Songstuff: Music Glossary

You are one step away from taking part in the most inspiring community of musicians and songwriters.

It won't cost you a single cent.

Click NOW to get instant access!

Modules

New Articles

The Process Of Writing A Song

A song writing process is used to enhance the quality of your work and the speed that each work is created. This article provides tips on creating and using a song writing process, plus observations and suggestions about writing key aspects of a song.

This article is ideal for songwriters who either don't use a formal song writing process, or the song writing process that they are using is not quite working for them. By Songstuff

A Guide To Song Forms - Song Form Overview

Song forms are generally made up of a number of sections that may or may not be repeated within the same song. Popular music is generally based on the use of traditional sectional song forms, or structures that are derived from those traditional song forms.

This article gives an overview of the different fundamental song forms, and it provides a basic understanding of common modern song forms. By Songstuff

A Guide To Song Forms - Extended Common Song Forms And More

Add some new tools to your song writing toolbox by learning about common song forms. This article describes how common song forms can be extended, and looks at some of the less common song forms, such as through composed songs.

This article builds upon the AAA, AABA, AB, ABC and AAB song forms, and upon compound song forms, explained in our other articles in this series. By Songstuff

A Guide To Song Forms - Compound Song Forms

Have you ever used a compound song form? As a songwriter, I bet you have. Compound song forms are far more common than you might at first think.

Building upon the AAA, AABA, AB, ABC and AAB song form articles from our series on song forms, this article explains common compound popular song forms that you can add to your song writing toolbox. By Songstuff

Keeping A Song Interesting

Keeping a song interesting is not as easy as it might at first seem. For example, how do you stop listeners getting bored and switching off? What can you do to help hold the attention of listeners until the very end of a song? Will varying song structure help? Would changing song arrangement and instrumentation be enough? What effect can be introduced during song performance? Will the song lyrics make a difference? This article helps to explain the variety of things that you can do, during song writing, song arrangement, song performance, song recording, song production and song mastering, to help you too keep your song interesting. By Songstuff

Glossary Navigation

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

G

Gain
This is the name given to the amplification of a signal level. It can be expressed as a ratio of the output signal amplitude to the input signal amplitude. For example, Voltage gain:

Gain = Vout / Vin

Gain is normally expressed in dB.

For voltage gain use:

Gain (dB) = 20 log10 Vout/Vin

For current gain use:

Gain (dB) = 20 log10 Iout/Iin

For power gain use:

Gain (dB) = 10 log10 Vout/Vin

Gain Control
This is a device which adjusts the gain of an amplifier. This is normally done by altering the amount of negative feedback in the amplifying system. A Gain Control is not the same as an 'attenuator' or a 'volume' control.

Granular Synthesis
This technique uses small segments of either sampled or synthesised sound to generate a new sound or sound texture.

Ground Loop
This is a condition that occurs when two or more paths to ground exist and an unequal voltage is induced in each of the paths causing buzz, hum or other noise.

Group
This is a Mixing Desk channel to which a group of audio signals can be routed to allow the treatment and control of the resulting combined signal.

Guitar Neck
Long, normally wood, section of the guitar that the strings are stretched over.

Guitar Nut
The guitar nut is a strip, between the fret board and headstock, on which the guitar strings sit. The nut normally has small notches which are used as guitar string guides.