Culture

Live music

amplifier an electrical device or piece of equipment that makes sounds or radio signals louder a 25 watt amplifier vahvistin
encore an extra short performance given at the end of a concert or other performance; a request for this made by an audience calling out She played a Chopin waltz as an encore. ylimääräinen numero
headline  to be the main performer in a concert or show The concert is to be headlined by MJ pääesiintyjä
jam to play music with other musicians in an informal way without preparing or practising first We were just jamming with the band. jammailla, soittaa musiikkia
recital a public performance of music or poetry, usually given by one person or a small group They put on a song recital in honour of Mozart’s 250th birthday. sooloesitys
improvise  to invent music, the words in a play, a statement, etc. while you are playing or speaking, instead of planning it in advance  He improvised on the melody. improvisoida
busk to perform music in a public place and ask for money from people passing by I could never busk. esiintyä kadulla rahaa vastaan
baton a thin light stick used by the person (called a conductor) who is in control of an orcestra, etc. If you play in an orcestra, you must know what every slight movement of the baton means. tahtipuikko
gig a performance by musicians playing popular music or jazz in front of an audience; a similar performance by a comedian Our school band is a having a gig tonight. keikka
line-up the people who are going to take part in a particular event All of the band members are in the line-up today.  kokoonpano

Describing music

ambient (especially of music) creating a relaxed atmosphere How can one make music that is so amvient? tunnelmallinen
bassline the lowest part of a piece of music that accompanies the main tune The song has a lively melody and a funky bassline. basso
climax the most exciting part of a play, piece of music, etc. that usually happens near the end Just wait for the songs climax, it's amazing! huipentuma
interval a difference in pitch (= how high or low a note sounds) between two notes an interval of one octave intervalli
pitch how high or low a sound is, especially a musical note a basic sense of rhythm and pitch is essential in a music teacher. sävelkorkeus
virtuoso showing extremely great skill a virtuoso pianist/player virtuoosi, taituri
timbre the quality of sound that is produced by a particular voice or musical instrument the deep timbre of his voice äänensävy
motif a subject, an idea or a phrase that is repeated and developed in a work of literature or a piece of music Listen to the songs motif. motiivi, aihio
libretto the words that are sung or spoken in an opera or a musical play The collection contains hundreds of Italian opera librettos. laulumusiikkiteoksen teksti
dissonance  a combination of musical notes that do not sound pleasant together Somebody in the band is playing in dissonance. riitasointu

Styles of music

funk a type of dance music with a strong rhythm, developed by African American musicians in the 1960s Funk music is a style of dance music that evolved from the Black R&B, soul, and jazz scenes in the mid-1960s. funk
gospel a style of religious singing developed by African Americans Religious people tend to listen to gospel. evankeliumi eli ilosanoma
r&b rhythm and blues R&B lyrical themes often encapsulate the African-American experience of pain and the quest for freedom and joy. rhytm and blues
thrash  a type of loud rock music Metallica is primarily a thrash metal band. metallimusiikin tyylilaji
fusion  music that is a mixture of different styles, especially jazz and rock One example of fusion music is afrobeat. fuusio musiikkia, eri lajien sekoitus
gangsta a type of rap music, typically with words about violence, guns, drugs and sex Gangsta rap was really popular in the 1980s. gangsta
boogie a type of blues music played on the piano, with a fast strong rhythm Earth, Wind & Fire is the best Boogie band. tanssimusiikki
alternative rock a style of music that combines traditional rock music with other musical styles Rap has heavily influenced the current state of alternative rock. vaihtoehtorock
acid house a type of electronic music with a strong steady beat, popular in the 1980s, often played at parties where some people take harmful drugs Acid house brought house music to a worldwide audience. housemusiikin alalaji
bhangra a type of dance music that combines traditional Punjabi music from India and Pakistan with Western pop music Bhanga is often danced by dancers with colourful outfits. populaarimusiikin tyylilaji, bhangra