any musical instrument such as cymbals, timpani or bass drum that is played by being hit or scraped by a beater
"The drums are the most famous type of percussion instrument."
"A percussion instrument is any instrument that produces sound by being struck"
reed instrument/ɹˈiːd ˈɪnstɹəmənt/noun
any wind instrument that produces sound when air blown into its chambers causes a thin strip of material, called a reed, to vibrate
"The saxophone is a reed instrument."
"The clarinet is a reed instrument that produces a warm, rich tone."
string instrument/stɹˈɪŋ ˈɪnstɹəmənt/noun
any musical instruments that can produce sound when its strings are touched or struck
"The violin is a classic and highly expressive string instrument."
"A string instrument creates sound by the vibration of a tensioned string"
woodwind instrument/wˈʊdwɪnd ˈɪnstɹəmənt/noun
a musical instrument that produces sound by vibrating air within a tube or pipe, typically made of wood or metal
"The clarinet is a single-reed woodwind instrument."
"A woodwind instrument is not always made of actual wood today"
mood music/mˈuːd mjˈuːzɪk/noun
music that is meant to create a relaxed or romantic ambiance
"Mood music creates ambiance."
"Mood music is background music designed to create a particular atmosphere or emotional state."
musician/mjuːˈzɪʃən/noun
someone who plays a musical instrument or writes music, especially as a profession
"The musician practiced every day."
"The talented musician played the violin beautifully for a large audience at the concert hall."
tunefulness/tˈuːnfəlnəs/noun
the quality of having a pleasant tune or being melodious
"Tunefulness has pleasant sound."
"Tunefulness is the quality of having a pleasant and easily remembered melody."
brass instrument/bɹˈæs ˈɪnstɹəmənt/noun
a musical instrument that produces sound by vibrating air within a metal tube, typically made of brass
"The trumpet is a loud and clear brass instrument."
"A brass instrument is a wind instrument where a musician's vibrating lips buzz into a mouthpiece to create a rich"
fingering/ˈfɪŋɡɝɪŋ/noun
the act of positioning and using fingers on an instrument to play specific notes or chords
"Good fingering is important."
"The piano teacher wrote fingering numbers above the notes to help the student know which fingers should play each key in the difficult passage."
rehearsal/ɹiˈhɝsəɫ/noun
a session of practice in which performers prepare themselves for a public performance of a concert, play, etc.
"We had a rehearsal today."
"The orchestra had a final rehearsal before the big concert to make sure every note was perfect."
soundcheck/sˈaʊndtʃɛk/noun
a process of checking that the equipment used for recording music, or for playing music at a concert, is working correctly and producing sound of a good quality
"The band ran a quick soundcheck before the doors opened."
"A soundcheck is a brief technical preparation during which the crew tests and adjusts the venue's PA system and on-stage monitor mixes."
busking/bˈʌskɪŋ/noun
the act of playing music in public and asking the passers-by for money
"Busking earns money."
"Busking is the act of performing music or other entertainment in public places for voluntary donations."
carol singing/kˈæɹəl sˈɪŋɪŋ/noun
the act of singing Christmas carols in churches or streets, usually to collect money for charity
"Carol singing is festive."
"Carol singing is the activity of going from door to door singing Christmas carols."
karaoke/ˌkæriˈoʊki/noun
a form of entertainment in which people sing the words of popular songs while a machine plays only their music
"We sang a terrible but hilarious karaoke duet together."
"Karaoke is a form of interactive entertainment where an amateur singer sings along to a pre-recorded instrumental track with the lyrics displayed on a screen."
outsider music/aʊtsˈaɪdɚ mjˈuːzɪk/noun
unconventional, experimental, and non-mainstream music created by individuals who do not conform to established musical conventions or industry expectations
"He makes outsider music."
"Outsider music is often strange and unconventional."
lo-fi/lˈoʊfˌaɪ/noun
a raw, unpolished, and low-fidelity music production or recording style characterized by a DIY aesthetic and nostalgic or vintage vibes
"She likes lo-fi music."
"Lo-fi beats help many people study and relax."
lead guitar/lˈiːd ɡɪtˈɑːɹ/noun
the guitar part in a band or ensemble that plays melodies, solos, and improvisations, taking the lead or prominence over other instruments
"Lead guitar plays solos."
"Lead guitar is the guitar part that plays melodic solos and riffs rather than rhythmic accompaniment."
consort/kənˈsɔɹt/noun
a group of instruments or voices that perform together, typically of the same family or type
"Consort plays music."
