Music

Word

Definition

Example

music genre

a distinct type or style of music

My favourite music genre is rap.

pop

popular music; music liked by a broad range of the population

Pop songs are enjoyed by lots of different types of people because they have a good rhythm, a catchy melody, and are easy to remember and sing along to.

rock music

music that is based on amplified instruments, especially the electric guitar and electric bass, and characterized by a strong bass line and strong rhythms

The Rolling Stones play some of the best rock music ever written.

heavy metal

a type of highly amplified harsh-sounding rock music with a strong beat, characteristically using violent or fantasy imagery

I like some rock music but find heavy metal a bit too loud.

rap

a type of music in which the words are not sung but are spoken in a rapid, rhythmic way

Whilst I'm not a great fan of rap music, I do think it's amazing how they speak so fast and remember the words.

country music

a form of popular music originating in the rural southern US. It is a mixture of ballads and dance tunes played characteristically on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and pedal steel guitar.

There's a great country music venue in my town where everyone dresses up as cowboys when they go to gigs.

jazz

a style of music that is generally loud and rhythmic, where the musicians often make the music up as they go along

Louis Armstrong is still a popular jazz musician many decades after his death.

reggae

a form of music with a distinct beat that originated in Jamaica and is still associated with the Caribbean

Bob Marley was the first internationally known reggae musician.

blues

African-American music that expresses grief or sorrow about injustice and a longing for a better life

Did you know that the blues is named after the expression 'to feel blue' which means to be sad or depressed?

traditional music

songs and tunes particular to a country or region which have been performed over a long period of time, usually several generations

Traditional music is part of our culture and should be preserved.

folk

traditional music which included songs written a long time ago and new songs written in the old style

We have some talented young folk musicians in my country who love performing songs from the old days and writing new folk songs for our generation.

classical music

a form of music developed in Europe mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries by musicians highly skilled in musical composition

I find that classical music really stirs up the emotions and I particularly enjoy listening to Beethoven and Bach.

opera

a musical play, often very dramatic, in which most of the words are sung

I'm not a fan of opera as I really don't like the style of singing.

musical

a play or film that uses singing and dancing in the story but also includes a lot of spoken dialogue

Although there are lots of great new musicals being written, I still love West Side Story the best.

instrumental music

music where you just hear instruments playing and there is no singing

I'm not happy when they play instrumental music on my favourite radio station as I like to be able to sing along the lyrics.

easy listening

a type of music that is not complicated, is pleasant to listen and doesn't need much of your attention

When I get home in the evening I put on some easy listening to help me relax after a busy day.

background music

music that is playing while something else is happening

My friend likes to have background music on while she's studying but I need a quiet place to work.

instrument

something you play to make music

In music class they made us choose an instrument and we learned to play it.

traditional instruments

a type of instrument that has been played for many generations or that was popular in the past, often unique to a country or region

A sitar is a traditional Indian musical instrument.

to take up (a music instrument)

to begin learning a musical instrument

I'm going to take up the guitar.

to read music

to understand and follow written musical notes

I'm so glad I learnt to read music when I had piano lessons as a child because it really helps me now that I sing in a choir.

to play by ear

to play without reading the musical notes

Many talented musicians can't even read music and only play by ear.

talented

to be naturally skilled at something

I never got the hang of playing an instrument even though both my parents are talented musicians.

to be musical

have a skill in or a great liking for music

My friend Sally is very musical and can play several different instruments.

self-discipline

the ability to make yourself do things you know you should do even when you do not want to

You need a lot of self-discipline to learn the piano as you have to practise every day and play boring scales.

sense of accomplishment

to feel like you've achieved something you can be proud of

Bernie felt a real sense of accomplishment at passing his Grade 2 flute exam.

vocals

a part of a piece of music that is sung

My parents met in a band. Dad was a guitarist and Mum sang vocals.

musician

a person who plays a musical instrument, especially as a profession, or is musically talented

It was Jai's ambition to be a professional musician and play in a famous orchestra bass player – someone who plays the bass

conductor

the person who leads the orchestra

The conductor can never be missing from a performance.

