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Music Glossary: A (Very) Abridged Version
By Jillianne Hamilton
(06/21/09)

Not all of us can be music majors- but yet, music lovers come face-to-face with various music terms every day. So, I thought I'd make a basic glossary of music meanings that everyone should know.

acoustic : arranged for or made up of such instruments: an acoustic solo; an acoustic group.

alternative rock : various subgenres that emerged from the independent music scene since the 1980s, such as grunge, Britpop, gothic rock, and indie pop.

alto : lowest of the female voices.

amp : amplifier, especially one used to amplify music.

arrangement : the adaptation of a composition to voices or instruments, or to a new purpose.

baritone : male voice of moderately low range.

bass : male voice of low range. Also, a four-stringed guitar. Also, a type of fish.

blues : African-American form of secular folk music, related to jazz, that is based on a simple, repetitive poetic-musical structure.

chord : simultaneous combination of usually three or more tones that constitute a single block of harmony.

cover : a recording of a song that was previously recorded or made popular by another.

cowbell : something you need more of.

demo : a recording of a new song or of one performed by an unknown singer or band, distributed to disc jockeys, recording companies, etc., to demonstrate the merits of the song or performer.

emo : a style of rock music typically characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics. Also, a sad little boy who wears eyeliner.

EP : short for 'extended play'; a vinyl record, CD, or music download which contains more music than a single but is too short to qualify as an LP. Usually, contains no more than 30 minutes of music.

experimental : used to describe music within specific genres that pushes against their boundaries or definitions, or else whose approach is a hybrid of disparate styles, or incorporates unorthodox, new, distinctly unique ingredients.

falsetto : vocal technique whereby men can sing above their normal range, producing a lighter sound.

feedback : the feedback of sound from a loudspeaker to a microphone, often resulting in a whistling noise caused by electrical oscillations. Also, a Janet Jackson song.

folk : music style that sometimes combines folk music with amplified instruments of rock.

fusion : combines jazz improvisation with amplified instruments of rock.

garage : music style that combines early rock and roll sounds with modern elements. The recent revival began in the early 2000s with bands like The White Stripes, The Hives, The Vines and The Strokes.

harmony : the simultaneous combination of notes and the ensuing relationships of intervals and chords.

headliner : the main act at a concert or music festival

hi-fi : short for 'high fidleity'; refers to high-quality reproduction of sound or images that are faithful to the original performance. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has minimal amounts of noise and distortion.

indie : term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing. The actual style can combine elements from any genre but usually rock, folk, experimental, acoustic, alternative and garage. Also, the best music genre ever.

instrumental : a composition for one or more instruments, usually without vocal accompaniment.

jazz : musical style created mainly by African-Americans in the early twentieth century that blended elements drawn from African musics with the popular and art traditions of the West.

karaoke : popular nightclub style from Japan where customers sing the melody to accompanying prerecorded tracks. Also, a good way to embarrass yourself in front of a large audience, especially when alcohol is involved.

low-fi : short for 'low fidelity'; a sound recording which contains technical flaws such as distortion, hum, or background noise, or limited frequency response. Has also become a music style associated with indie rock and some hardcore genres.

LP : short for 'long play'; refers to a normal-length record or album, containing 30-80 minutes of music.

mezzo-soprano : female voice of middle range.

mp3 : digital audio format.

new wave : music style popular in the 1980s. Combines rock genres like punk and glam rock with dance elements.

opening act : refers to an entertainer who performs at a concert before the featured headline act, "warming up" the audience.

overture : an introductory movement, as in an opera or oratorio, often presenting melodies from arias to come.

pitch : highness or lowness of a tone, depending on the frequency.

punk : subgenre of rock, popular since the mid 1970s. Characterized by loud volume levels, driving rhythms and simple forms typical of earlier rock and roll.

rock music : Popular music style first heard in the 1950s. Derived from the union of African-American rhythm and blues, country-western and pop music.

shoegaze/shoegazing : music genre combining rock, pop and psychadelic rock elements.

ska : Jamaican urban music/dance form popular in the 1960s and late 1990s, influential in reggae.

soprano : highest-ranged voice, normally possessed by women or boys.

tempo : rate of speed or pace of music.

tenor : male voice of high range.

All definitions from Dictionary.com, Wikipedia, Essentials of Music and my brain. Photo courtesy of Move The Clouds.

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Jillianne Hamilton is a writer, blogger and a lover of indie music, funny movies, artsy things and the color red. She is studying Journalism at Holland College, had an internship at the Truro Daily News and blogs for various college and pop culture websites. To contact Jill, visit her website.