instrument that consists of a brass tube (usually of variable length) that is blown by means of a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece

brusque

rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner

bugle

a brass instrument without valves

cadence

the close of a musical section

cadenza

a solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music

calando

gradually decreasing in tempo and volume

canon

piece of music in which a melody is imitated in other parts

cantabile

smooth and flowing

cantata

a musical composition for voices and orchestra

carol

a joyful song

castrato

a male singer who was castrated before puberty and retains a soprano or alto voice

cello

a large stringed instrument

chamber music

serious music performed by a small group of musicians

chime

a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument

choir

a chorus that sings as part of a religious ceremony

chorale

a stately Protestant (especially Lutheran) hymn tune

chord

a combination of three or more notes that blend harmoniously

chordophone

a stringed instrument of the group including harps, lutes, lyres, and zithers

chromatic

based on a scale consisting of 12 semitones

clarinet

a single-reed instrument with a straight tube

classical

traditional genre of music conforming to an established form

clavichord

an early stringed instrument like a piano but with more delicate sound

clavier

a stringed instrument that has a keyboard

clef

a musical notation written on a staff indicating the pitch of the notes following it

coda

the closing section of a musical composition

composer

someone who writes music as a profession

composition

a musical work that has been created

concertina

free-reed instrument played like an accordion by pushing its ends together to force air through the reeds

concertise

give concerts; perform in concerts

concerto

a composition for orchestra and a soloist

concerto grosso

a baroque composition for orchestra and a group of solo instruments

conductor

the person who leads a musical group

conga

a Latin American dance of 3 steps and a kick by people in single file

conjunct

progressing melodically by intervals of a second

conservatory

a schoolhouse with special facilities for fine arts

consonance

a harmonious state of things and of their properties

contrabass

largest and lowest member of the violin family

contralto

the lowest female singing voice

copyright

the exclusive right to sell a work

cornet

a brass musical instrument with a brilliant tone

country music

a simple style of folk music heard mostly in the southern United States; usually played on stringed instruments

courante

a court dance of the 16th century

crescendo

a gradual increase in loudness

cymbal

a percussion instrument consisting of a concave brass disk

dance

taking a series of rhythmical steps in time to music

decrescendo

(music) a gradual decrease in loudness

development

section of a composition where major themes are elaborated

diatonic

based on or using the five tones and two semitones of the major or minor scales of western music

diction

the articulation of speech to be intelligible to an audience

digital

using or characteristic of computerized technology

diminished

reduction by a semitone of any perfect or minor interval

diminuendo

(music) a gradual decrease in loudness

diphthong

a sound that glides between two vowels in a single syllable

disjunct

progressing melodically by intervals larger than a major second

dissonance

disagreeable sounds

dominant

(music) the fifth note of the diatonic scale

Dorian

of or relating to the ancient Greek inhabitants of Doris, to their Doric dialect of Greek, or to their culture

drone

make a monotonous low dull sound

drumbeat

the sound made by beating a drum

duet

two performers or singers who perform together

duple

consisting of or involving two parts or components usually in pairs

duration

the period of time during which something continues

dynamics

mechanics concerned with forces that cause motions of bodies

eighth note

a musical note having the time value of an eighth of a whole note

embellish

make more beautiful

embouchure

the aperture of a wind instrument into which the player blows directly

encore

an extra performance in response to audience demand

encore

an extra performance in response to audience demand

English horn

a double-reed woodwind instrument similar to an oboe but lower in pitch

ensemble

a group of musicians playing or singing together

episode

a brief section of a work forming part of a connected series

etude

a short, technical composition for a solo instrument

exposition

section of a movement where major musical themes first occur

expressionistic

of or relating to expressionism

falsetto

a male singing voice with artificially high tones

fandango

a provocative Spanish courtship dance in triple time

fanfare

a short lively tune played on brass instruments

fermata

(music) a prolongation of unspecified length on a note or chord or rest

finale

the closing section of a musical composition

flag

a conspicuously marked or shaped tail

flamenco

guitar music composed for dancing the flamenco

flat

lowered in pitch by one chromatic semitone

flute

a high-pitched woodwind instrument

folk

the traditional and typically anonymous music that is an expression of the life of people in a community

form

an arrangement of the elements in a composition or discourse

forte

(music) to be played relatively loudly

fortemente

chiefly a direction or description in music; loud and strong

fortissimo

a direction in music; to be played very loudly

fugue

a musical form consisting of a repeated theme

gavotte

an old formal French dance in quadruple time

genre

a kind of literary or artistic work

glee

great merriment

glissando

a rapid series of ascending or descending notes on the musical scale

gospel

a genre of evangelical Christian music

grave

dignified and somber in manner or character

Gregorian chant

a liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church

guitar

a stringed instrument usually having six strings

half note

a musical note having the time value of half a whole note

harmonica

a small rectangular instrument into which air is blown

harmonious

exhibiting equivalence or correspondence among constituents

harmonium

a free-reed instrument in which air is forced through the reeds by bellows

harmony

compatibility in opinion and action

harp

a chordophone with strings between the neck and the soundbox

harpsichord

a musical instrument with strings plucked by plectra

hymn

a song of praise, especially a religious song

impressionistic

of or relating to or based on an impression rather than on facts or reasoning

impromptu

with little or no preparation or forethought

improvise

perform without preparation

inharmonic

lacking in harmony

interlude

an intervening period or episode

intermission

a break during which an activity or event is paused

interpretation

the act of expressing something in an artistic performance

interval

the difference in pitch between two notes

intonation

the act of singing in a monotonous tone

Ionian

of or pertaining to the ancient Ionians who lived in Attica and related territories, to their Ionic dialect of Greek, or to their culture

