Music Vocabulary

People

percussionist – percusionista

session musician = freelance musician hired to record on a specific track/album

songwriter, singer-songwriter = someone who composes and sings their own songs – cantautor

instrumentalist = someone who plays a musical instrument

choir – coro

sound technician = técnico del sonido

stagehand = montador

“roadie” = person who helps transport the group/equipment on tour

producer = person in charge of the technical side

manager = person in charge of the business/logistical side

“groupie” = a (young) impressionable fan who follows a group and would do anything to be with the group members, including maybe sleep with them!

Other terms

tune – melodía

to whistle –soplar

to hum – tararear

rhythm – not to be confused with “rhyme”

(to play) in tune/out of tune – afinar/desafinar

a score – una partitura

chord – acorde

to play in a band

concert/gig; to do a gig = to give a concert

mixing desk – mesa de mezcla

microphone = “mic” – micro

amplifier = “amp” = amplificador

live (careful with pronunciation)….music/performance/recording = ….en directo

to/a record = grabar/un disco

a recording = una grabación

a recording studio

to rehearse/a rehearsal = ensayar/un ensayo

a rehearsal room/studio = un local de ensayar

unplugged = without electric instruments = acoustic

the acoustics = the particular sound qualities of a venue

eg. I love the acoustics in this church; the sound echos a little.

a cover version/to cover (a song) = not an original song, a version of another’s song

to arrange/an arrangement = to (re-)assign different parts to different instruments

to release a record/song/CD, etc. = to make it available to the public

a new release = a record just recently released

to/a re-release = releasing an old record again

(record) label = record company eg. EMI, Decca, Sony, Atlantic Records….

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Music Idioms

face the music – to be punished; to finally confront a difficult situation

to jazz something up – make it more interesting

make a song and dance out of something – make a fuss out of something

It’s music to my ears – I like it

It takes two to tango – one person/party can’t be solely responsible for the actions of two
(eg. A:What an amazing match. Real Madrid are great!
B:It takes two to tango – Barça were great too!)

to play second fiddle – to always be the second, but not first focus of attention (fiddle=violin)
(eg. I’m tired of my boss getting all the credit for our teamwork. I’m always playing second fiddle.)

to blow your own trumpet – to say how great you yourself are

to call the tune(s) – to decide what happens

to strike/hit the right note – to do/say something appropriate

and all that jazz = and similar related things. (eg She loves glamour, Hollywood, fame and all that jazz)

to ring a bell – to sound familiar (eg. I think I recognise that voice. It rings a bell.)

to change your tune – to change your perspective/opinion/attitude/version (eg. Peter used to say he hated London and now he loves it. He’s changed his tune.)

for a song – cheaply (eg. This second-hand Ferrari cost me only $500. I got it for a song!)

to play by (it) by ear – to act without a plan, depending on the circumstances that arise (In music it means to play without a score.)

to strike a chord – to connect with your sentiment (eg. I like the government’s new tough Crime laws. They strike a chord with me.)

as clean as a whistle – very clean (whistle = pito)

to blow the whistle, to be a whistleblower – to publicly denounce wrongdoing (eg. Baltasar the judge blew the whistle on his corrupt colleagues and got into trouble for it.)

to end on a high note – end an event in a positive/optimistic way

Discussion

What groups/singers/types of music do you like or dislike?

Do you prefer songs or instrumental music?

When and where do you like listening to music?

Does music relax you, perk you up, excite you, bore you, make you laugh, make you cry…?

Can you play an instrument or sing? What instrument would you like to be able to play?

Have you ever played in a group?

What’s the best concert you’ve been to?

Shakespeare wrote: “If music be the food of love, play on…” What do you think?

*Dispones de más PODCAST en inglés publicados en los cuadernos anteriores
a los que puedes acceder directamente así como al índice de su contenido.