Music Glossary

Welcome to the Songstufff Glossary!

Find the meaning to common, and not so common terms in this broad ranging glossary. Covering a diversity of Music related terminology including Music Technology, Music Theory, Music Law, Acoustics, and Electronics, the Songstuff Glossary is an ever-growing collection. Everything from Absorption to Zero Level.

We're continually adding new descriptions, so if you have a suggested description please Contact Songstuff.

Glossary items are listed in alphabetical order. Please use the navigation block below to browse the glossary items.

Instrumental
Unlike a song, an instrumental is a piece of music without any accompanying lyrics or vocal part. In popular music, an instrumental may include vocal sounds, but not lyrics.

Breakbeat
Commercially, a post digital sampling music genre.

Break Beat
The sampling of a drum break as a drum loop. Originally taken from Soul tracks these drum loops are used to create the rhythm tracks for Rap and Hip-hop music.

Song Form
Song Form is basically the structure of the song. There are a number of standard song forms. For example:
Strophic (chorus form)
Thirty-two bar
Verse-chorus
Twelve Bar Blues
Through-composed

Refrain
See Chorus

Chorus (Song)
A chorus or refrain is a line or lines that are repeated either musically or lyrically or both musically and lyrically.

A chorus tends to musically contrast with the verse melodically, harmonically and rythmically. There is also generally a change in dynamics to create a lift in the overall musical energy.

In contemporary music this is the catchy sing along bit.

Verse
Lyrically a verse is similar to a poetic stanza. Commonly the verse is used to "tell the story" of the song.

In popular music verses tend to have the same musical theme but different lyrics.

Bridge (Music)
Connecting passage of contrasting music between two important themes in a composition and commonly in popular music, a musical bridge is used to prepare for the return of the original theme.

In thirty-two bar form (AABA) the bridge (B) is also known as the middle-eight or release. In verse-chorus form the bridge is less constrained.

Music contrast in the bridge is achieved by rhythm and / or tempo change, and often by a change in the key of music.

Bridge is sometimes used to describe a section between a verse and chorus, commonly called a pre-chorus. In the classical music sonata form the transition between the two themes is also called a bridge, although it is more formally called a "transition theme".

Regarding lyrics, the bridge is often used as a mechanism to reflect on the previous lyrics and to set up the listener for the pay off or climax of the song.

A&R
A&R is a term used in the music industry (short for Artist and Repertoire) that refers to the department of a record label responsible for scouting out new bands and artists, and then developing their talent. The A&R department links the recording artist and the record label. A&R departments often find songwriters and record producers for signed bands, schedule recording sessions and handle any necessary contractural negotiations.
A&R Links

Public Performance Royalties
The financial output of performance rights. Performance rights control the permission to play a song on the radio, television, nightclub, concert etc.