jazz

genre of American music that developed in the 20th century

jingle

a short, catchy, often comic verse or song

kazoo

a toy wind instrument into which one hums

key

diatonic scale providing tonal framework for a musical piece

keyboard

set of levers that can be pressed, as on a piano or computer

largo

slowly and broadly

leading tone

(music) the seventh note of the diatonic scale

ledger line

a short line

legato

connecting the notes; in music

leitmotif

a recurring melody in a piece of music

lento

(of tempo) slow

libretto

the words of an opera or musical play

ligature

(music) a group of notes connected by a slur

light opera

a short amusing opera

loudness

the magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction)

lute

a stringed instrument with a pear-shaped body

Lydian

an Anatolian language

lyre

a harp used by ancient Greeks for accompaniment

lyric

relating to or being musical drama

lyrical

suitable for or suggestive of singing

madrigal

an unaccompanied partsong for several voices

maestro

an artist of consummate skill

major

of a scale or mode

mandolin

a stringed instrument related to the lute

march

genre of music written for walking with regular steps

marimba

a percussion instrument with wooden bars tuned to produce a chromatic scale and with resonators; played with small mallets

masterpiece

the most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman

measure

musical notation for a repeating pattern of musical beats

mediant

the third note of a diatonic scale

medley

a musical composition consisting of a series of songs

melodic

containing or characterized by a pleasing tune or sound

melody

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

meter

rhythm as given by division into parts of equal duration

mezzo

a soprano with a voice between soprano and contralto

mezzo-soprano

a soprano with a voice between soprano and contralto

MIDI

a standard protocol for communication between electronic musical instruments and computers

minor

of a scale or mode

minuet

a stately court dance from the 17th century

modal

relating to or expressing the mood of a verb

mode

a particular functioning condition or arrangement

moderato

(of tempo) moderate

modern

characteristic of present-day art and music and literature

modulation

a musical passage moving from one key to another

monophonic

consisting of a single melodic line

monotone

an unchanging intonation

motif

a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music

musette

a small bagpipe formerly popular in France

music

an artistic form of auditory communication

musical

characterized by vocal or instrumental sound

musical

a play or film containing singing and dancing numbers

musician

someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession)

musicianship

artistry in performing music

musicology

the scholarly and scientific study of music

natural

a notation cancelling a previous sharp or flat

nocturne

a pensive lyrical piece of music (especially for the piano)

notation

a technical system of symbols to represent special things

note

a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound

obbligato

a part of the score that must be performed without change or omission

obligato

a part of the score that must be performed without change or omission

oboe

a slender double-reed instrument

ocarina

egg-shaped terra cotta wind instrument with a mouthpiece and finger holes

octave

a musical interval of eight tones

octet

eight performers or singers who perform together

opera

a drama set to music

operetta

a short amusing opera

opus

a musical work that has been created

oratorio

a musical composition for voices and orchestra

orchestra

a musical organization consisting of instrumentalists

organ

a structure in an animal specialized for some function

ornament

something used to beautify

ostinato

a musical phrase repeated over and over during a composition

overture

orchestral music at the beginning of an opera or musical

pan

make a sweeping movement

partita

(music) an instrumental suite common in the 18th century

pastiche

a musical composition consisting of a series of songs

pastoral

devoted to raising sheep or cattle

pentatonic

relating to a pentatonic scale

performance

the act of presenting a piece of entertainment

phrase

a short musical passage

Phrygian

a Thraco-Phrygian language spoken by the ancient inhabitants of Phrygia and now extinct—preserved only in a few inscriptions

pianissimo

a direction in music; to be played very softly

piano

a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds

pianoforte

a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds

piccolo

a small flute; pitched an octave above the standard flute

pipe organ

wind instrument whose sound is produced by means of pipes arranged in sets supplied with air from a bellows and controlled from a large complex musical keyboard

pitch

the high or low quality of a sound

pizzicato

with a light plucking staccato sound

play

perform music on (a musical instrument)

playback

the act of reproducing recorded sound

pluck

pull lightly but sharply

polyphonic

of or relating to or characterized by polyphony

pop

new and of general appeal

postmodern

of or relating to postmodernism

posture

the arrangement of the body and its limbs

practice

learn by repetition

prelude

music that precedes a fugue or introduces an act in an opera

presto

at a very fast tempo (faster than allegro)

production

presentation for the stage or screen or radio or television

program

announcement of what will occur as part of a public event

progression

a movement forward

pulse

expand and contract rhythmically

quadruple

having four units or components

quarter note

a musical note having the time value of a quarter of a whole note

quartet

a musical composition for four performers

quintet

a musical composition for five performers

ragtime

music with a syncopated melody (usually for the piano)

range

the limits within which something can be effective

recapitulate

repeat an earlier theme of a composition

recital

performance of music or dance especially by soloists

recitation

systematic training by multiple repetitions

recorder

equipment for making records

reed instrument

a musical instrument that sounds by means of a vibrating reed

reed organ

a free-reed instrument in which air is forced through the reeds by bellows

refrain

part of a song or poem that recurs at regular intervals

register

timbre characteristic of a certain range of the human voice

release

let go as from one’s grip

Renaissance

period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages

reprise

a repetition of a short musical passage

requiem

a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person

resolution

(music) a dissonant chord is followed by a consonant chord

resonance

the characteristic of having a loud deep sound

resonate

produce a deep, clear sound

rest

musical notation indicating silence of a specified duration

rhythm

an interval during which a recurring sequence occurs

rhythm and blues

a combination of blues and jazz that was developed in the United States by Black musicians; an important precursor of rock ‘n’ roll

