Updated August 2016
Brainstorm as many suitable words as you can into each category below.
Genres of music
Positive words to describe music
Negative words to describe music
Ways of making music (instruments etc)
Ways of listening to music
People related to music (including groups of people)
Places related to music
Any other music vocabulary
Compare your ideas as a class. You get one point for each correct expression which isn’t on other groups’ sheets and/ or isn’t on the suggested answer sheet below.
Suggested vocabulary
Genres of music
(Christmas) carols
(Western) classical music
(traditional) court music
(traditional) folk music
12-tone music
70s music
80s music
AOR
African music
Brit pop
EDM
Gregorian chant
J-pop/ Japanese pop music
Japanese “idoru”
K-pop
Latin
Mersey beat
MoR
New Age music
R&B
Shibuya-kei
UK garage
acid jazz/ jazz funk
ambient/ chillout
avant garde music
background music/ elevator music/ muzak
barbershop/ acappella
bhangra
big band (jazz)
bluegrass
blues
bossa nova
boy bands
brass band
bubblegum pop
calypso
chamber music
chanson
choral music
classic rock
comic songs
country (and western)
crooners
dancehall
death metal/ speed metal
disco
drum and bass/ jungle
dubstep
easy listening
emo
flamenco
folk rock
funk
fusion
girl bands/ girl groups
gospel
grime
grunge
heavy rock/ heavy metal
house
indie/ alternative (rock)
love songs
marching band
military music
minimalist music
musicals
national anthems/ patriotic songs
new romantic
new wave/ post-punk
novelty songs
opera
operetta
post-rock
prog rock
protest music
psychedelic music
pub rock
punk
rap/ hip hop
reggae
reggaeton
religious music (hymns etc)
rock opera
rock’n’roll
salsa
samba
shoegaze
singer songwriters
ska
skiffle
soft rock
soul
synth pop
techno
top forty music/ chart music/ mainstream music
trance
visual kei
world music
NOT ethnic music X
NOT Japanese pops X
NOT idol X
NOT BGM X
NOT indies X
Positive words to describe music
a (cult) classic
an (undiscovered) masterpiece
angelic
catchy
danceable
deep
evocative
exotic
experimental
funky
heartfelt
hummable
iconic
influential
innovative
melodic
moving
original
relaxing
rhythmic
romantic
simple
soothing
timeless
toe tapping
underground
unique
upbeat
velvety
Negative words to describe music
(instantly) forgettable
a racket
amateurish
annoying/ irritating
bland
boring/ dull
caterwauling
cheesy
childish lyrics
difficult second album
distortion
flat
manufactured
melodramatic
mid-tempo
monotonous
notorious
off key
out of tune
over the top
overpriced
overrated
predictable
pretentious
repetitive
ridiculous lyrics/ silly lyrics
rude lyrics
screeching
self-indulgent
sentimental/ soppy
taboo lyrics
unbearable
uninspired
unoriginal
violent lyrics
weird
Ways of making music (instruments etc)
(double) bass
12-string guitar
Jewish harp
Melodica
accordion
acoustic guitar
amp(lifier)
bagpipes
banjo
bass (guitar)
bassoon
baton
bow
brass
bugle
castanets
clapping
clarinet
clicking your fingers
comb
cymbals
decks
drumsticks
electric guitar
electric piano
flute
harp
harpsichord
humming
keyboard
loudspeaker
maracas
mic(rophone)
mouth organ
oboe
organ
pedal
percussion
piano
piccolo
pick
recorder
reed instrument
remix
sampling
scat (singing)
scratching
snare (drum)
spoons
steel pans
strings
tambourine
trombone
trumpet
tuba
ukulele
viola
washboard
whistling
wine glass
woodwind
xylophone
Ways of listening to music
(greatest hits) compilations
(illegal) downloads
CD (player)
DAB/ digital radio
TV talent shows
album
car stereo
cassette
festival
gig/ concert
headphones
juke box
juke box musicals
live
mp3 (player)
music television
personal stereo/ walkman
pop videos
radio
radio cassette player/ ghetto blaster
record/ vinyl
reel to reel (tape recorder)
single
smartphone
stadium concerts
stereo/ hi-fi
streaming music
NOT radio case X
NOT rajio X
People related to music (including groups of people)
(concert) promoter
(recording) engineer
A&R man
DJ
MC
Svengali
VJ
arranger
backing singer
bell ringers
busker/ street musician
choirboy
choreographer
composer
conductor
diva
drummer
falsetto
guitarist
lead singer
lyricist
manager
music teacher
musician
one-man band
percussionist
quartet
quintet
rhythm guitarist
session musicians
soloist
soprano
studio engineer
trio
violinist
vocalist
NOT back singer X
Places related to music
ballroom
cabaret (club)
cathedral
church
club/ disco
concert hall
concert venue
music festivals
music shop
opera house
outdoor festival
pub
(secondhand) record shop
stadium
the street
warehouse
NOT live house X
NOT stajium X
Any other music vocabulary
(guitar) feedback
(guitar) solo
a note
a verse
acoustic/ unplugged
aria
chord
concept album
concerto
cover (version)
duet
echo
high
improvisation
jamming
jingle
karaoke
key
lip-synching
lyrics
metronome
mic stand
movement
movie soundtracks
music documentaries
music stand
overture
perfect pitch
retro
reverb
sharp
sheet music
stave
symphony
the chorus
the tune
tone deaf
tuning fork
vocals
NOT song words X
NOT O.S. X
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