GLOSSARY
The vocabulary of music
Composers, instruments, genres, theory — everything you need to understand what you are listening to.
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Throat Singing
Throat singing is a unique vocal technique in which a singer produces a fundamental tone and a melody of overtones above it at once.
Sean-nós
Sean-nós is traditional Irish solo unaccompanied singing, highly ornamented, free in rhythm, and deeply personal.
Vallenato
Vallenato is a Colombian folk genre with accordion and caja drum, an art of musical storytelling.
City Pop
City pop is a sophisticated Japanese pop of the late 1970s–80s with funk, soul, and jazz influences, which saw a global revival.
Krautrock
Krautrock is experimental German rock of the late 1960s–70s with a hypnotic “motorik” beat and pioneering electronics.
Delta Blues
Delta blues is one of the earliest blues styles from the Mississippi Delta, with slide guitar and a raw, piercing vocal.
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie is a spirited piano blues style with a characteristic “rolling” left-hand bass; a forerunner of rock'n'roll.
Dixieland
Dixieland is the early New Orleans jazz of the early 20th century, with collective improvisation and a festive, spirited sound.
Drill
Drill is a dark, aggressive hip-hop subgenre with sliding “808” bass, which arose in Chicago and developed in London.
Boom Bap
Boom bap is the classic hip-hop style of the “golden age,” with its signature drum pattern and sample-based beats.
Soca
Soca is an energetic dance genre from Trinidad, the “soul of calypso,” made for celebration and the ceaseless motion of carnival.
Calypso
Calypso is a Caribbean genre from Trinidad with witty, often satirical lyrics; the musical soul of the carnival.
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All music terms
Alphabetical index — 613 terms across 8 letters