ritardando

gradually decreasing in tempo

rock and roll

a genre of popular music originating in the 1950s

rococo

having excessive asymmetrical ornamentation

romantic

expressive of or exciting love

rondo

a musical form that is often the last movement of a sonata

root

the place where something begins

round

a partsong in which voices follow each other

rubato

a flexible tempo; not strictly on the beat

sackbut

a medieval musical instrument resembling a trombone

sacred

concerned with religion or religious purposes

salsa

spicy sauce of tomatoes and onions and chili peppers to accompany Mexican foods

saxophone

a single-reed woodwind with a conical bore

score

a written form of a musical composition

secular

not concerned with or devoted to religion

septet

a musical composition written for seven performers

sequence

several repetitions of a melodic phrase in different keys

sextet

six performers or singers who perform together

shanty

a rhythmical work song originally sung by sailors

sharp

raised in pitch by one chromatic semitone

sing

produce tones with the voice

sitar

a stringed instrument of India

sixteenth note

a musical note having the time value of a sixteenth of a whole note

sixty-fourth note

a musical note having the time value of a sixty-fourth of a whole note

skip

bypass

slur

play smoothly or legato

snare

a small drum with wires stretched across the lower head

softness

the property of giving little resistance to pressure and being easily cut or molded

solfege

singing using solfa syllables to denote the notes of the scale of C major

solo

a musical composition for one voice or instrument

song

a short musical composition with words

soprano

the highest female voice; the voice of a boy before puberty

sousaphone

the lowest brass wind instrument

spiritual

religious song originated by African-Americans in the South

staccato

(music) separating the notes

staff

five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written

steel drum

a concave percussion instrument made from the metal top of an oil drum; has an array of flattened areas that produce different tones when struck (of Caribbean origin)

stem

cylinder forming a long narrow part of something

step

a musical interval of two semitones

strophe

one section of a lyric poem or choral ode in classical Greek drama

subdominant

(music) the fourth note of the diatonic scale

submediant

the sixth note of a major or minor scale

subtonic

(music) the seventh note of the diatonic scale

supertonic

(music) the second note of a diatonic scale

swing

a jaunty rhythm in music

symphony

a long and complex sonata for an orchestra

syncopation

a musical rhythm accenting a normally weak beat

synthesizer

(music) an electronic instrument (usually played with a keyboard) that generates and modifies sounds electronically and can imitate a variety of other musical instruments

tablature

a musical notation indicating the fingering to be used

tempo

the speed at which a composition is to be played

tenor

the adult male singing voice above baritone

ternary

having three units or components or elements

texture

the musical pattern created by parts being played together

theme

melodic subject of a musical composition

thirty-second note

a musical note having the time value of a thirty-second of a whole note

timbre

the distinctive property of a complex sound

time

rhythm as given by division into parts of equal duration

time signature

a musical notation indicating the number of beats to a measure and kind of note that takes a beat

tom-tom

any of various drums with small heads

tone

the distinctive property of a complex sound

tongue

articulate or play by using the fleshy organ of the mouth

tonic

(music) the first note of a diatonic scale

triad

a three-note major or minor chord

triangle

an instrument made of a metal bar bent into a 3-sided shape

trio

a set of three similar things considered as a unit

triple

having three units or components or elements

trombone

a brass instrument with a long tube and a U-shaped slide

troubadour

a singer of folk songs

trumpet

a brass musical instrument with a brilliant tone

tuba

the lowest brass wind instrument

twelve-tone system

a type of serial music introduced by Arnold Schoenberg

ukulele

a small guitar having four strings

unison

two or more sounds or tones at the same pitch or in octaves

variation

a repetition of a musical theme in which it is modified

verse

a line of metrical text

vibration

the act of moving back and forth rapidly

vibrato

(music) a pulsating effect in an instrumental or vocal tone produced by slight and rapid variations in pitch

viola

a stringed instrument played with a bow

violin

bowed stringed instrument in the violin family

vivace

lively, in music

vocal

music intended to be performed by one or more singers, usually with instrumental accompaniment

voice

the sound made when a person speaks

volume

the magnitude of sound, usually in a specified direction

waltz

music composed in triple time

whistle

the sound made by something moving rapidly

whole note

a musical note having the longest time value

whole tone

a musical interval of two semitones

wood block

engraving consisting of a block of wood with a design cut into it; used to make prints

woodwind

any wind instrument other than the brass instruments

xylophone

a percussion instrument with wooden bars played with mallets

zither

a musical instrument with strings over a flat sounding board

scherzo

a fast movement (usually in triple time)

rubato

a flexible tempo; not strictly on the beat

scale

a series of notes differing in pitch according to a scheme

serenade

a song played outside the house of a love interest

slide

(music) rapid sliding up or down the musical scale

bow

a curved piece of wood used in playing stringed instruments

sonatina

a short and simple sonata

sonata

a musical composition of movements of contrasting forms

sonata form

a musical form having 3 sections — exposition and development and recapitulation; characteristic of 1st movement of a sonata or symphony

suite

a musical composition of several loosely connected movements

tremolo

a tremulous effect produced by repetition of a single tone

treble

having or denoting a high range

treble clef

a clef that puts the G above middle C on the second line of a staff

bass clef

a clef that puts the F below middle C on the fourth line of a staff

trill

a note that alternates with another note a semitone above it

tune

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

tuning

calibrating something to a standard frequency

virtuoso

a musician who is a consummate master of artistry

duo

two performers or singers who perform together

alto saxophonist

a musician who plays the alto saxophone

tenor saxophonist

a musician who plays the tenor saxophone

saxhorn

any of a family of brass wind instruments that resemble a bugle with valves

tenor drum

any of various drums with small heads

tenor voice

the adult male singing voice above baritone

basso

the lowest adult male singing voice

bass clarinet

a large clarinet whose range is an octave below the B-flat clarinet

basset horn

a tenor clarinet

soprano clef

a clef that puts middle C on the bottom line of the staff

indie

not affiliated with a major recording company

Gypsy

a member of a people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and who traditionally live by seasonal work and fortunetelling; they are believed to have originated in northern India but now are living on all continents (but mostly in Europe, North Africa, and North America)