guitarist

someone who plays the guitar

The guitarist has been practising all week for the concert.

keyboard player

someone who plays the keyboard

Michael wanted to be a keyboard player, but never got the chance.

pianist

someone who plays the piano

He was an accomplished pianist and composer, although he never published any of his works.

drummer

someone who plays the drums

My boyfriend used to be a drummer when we were in school.

cellist

someone who plays the cello

The curtain opens, and we see a cellist passionately lost in his world of music.

violinist

someone who plays the violin

He appeared in public as a violinist, taking part in Chappell's quartette concerts.

vocalist

someone who sings

She was the principal singer at his oratorio concerts, and acquired such a reputation as a vocalist..

choir

a group of singers singing together

Lulu really enjoyed singing in the choir, especially when they performed at concerts.

orchestra

a large group of musicians who play many different instruments together and are led by a conductor

Jason was delighted when he was asked to play violin in the school orchestra.

band

a group of people who sing together and also play instruments

I was so excited to be asked to play bass guitar in the new band.

group

a collection of people who sing together but do not necessarily play instruments

All the groups performing in the contest were excellent and it was hard for the judges to pick the best.

composer

a person who writes music, especially as a professional occupation

My favourite classical composer is Mozart.

a performance

the act of entertaining other people by dancing, singing, acting or playing music

The choir gave a wonderful performance at my sister's wedding.

a gig

a performance of a band

My new band is playing their first gig at the weekend.

a show

a performance, especially involving music

I'm going to my kid's school this evening to watch them perform in a show.

live music

music performed in front of an audience

We have many clubs in my city and I often go along with friends to listen to live music.

live show / live performance / live gig

an spectacle performed publicly in front of an audience

We saw the live performance of Cirque du Soleil last month.

music festival

an organized event, typically lasting several days, featuring performances by various musicians, singers and groups

I try to go to at least one music festival each summer.

concert

a performance of music by one or more musicians or singers

My orchestra is going to perform at a concert organized to raise money for charity.

stage

a raised platform on which musicians, actors or entertainers perform

I felt nervous when I walked out on stage and saw the large audience waiting to hear me sing

venue

the place where a public event such as a concert happens

The disused warehouse was the perfect venue for a rock concert.

recording / recorded music

music that has been stored on a record, CD, computer, etc., so that it can be heard again

I have recordings of many of my favourite bands stored on my computer.

MP3 player

an electronic device that can store and play digital audio files

I always carry my MP3 player with me so that I can listen to music whenever I want to.

headphones / earphones

an electronic device that fits over or in the ears for listening to music

I wear earphones to listen to music on my MP3 player while I'm out jogging.

album

a collection of recordings issued as a single item on CD, record or another medium.

I can't wait for my favourite band's new album to come out.

to download tracks

to obtain music from the internet

I heard a great band at the gig last night and I'm going to download some of their tracks.

speakers

a piece of electrical equipment for playing recorded sound, through which the sound is played

The jazz album I got for my birthday sounds amazing through my new speakers.

a song

a usually short piece of music with words that are sung

My favourite Ed Sheeran song is "Thinking Out Loud".

lyrics

the words to a song

Leonard Cohen wrote some of the best lyrics of all time and many artists still perform his songs today.

a melody

the main tune in a piece of music that is often played or sung more than once

I had trouble picking up the melody of the new piece we started learning at choir rehearsal today and will practise it at home.

a tune

the musical part of a song, especially one that is pleasant and easy to remember

Most Red Hot Chili Peppers' songs include a characteristic starting tune.

a catchy tune

a tune or a song that's easy to remember and stays in your mind so that you find yourself humming or singing it

I heard a really catchy tune of on my kid's TV programme this morning and I've been humming it all day.

piece of music

a musical composition, especially but not necessarily an instrumental one

My piano teacher has given me a new piece of music to learn before my next lesson.

taste in music

the music someone likes

My boyfriend and I have the same taste in music and go to live gigs whenever we can.

rhythm

a regular, repeated pattern of sounds

I love the rhythm of reggae music.

beat

a characteristic rhythm in some types of music

Rap music has such a distinctive beat.

