Music vocabulary

a person who provides a musical accompaniment to another musician or to a singer.

accompanist

sung words or sounds that support the main lead vocal in a song, providing harmony, counter-melodies, or rhythmic accompaniment

backing vocals

a new recording or performance of a song that was originally written and recorded by a different artist

(rock music)

cover version

the lead violin player in an orchestra's first violin section, and their specific role is known as the concertmaster.

first violinist 

an extremely accomplished and widely respected guitarist whose influence has been significant and long-lasting

guitar legend

a player of a percussion instrument, especially in an orchestra.

percussionist

a short repeated phrase in popular music and jazz, typically used as an introduction or refrain in a song.

riff

a freelance musician hired to play on recording sessions.

session musician

a person who plays the piano, especially professionally.

pianist

a group of five people playing music or singing together.

(classical music)

quintet

a person who writes popular songs or the music for them.

songwriter

a performance of a programme of music by a soloist or small group

(classical music)

recital 

a short, recurring musical idea, such as a melodic fragment, a rhythmic pattern, or a harmonic progression, that is a building block of a composition

motif

a distinguished conductor or performer of classical music.

maestro

a musician who plays instruments with a keyboard, such as a piano, organ, or synthesizer- rock music

keybord player

a live performance by a musician or group playing popular or jazz music.

gig

a musical group with five members, most commonly consisting of a lead vocalist, a lead guitarist, a rhythm guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer

five piece band

a person who plays a drum or drums.

drummer

s a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music together.

band

an organized group of singers, especially one that takes part in church services or performs in public.

choir 

a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together.

(classical music)

ensemble

a person who writes music, especially as a professional occupation.

(classical musical)

composer

the adaptation of an existing composition for a different performance medium, ensemble, or style.

(classical music)

arrangement

the words of the song

lyrics

the beat of the song

rythm

part of a song played by one instrument

solo

play music tigether informally

jam

a song or musical recording 

track 

the main melody of a song

tune

part of music that is sung

vocal

a section of a song that typically tells a story or develops a theme, with different lyrics each time it appears but usually the same or similar melody and musical structure.

main section with changinh lyrics.

verse

repeated section 

chorus

main singer

lead vocal

supporting voices that sing together with the lead vocal

backing harmony

shift to a new key

key change

a section in a song, typically eight bars long, that provides a departure from the usual verse-chorus structure. It's a type of bridge and is used to introduce new melodies, lyrics, or chord changes to create contrast and add variety.

middle eight (bridge)

the order of the chords that forms the harmony

chord sequence

a section in a song where the vocals stop and the focus shifts to the instruments, allowing musicians to play solos or a melody

instrumental break

altering the speed at which a piece of music is played to add expression, drama, or to shift its mood

tempo change 

the opening section of the song

intro 

a concluding section at the end of a piece that provides a final conclusion, much like a tail

coda

often measured in "beats per minute" and sets the basic pace of music. 

tempo 

ways in which composers can alter and adjust this using different note patterns

rythm

affect how we perceive sounds and music, providing a basic scale from "high = light, happy, carefree, funny" to "low = dark, sad, ominous, serious".

pitch

more energetic

livelier

strongly desire

crave

running fast (of a horse)

galloping 

super-confident way of walking

swagger

common

usual

On the other hand

conversely

untroubled

care free/ relaxed

activate/generate

trigger

activate/generate

lawn mower

plain/insipid

bland

A person's awareness or perception of something. 

his _________________ of a hidden presence.

feeling/ perception 

Adjective – relating to the sense of hearing.

methods use both visual and _______________ stimulation’

auditory 

The activity of selling (relatively small numbers of) goods to the public in stores or on the internet.

e.g. __________ sales of computer games have gone up this year.

retail 

People or businesses who sell (relatively small numbers of goods to the public. 

hypermarkets have put many small ___________________ out of business

retailers 

A type of product manufactured by a particulaar company under a particular name.

a new ___________ of detergent.

brand 

(adjective) related to buying and selling things.

Don’t forget this is a ________________ enterprise – we’re here to make money.

commercial-want to make ou buy something