Johann Sebastian Bach

German baroque organist and contrapuntist

Ludwig van Beethoven

German composer of instrumental music

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

prolific Austrian composer and child prodigy

Georg Friedrich Handel

a prolific British baroque composer (born in Germany) remembered best for his oratorio Messiah (1685-1759)

Antonio Vivaldi

Italian baroque composer and violinist (1675-1741)

Joseph Haydn

prolific Austrian composer who influenced the classical form of the symphony (1732-1809)

Franz Schubert

Austrian composer known for his compositions for voice and piano (1797-1828)

Felix Mendelssohn

German musician and romantic composer of orchestral and choral works (1809-1847)

Johannes Brahms

German composer who developed the romantic style of both lyrical and classical music (1833-1897)

Richard Wagner

German composer of operas and inventor of the musical drama in which drama and spectacle and music are fused (1813-1883)

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky

important Russian composer whose works are noted for their expressive melodies (1840-1893)

Igor Stravinsky

composer who was born in Russia but lived in the United States after 1939 (1882-1971)

Robert Schumann

German romantic composer known for piano music and songs

Chopin

French composer and pianist of the romantic school

Claude Debussey

French composer who is said to have created Impressionism in music (1862-1918)

Franz Liszt

Hungarian composer and piano virtuoso (1811-1886)

Antonin Dvorak

Czech composer who combined folk elements with traditional forms (1841-1904)

Giuseppe Verdi

Italian operatic composer (1813-1901)

Gustav Mahler

Austrian composer and conductor (1860-1911)

Hector Berlioz

French composer of romantic works (1803-1869)

Richard Strauss

German composer of many operas

Prokofiev

Russian composer of ballets and symphonies and operas

Dmitri Shostakovich

Russian composer best known for his fifteen symphonies

Bela Bartok

Hungarian composer and pianist who collected Hungarian folk music; in 1940 he moved to the United States (1881-1945)

Anton Bruckner

Austrian organist and composer of romantic music (1824-1896)

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Italian composer (1526-1594)

Claudio Monteverdi

Italian composer (1567-1643)

Jean Sibelius

Finnish composer (1865-1957)

Maurice Ravel

French composer and exponent of Impressionism (1875-1937)

Ralph Vaughan Williams

English composer influenced by folk tunes and music of the Tudor period (1872-1958)

Modest Mussorgsky

Russian composer of operas and orchestral works (1839-1881)

Giacomo Puccini

Italian operatic composer noted for the dramatic realism of his operas (1858-1924)

Henry Purcell

English organist at Westminster Abbey and composer of many theatrical pieces (1659-1695)

Sergei Rachmaninoff

composer and piano virtuoso born in Russia (1873-1943)

Nikolai Andreyevich Rimski-Korsakov

Russian composer of operas and orchestral works

Arnold Schoenberg

United States composer and musical theorist (born in Austria) who developed atonal composition (1874-1951)

Christoph Willibald von Gluck

German composer of more than 100 operas (1714-1787)

Paul Hindemith

German neoclassical composer and conductor who believed that music should have a social purpose (1895-1963)

Aaron Copland

United States composer who developed a distinctly American music (1900-1990)

Francois Couperin

French composer of music for organ and a member of a family of distinguished organists (1668-1733)

William Byrd

English organist and composer of church music

Erik Satie

French composer noted for his experimentalism and rejection of Romanticism (1866-1925)

Benjamin Britten

major English composer of the 20th century

Cesar Franck

French composer and teacher who influenced a generation of composers (1822-1890)

Jean Baptiste Lully

French composer (born in Italy) who was the court composer to Louis XIV and founded the national French opera (1632-1687)

Jean-Philippe Rameau

French composer of operas whose writings laid the foundation for the modern theory of harmony (1683-1764)

Carl Maria von Weber

German conductor and composer of romantic operas (1786-1826)

Sir Edward Elgar

British composer of choral and orchestral works including two symphonies as well as songs and chamber music and music for brass band (1857-1934)

Edvard Grieg

Norwegian composer whose work was often inspired by Norwegian folk music (1843-1907)

Bedrich Smetana

Czech composer (1824-1884)

Aleksandr Nikolayevich Scriabin

Russian composer of orchestral and piano music (1872-1915)

John Cage

United States composer of avant-garde music (1912-1992)

Georg Philipp Telemann

German baroque composer (1681-1767)

George Gershwin

United States composer who incorporated jazz into classical forms and composed scores for musical comedies (1898-1937)

Georges Bizet

French composer best known for his operas (1838-1875)

Carl Nielsen

Danish composer (1865-1931)

William Walton

English composer (1902-1983)

Vincenzo Bellini

Italian composer of operas (1801-1835)

Aleksandr Borodin

Russian composer (1833-1887)

Francis Poulenc

French pianist and composer (1899-1963)

Alban Berg

Austrian composer in Schoenberg’s twelve-tone music system

Samuel Barber

United States composer (1910-1981)

Duke Ellington

United States jazz composer and piano player and bandleader

Miles Davis

United States jazz musician; noted for his trumpet style

Coleman Hawkins

United States jazz saxophonist (1904-1969)