"A consort is a group of Renaissance instruments either of the same family whole consort or mixed broken consort."
drum roll/dɹˈʌm ɹˈoʊl/noun
a continuous series of rapid beats on a drum, especially while announcing something exciting
"Drum roll starts now."
"A drum roll is a continuous rapid succession of strokes on a drum producing a sustained sound."
fanfare/ˈfænˌfɛɹ/noun
a short and lively ceremonial sounding of trumpets or other brass instruments, usually to announce something important
"There was a fanfare."
"The trumpets played a loud fanfare to announce the entrance of the king and queen into the grand hall for the ceremony."
solfege/sˈɑːlfɛdʒ/noun
a singing method that uses a system of vocal syllables to represent musical pitches in order to facilitate sight-singing and ear training
"They practice solfege."
"Students learn solfege to improve singing skills."
metronome/mˈɛtɹənˌoʊm/noun
a device that helps musicians regulate their desired speed and rhythm
"The pianist practiced her scales to the steady tick of a metronome."
"A metronome is a practice tool that produces a steady pulse or beat to help a musician play rhythms at a consistent"
harmonization/ˌhɑɹmənɪˈzeɪʃən/noun
the act of singing additional vocal parts that complement the melody, creating harmonies
"Harmonization adds beauty."
"Harmonization is the process of adding chords or voices to a melody to create a fuller musical texture."
baton/ˈbæˌtɑn/, /ˈbætən/, /bəˈtɑn/noun
a slender stick used by a conductor while leading an orchestra
"Baton signals the start."
"A baton is a short light stick used by a conductor to direct an orchestra or choir."
spiccato/spɪkˈɑːɾoʊ/noun
a technique in music for string instruments where the bow bounces lightly off the strings, creating short, crisp notes
"He used spiccato."
"The violinist played the passage with spiccato technique."
counterpoint/ˈkaʊntɝˌpɔɪnt/noun
a musical composition in which two or more independent melodies are played or sung simultaneously, creating harmony and interplay
"In counterpoint two melodies play together beautifully."
"The composer used counterpoint to weave two beautiful melodies together, creating a rich and harmonious piece of music."
concert-goer/kˈɑːnsɜːtɡˈoʊɚ/noun
someone who attends concerts or live music performances
"Concert-goer enjoys music."
"A concert goer is a person who attends a musical concert performance."
crowd-surfing/kɹˈaʊdsˈɜːfɪŋ/noun
when an individual is carried above the crowd by the audience during live music concerts or events, often used as a form of interactive performance or stage diving
"Crowd-surfing is exciting."
"Crowd-surfing is a popular activity at rock concerts where fans pass the performer above their heads."
concert hall/kˈɑːnsɜːt hˈɔːl/noun
a large building or room that is designed for performing concerts
"Concert hall is grand."
"A concert hall is a building specifically designed for the performance of classical music and other acoustic concerts."
orchestra pit/ˈɔːɹkɛstɹə pˈɪt/noun
the place in front of the stage, which is slightly lower, where an orchestra sits and performs for an opera, ballet, etc.
"Musicians are in the orchestra pit."
"The orchestra pit is below the stage."
repertoire/ˈɹɛpɝtˌwɑɹ/noun
a stock of plays, songs, dances, etc. that a company or a performer is prepared to perform
"The pianist has a large repertoire of classical pieces she can play."
"A repertoire is the complete stock of works that a performer or company has prepared and is ready to present at any given time to an audience."
music video/mjˈuːzɪk vˈɪdɪoʊ/noun
a short film or visual presentation created to accompany a song, often featuring the artist performing or telling a story
"Music video promotes song visually."
"A music video is a short film that integrates a song with visual imagery to promote the artist."
set list/sˈɛt lˈɪst/noun
a predetermined sequence of songs or musical pieces that a band or performer plans to play during a live performance or concert
"The band's set list included all of their biggest hits."
"A set list is a written document that lists the specific songs a band plans to perform during a concert"
metalhead/mˈɛɾəlhˌɛd/noun
a person who is passionate about heavy metal music
"My brother is a metalhead."
"A metalhead is a dedicated and passionate fan of the heavy metal music genre"
punk/pʌŋk/noun
a person who embodies the rebellious and anti-establishment ethos associated with the punk subculture
"He is a punk."
"The young punk wore ripped jeans and a leather jacket, embodying the rebellious spirit."
Learn all 35 words in this list with spaced repetition