harmony

a pleasant musical sound made by different notes being played or sung at the same time

One of the reason I enjoy country music so much is because many songs have lovely harmonies.

to be out of tune

to play or sing slightly wrong notes

My dad likes to sing along the radio but is so out of tune that it sounds terrible.

to be in tune

to play or sing with the correct pitch

Before the performance, the guitarist tightenend the strings of his guitar so that it was in tune.

to have a great voice

to sing well

I think my friend should enter the singing competition as she has a great voice.

to be tone deaf

to be unable to distinguish the different notes in music

I'd really like to able to sing but I'm tone deaf so I don't think there's much chance.

chorus

a regularly repeated line or group of lines in a song

The choir sang lots of well-known songs and encourages the audience to sing along to the choruses.

upbeat

cheerful or lively

If I'm feeling sad I put on some upbeat music and feel better almost at once

nursery rhyme

a simple traditional song or poem for children

I can still remember many of the nursery rhymes I learnt as a child.

lullaby

a quiet, gentle song sung to send a child to sleep

If my baby wakes up in the night I just sing him a lullaby and he soon goes back to sleep.

sing to sleep

to make someone feel sleepy by sing them a gentle song

My mum used to sing us to sleep when we were young.

passionate

to feel strongly about something

I'm passionate about playing the saxophone.

to cheer up

to cause to feel better

Upbeat music always cheers me up if I'm feeling down.

relax / chill out

to become less tense or anxious

After a stressful day at work, I lie in the bath listening to classical music as this helps me to chill out.

energise

to make someone feel energetic or eager

Reggae music energises me so that's what I Iisten to when I feel sluggish and need motivating.

rock band

a group of musicians that play rock music

One of the great things about living in Manchester is that all the top rock bands perform here.

pop star

a famous singer or musician who performs pop music

Many teenagers have the dream of being a pop star as they want to be rich and famous.

famous

known about and recognized by many people

The Beatles are one of the most famous bands ever to have existed.

frontman

lead singer of a band

Roger Daltrey has been the frontman of The Who for over 50 years.

fan

a person who admires, supports or follows a person, band or team

I've always been an Elvis Presley fan even though he died before I was born.

huge following

to have a large number of fans

Modern pop stars have a huge following which they communicate with on social media.

to go on tour

to go on a planned series of performances around a region or country

I hope my favourite band go on tour again soon as they put on an amazing live show.

sellout

a performance or sports event for which no more tickets are available because it's so popular

The Bruno Mars concerts were a sellout at every venue on the tour.

record company

a business that makes and sells musical recordings

Our band is getting well-known across the country and we're hopeful of getting signed by a record company.

record label

a brand or trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos

You know you've hit the big time if you get signed up with one of the big record labels such as Sony.

hit the big time

to become successful and/or famous

After winning the TV talent show, Shelley hit the big time and was soon singing in huge venues around the world.

a hit

to be popular; a record that sells lots of copies

"Happy" was a massive hit for Pharrell Williams

the charts

a list of individual songs or musical performances ranked in order of number of sales or downloads over a specific period of time which indicates their popularity

Ariana Grande's new record is brilliant and I'm not surprised it's made it to No.1 in the charts.

to sing along to

to join in singing

My favourite songs in the charts are always the ones you can sing along to.

a sing-song

to sing informally, often with other people

I have wonderful memories of my gran playing popular songs on the piano at family gettogethers and everyone joining in for a sing-song.

music-lover

someone who really enjoys listening to music

I can't say I'm a great music-lover although I do enjoy listening to the radio when I'm driving.

applause

approval or praise expressed by clapping the hands together

The applause continued even after the band had left the stage.

a round of applause

an outburst of clapping from an audience to show approval

The audience gave the choir an enthusiastic round of applause as they came on to perform.

to be into / not into

to be interested in or involved with / to not be interested in

I'm really into folk music but not into jazz at all.

to improvise

create and perform music, drama or verse spontaneously or without preparation

I don't enjoy listening to jazz when it's improvised as it sounds like the musicians are all playing different tunes.

once in a blue moon

hardly ever

I'm definitely a music-lover but only go to live gigs once in a blue moon.