Benny Goodman

United States clarinetist who in 1934 formed a big band (including black as well as white musicians) and introduced a kind of jazz known as swing (1909-1986)

Charlie Parker

United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)

Dizzy Gillespie

United States jazz trumpeter and exponent of bebop

Louis Armstrong

United States pioneering jazz trumpeter and bandleader

Scott Joplin

United States composer who was the first creator of ragtime to write down his compositions (1868-1917)

John Philip Sousa

a United States bandmaster and composer of military marches

mazurka

a Polish national dance in triple time

W. C. Handy

United States blues musician who transcribed and published traditional blues music (1873-1958)

Jelly Roll Morton

United States jazz musician who moved from ragtime to New Orleans jazz (1885-1941)

ditty

a short simple song

Bob Dylan

United States songwriter noted for his protest songs

Beatles

a rock group from Liverpool who between 1962 and 1970 produced a variety of hit songs and albums (most of them written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon)

John Lennon

English rock star and guitarist and songwriter who with Paul McCartney wrote most of the music for the Beatles (1940-1980)

Frank Sinatra

United States singer and film actor (1915-1998)

Bessie Smith

United States blues singer (1894-1937)

Bob Marley

Jamaican singer who popularized reggae (1945-1981)

Jimi Hendrix

United States guitarist whose innovative style with electric guitars influenced the development of rock music (1942-1970)

Michael Jackson

United States singer who began singing with his four brothers and later became a highly successful star during the 1980s (born in 1958)

Elvis Presley

United States rock singer whose many hit records and flamboyant style greatly influenced American popular music (1935-1977)

Chuck Berry

United States rock singer (born in 1931)

fiddle

bowed stringed instrument in the violin family

Johnny Cash

United States country music singer and songwriter

fusion

the act of melding or melting together

psychedelic

producing distorted sensory perceptions and feelings

Bollywood

the film industry of India

electronic

relating to or operating by a controlled current

experimental

of the nature of or undergoing a trial

funk

an earthy type of jazz combining it with blues and soul

samba

a lively ballroom dance from Brazil

dub

new sounds added to a soundtrack

skank

a rhythmic dance to reggae music performed by bending forward and extending the hands while bending the knees

ambient

completely enveloping

avant-garde

radically new or original

rumba

a folk dance in duple time that originated in Cuba with Spanish and African elements; features complex footwork and violent movement

hip-hop

genre of African-American music of the 1980s and 1990s in which rhyming lyrics are chanted to a musical accompaniment; several forms of rap have emerged

bebop

an early form of modern jazz (originating around 1940)

turntable

a circular horizontal platform that rotates a phonograph record while it is being played

soul

secular form of gospel that was a major Black musical genre

acoustic (adjective): without inbuilt electrical equipment to amplify the sound — I can play acoustic guitar, but I can’t play electric guitar.

album (noun): a collection of songs released as a digital download or a 12-inch LP record — Do you have Michael Jackson’s album Thriller?

alternative hip hop (noun): any style that isn’t mainstream commercial hip hop — Have you heard much alternative hip hop?

alternative rock (noun): non-mainstream rock music inspired by punk and post-punk — My sister likes pop music, but I like alternative rock.

ambient music (noun): calming, atmospheric background music — Have you heard Brian Eno’s ambient music?

amplify (verb): to make sounds louder, esp. by using electrical equipment — If we don’t amplify the drums, they’ll be hard to hear.

artist (noun): a professional singer, musician or songwriter — Taylor Swift has become one of music’s best-selling artists.

art music (noun): music written and performed by professional musicians mostly for the upper classes, like classical Indian music and European opera — Wealthy Chinese lords paid musicians to play relaxing art music, while poor people played lively folk music for fun.

audio editing software (noun): software used to produce music, movie soundtracks, etc. — Before we had audio editing software, we used tape loops.

authentic (adjective): real or genuine — You can still see an authentic Chinese opera in Beijing.

autoharp (noun): a small harp with buttons to press for playing chords — Is the autoharp used much in bluegrass music?

avant-garde (adjective): new, unusual and experimental — Harry makes avant-garde electronic music in his spare time.

backbeat (noun): a beat counted as «two» or «four» in 4/4 rhythm — Can you hear the snare drum playing on the backbeats?

backing singer (also «backing vocalist») (noun): a singer who gives vocal support to a lead singer — Tessa was one of Joe Cocker’s backing singers.

ballad (noun): a slow song usually about love — Janis sings up-tempo rock songs as well as slow ballads.

banjo (noun): an African American stringed instrument based on the African kora — Do you play four-string or five-string banjo?

bar (noun): one of many small sections in a piece of music that contains a fixed number of beats — Each bar in the song has four beats.

bass (guitar) (noun): an electric guitar with thick strings for playing low «bass» notes — We need someone who can play bass.

beat (noun): the regular pulse in music that dancers move to and audiences clap to — Dance music always has a strong beat.

beats (noun): the breakbeat rhythms that MCs rap to in hip hop music — Who produced the beats on this album?

bebop (noun): a complex style of up-tempo jazz from the 1950s — The best bebop player I ever heard was Charlie Parker.

big band (noun): a large jazz band, esp. one that plays big band jazz — Most popular singers of the 30s and 40s had their own big bands.

big beat (noun): an EDM genre with breakbeats, heavy bass, vocals and samples — Maxim loves that big beat sound.

block party (noun): a free party on the streets of a city block — Are you going to the block party on Saturday?

bluegrass (noun): a style of country music based on old-time Appalachian music — We’re going to a bluegrass concert tonight.

(the) blues (noun): African American guitar-based folk music that led to R&B and rock — I’m learning some old blues songs.

bpm (noun): beats per minute — The fastest drum and bass tracks are around 160 bpm.

boy band (noun): a group of three or more boys or young men who sing and dance — My little sister loves that Korean boy band Super Junior.

brass (noun): instruments made of brass, like the trumpet, trombone and tuba — Harry plays trumpet in a brass band.

break (noun): a moment in which most instruments stop, but one or two continue, esp. drums — We sampled a snare-drum break from an old jazz record.

breakbeat (noun): a syncopated jazz or funk rhythm of the sort sampled in hip hop music — Hip hop and dubstep use breakbeats, not disco beats.

breakdancing (noun): a style of street-dancing in hip hop culture — The breakdancing in this Turf Feinz video is incredible.

breakdown (noun): section of a dance track with less singing and more percussion — Does the track have a good breakdown?

call and response (noun): two musical phrases, one of which answers the other — The call and response is before the last chorus.

catchy (adjective): enjoyable when first heard, and difficult to forget — It’s so catchy! I can’t stop hearing it in my head.

(the) charts (noun): lists of the best-selling songs of the previous week — Our single got to the top of the charts!

chord (noun): three or more notes played together — Lots of great songs only have two chords, you know.

chorus (noun): the part of a song with the same melody and words each time it’s heard — I’ll sing the verses, and you sing the choruses.

classic (adjective): very good and highly-regarded for a long time — Neil loves those classic American cars of the 50s.

classical music (noun): European orchestral and keyboard music that’s written by composers — Sayoko loves classical music, especially Chopin’s piano pieces.

collaborate (verb): to work together with someone to produce something — Has Kanye collaborated with Drake yet?

commercial (adjective): made in order to be popular and make money — Garth’s country music is much too commercial for me.

contemporary R&B (noun): recent R&B that mixes soul, pop and hip hop sounds — Contemporary R&B is really popular these days.

crossover hit (noun): a country, dance or hip hop song that’s on the pop-music charts — We’ll all be rich if we have a crossover hit.

country music (noun): a genre of American music with origins in the rural folk music of Europe — Harry only listens to country music.

country pop (noun): a style that mixes pop and country music — Country pop is really popular in America these days.

country rock (noun): a style that mixes rock and country music — He doesn’t like country pop much, but he loves country rock.

dance-pop (noun): up-tempo pop music with a dance rhythm — Her dance-pop singles always become hits.

deejay (verb): to perform the skills of a club or hip hop DJ — Who’s deejaying for Nas these days?

disco (also «discotheque») (noun): a 70s nightclub in which DJs played dance records — The gay discos in New York were fabulous.

disco music (also «disco») (noun): 70s dance music with a steady four-on-the-floor beat — My sister loves dancing to disco music.

DJ (or «disc jockey») (noun): someone who plays records at dance clubs or on radio — Do you like the tracks this DJ’s playing?

DJ mixer (noun): a small mixer made for DJs — All you need is two turntables, a DJ mixer and some records.

double bass (noun): a large stringed instrument for playing low notes — In jazz, double bass strings are plucked instead of bowed.

drop (noun): a point in EDM when the rhythm and sounds suddenly change — If it’s a really great drop, everyone goes crazy.

drum and bass (or «DnB») (noun): an EDM genre with breakbeats, heavy bass and a fast tempo — Let’s make a drum and bass track.

drum kit (noun): a set of drums with a bass drum, snare drum, tom-toms, hit-hat and cymbals — How much did your drum kit cost?

drum machine (noun): an electronic instrument that makes sequenced drum sounds — Our drummer quit, so we’re using a drum machine now.

dubstep (noun): an EDM genre with breakbeat rhythms, very heavy bass and a slow tempo — My parents don’t even know what dubstep is!

duo (noun): two people who make music or perform together — Who’s on your list of best hip hop duos?

dynamic (adjective): lively and having a lot of energy — She’s one of the most dynamic singers I’ve seen perform.

EDM (noun): electronic dance music — That band didn’t start out playing EDM, did they?

explicit (adjective): offensive, obscene or «rude» language — Has the album got an explicit language warning?

fan (noun): someone who likes a particular artist or band very much — Our teacher’s a really big fan of Eminem.

feedback (noun): a high-pitched noise made when a microphone is close to a loudspeaker — How do you control feedback so it fits the music?

fiddle (noun): another word for «violin», esp. in country and folk music — Who’s playing fiddle on that record?

flow (noun): the ability to rap rhythmically and stylishly — He’s been practising, so his flow’s getting better.

folk music (noun): traditional music from a particular region or country — Did you hear any folk music while you were in Chile?

folk rock (noun): a style that mixes folk and rock music — We heard lots of folk rock bands in San Francisco in the early 60s.

formula (noun): a method or plan that’s believed to succeed — What’s your formula for success in business?

four-on-the-floor (noun): a 4/4 rhythm with bass drum on the beat and hi-hat on the offbeats — Terry’s sick of playing those four-on-the-floor disco beats.

funk (or «funk music») (noun): rhythmic groove-based music that developed from soul in the 60s — Bootsy Collins was the best funk bass player ever.

funky (adjective): having the feel of funk music, esp. rhythmically — That track Superstition by Stevie Wonder is incredibly funky.

gangsta rap (noun): hardcore-style rap from Los Angeles — My cousin still buys gangsta rap records!

genre (noun): a kind or style of music, movie, TV show, painting, etc. — In music classes at school, the only genres we studied were classical music and jazz.

G-Funk (noun): funk-based subgenre of gangsta rap — What’s your favourite G-Funk track?

glam rock (noun): a rock style in which male artists wore make-up and glamorous clothes — David Bowie had many styles besides glam rock.

gospel music (noun): rhythmic church music of African American Christians — They sang great gospel music in those old churches.

graffiti art (noun): street art that’s drawn, painted or sprayed in public places — What do you think of Banksy’s graffiti art?

groove (noun): a highly-rhythmic pattern repeated for a long time, esp. in funk music — Hip hop artists still sample James Brown’s funk grooves.

grunge (noun): punk-based alternative rock that developed in the USA in the 90s — Wasn’t Nirvana the first grunge band?

hardcore rap (noun): a tough style of New York hip hop music — Hardcore rap’s like those old gangster movies.

harmony (noun): the combining of musical notes that sound good when played or sung together — If we don’t sing in harmony, it’ll sound terrible.

heavy metal (noun): hard rock with heavy bass, complex drumming and singers who scream — My dad used to be in a heavy metal band.

hi-hat (noun): a pair of foot-operated cymbals that’s part of a drum kit — Drummers play bass drum with one foot and hi-hat with the other.

hillbilly (noun): an impolite word meaning a poor mountain farmer in the U.S.A. — In Nashville, old-time music was called hillbilly music.

hip hop (also «hip hop») (noun): a musical genre in which artists rap over beats and sampled sounds — I love Kanye West’s hip hop albums.

hit (noun): a best-selling song on the pop-music charts — It’s a great song. It’ll be a hit for sure.

honky tonk (noun): a country music style known for its powerful, emotional songs — Who’s your favourite honky tonk singer?

hook (noun): part of a song that’s easily remembered, often a chorus — The Knack’s My Sharona has one of greatest hooks ever!

horn section (noun): a group of musicians playing brass instruments and saxophones — How many songs does the horn section play on?

house (or «house music») (noun): 80s dance music similar to disco but with more electronic sounds — Those old house tracks still sound great.

house band (noun): a group of session musicians who work for a music company — House bands don’t become famous, but singers do.

house producer (noun): one of a record company’s full-time music producers — How many house producers does Sony Music have?

hymn (noun): a religious song that’s sung in church — My grandma loves singing those old hymns.

improvise (verb): to invent music spontaneously while playing — If you want to be a jazz musician, you have to learn how to improvise.

instrumental (adjective): played on instruments, without vocals — There’s a long instrumental section in the middle of the song.

jazz (noun): a genre in which artists improvise within a rhythmic and harmonic framework — We’ve got all John Coltrane’s jazz records.

jazz rap (noun): rap music made with jazz samples or instruments — Molly doesn’t like jazz rap much.

Latin music (noun): a genre of popular music in Latin America and Spain that has complex rhythms — Latin music makes me want to dance.

lead guitar (noun): a guitar on which melodic lines and solos are played — Who’s playing lead guitar in your new band?

live (adjective): played at a concert in front of an audience — You don’t hear live music in dance clubs anymore, only recorded music.

lyrics (noun): the words of a song — If you don’t listen to the lyrics, you won’t know what a song is about.

mainstream (adjective): normal and preferred by most people — Most people like mainstream hip hop more than alternative hip hop.

mandolin (noun): a stringed instrument like a guitar with a curved back — You can hear mandolin on those early old-time recordings.

MC (or «Master of Ceremonies») (noun): a DJ’s onstage announcer, esp. one who raps — Does your MC ever forget his raps?

melody (noun): a tune, or the notes of a song — Can you whistle the song’s melody?

mixtape (noun): a collection of free tracks, usually downloadable or on cassette tape — Let’s download some more mixtapes.

modal jazz (noun): jazz that uses Arabic or Indian modes instead of European scales — McCoy Tyner played modal jazz with John Coltrane.

neo soul (noun): a style that mixes contemporary R&B and 60s or 70s soul — Angelina played some great neo soul tracks at our party.

offbeat (noun): a beat between the main beats, often counted as «and» by musicians — Disco has hi-hats playing on all the offbeats.

old-time music (also «hillbilly music») (noun): country music originating in the Appalachian mountains of the USA — Do people still play old-time music much?

outlaw country (noun): a style of country music popular in the 1960s — Johnny Cash was one of those outlaw country singers.

pedal steel guitar (noun): an electric steel guitar on a stand with foot pedals for changing the sound — He’s teaching us pedal steel guitar.

pop music (noun): a popular music genre with catchy songs that are easy to remember — I love listening to pop music.

pop song (noun): any song that follows the pop music formula — Paul’s favourite pop song is God Only Knows by The Beach Boys.

pop soul (noun): a style of soul music with a pop-music sound — Mum’s listening to pop soul again.

popular music (noun): music that many people like and buy, like rock music and heavy metal, hip hop and rap, pop songs, etc. — Our music teacher knows lots about classical music, but nothing about popular music.

post-punk (adjective): of a style of experimental rock that developed after punk — Have you heard of a post-punk band called Joy Division?

pounding (adjective): having a very strong, loud and steady beat — Those pounding disco tracks are still great to dance to.

power chord (noun): a basic chord that can add power to music — The Kinks used lots of power chords in their song You Really Got Me.

producer (noun): someone who oversees the recording of music — Who was the producer on Nirvana’s first album?

progressive EDM (noun): EDM made for listening to as well as dancing to — I listen to progressive EDM when I’m on the bus.

protest song (noun): a song with lyrics that protest against war, injustice, etc. — Why don’t people write protest songs anymore?

psychedelic (adjective): related to powerful drugs like LSD — Lots of bands used psychedelic designs on their album covers in the 60s.

punk (rock) (noun): 70s and 80s rock music with short, fast, noisy songs — The first punk band I saw was The Sex Pistols.

rap (1) (noun): a set of lyrics rapped to a hip hop beat — He’s never done a rap about getting a job, has he?

rap (2) (verb): to speak rhythmically in rhymes over a hip hop beat — You want me to rap? I’ve never rapped in my life!

rapper (noun): an artist who performs raps over a hip hop beat — My daughter wants to be a rapper when she grows up.

rave (noun): a large dance party held outdoors or in an empty building — Did you go to any of those raves in the 90s?

record (noun): a thin disc of black plastic on which recorded music is imprinted and sold — I bought lots of punk records in the 70s.

recording (noun): a piece of music that’s recorded in a studio or at a concert — It’s one of the best recordings they’ve made.

recording session (noun): time spent recording in a music studio — We’ve got a recording session on Monday morning.

reggae music (noun): a genre of music that developed in Jamaica in the 1960s — If you want to hear reggae music, try Bob Marley and the Wailers.

remix (verb): to change a track’s sound-level mix and add effects — When he remixed our song, he made the bass drum much louder.

reverb (noun): an electronic sound effect similar to an echo — They used lots of reverb on those early Beach Boys songs.

revival (noun): the return to popularity of an old style or form — There was a rockabilly revival during the punk music years.

rhyme (noun): a word that ends with the same sound as another word — If you don’t use rhymes, you can’t call it rapping.

rhythm (noun): a pattern of beats and sounds that musicians play in time to and dancers move to — The rhythms of African music are really complex.

riff (noun): a repeated series of chords or notes, esp. on electric guitar — Justin wants to learn some heavy metal riffs.

rockabilly (noun): a style that mixes Western swing and R&B — Sam recorded lots of rockabilly songs at Sun Studio in Memphis.

rock music (noun): rhythmic blues-based music played on guitar, bass, drums, etc. — Let’s listen to some rock music for a change.

sample (verb): to copy a sound or section of music from a record or audio file — We sampled a snare-drum break from an old soul record.

sample-heavy (adjective): having many sampled sounds — If you like sample-heavy hip hop, you’ll love this album.

scale (noun): a series of notes in a fixed order from lowest to highest — The major and minor scales each have seven notes.

scratching (noun): moving a record quickly on a turntable to create a rhythmic scratching sound — There’s a lot of scratching in his beats.

secular (adjective): not religious, or with no connection to religion — Sam Cooke recorded secular versions of old gospel songs.

session musician (noun): a musician who can be hired to play on a recording — Session musicians don’t get much work these days.

set (noun): a group of songs performed one after the other — How many songs were in the band’s first set?

singer-songwriter (noun): a musician who writes and performs his or her own songs — Most singer-songwriters also play guitar or keyboards.

single (noun): a song released as a digital download, or as one of two songs on a 7-inch record — Have you heard their latest single?

standard (noun): a song that is often recorded and performed — Lots of Roy Orbison’s songs have become pop standards.

stand-up bass (or «string bass») (noun): another word for «double bass», esp. in country music — Rockabilly bands had stand-up bass instead of bass guitar.

soul (or «soul music») (noun): a genre that combines elements of gospel music, R&B and pop — My favourite soul singer is Al Green.

soundtrack album (noun): an album containing music made for a film — Has the soundtrack album been released yet?

strings (noun): an orchestral string section with violins, violas, cellos and double bass — Only the biggest jazz orchestras had strings.

swing (noun): up-tempo jazz for dancing played by big bands or jazz orchestras — Benny Goodman wrote lots of swing tunes.

synthesizer (noun): an instrument that makes and combines electronic sounds — Matt played organ and synthesizer in Use No Hooks.

tambourine (noun): an instrument with metal discs that rattles when hit or shaken — Mick Jagger often plays tambourine when he sings.

techno (noun): an EDM genre from Detroit that led to many subgenres — Which style of techno do you like the most?

texture (noun): the musical pattern created when sounds are combined — The textures on this track are amazing.

the South (noun): the southeastern part of the USA — Some of the best soul and hip hop artists are from the South.

tour (verb): to perform concerts in a series of cities or countries — The Rolling Stones are touring Europe later this year.

track (noun): a recording of a song or piece of music — Their new album has some really great tracks.

traditional music (noun): music that developed over a very long time, like traditional African drumming and Chinese folk songs — People still play traditional music in Peru’s mountain villages.

trance (noun): a subgenre of techno with electronic beats and dreamy textures — Dad’s dancing to his old trance records again!

tune (noun): a song or melody — I know the tune, but I can’t remember what it’s called.

turntable (noun): a rotating plate that records sit on while being played — Dad said he’d get me a turntable for my birthday!

twelve-inch single (noun): a special single that’s longer than usual — Twelve-inch singles of Sylvester’s disco songs are awesome.

underground rap (noun): rap music by artists outside the music industry — I never hear underground rap on the radio.

up-tempo (or «uptempo») (adjective): having a fast beat — If you want to write a happy song, it should be up-tempo.

verse (noun): the part of a song with the same melody but different words each time it’s heard — The song has a chorus and three verses.

wah-wah pedal (noun): a pedal pushed with the foot to electronically change a guitar sound — Listen to Shaft by Isaac Hayes if you want to hear a wah-wah pedal.

Western (country) music (noun): a style of country music that developed in the western states of the USA — My dad likes Western music more than old-time country music.

Western swing (noun): a style that mixes Western music and big-band swing jazz — Those Western swing records are great to dance to.

woodwind (noun): instruments played by blowing across a hole (e.g. flute) or through a reed (e.g. saxophone) — Are you sure the saxophone is a woodwind instrument?

yearn (verb): to want something very much — His yearning for a better world is expressed in his songs.

yodel (verb): to sing in a way that quickly changes from a very high voice to a normal voice — When I tried to yodel, everyone laughed.