This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving.
Search BBC
BBC World Service
BBC BBC News BBC Sport BBC Weather BBC World Service Worldservice languages
spacer gif
You are in: Learning English > Grammar and Vocabulary > Lingo
Learning English
spacer gif
keyboard

Learn the language of the street - what people say and the topics they like to talk about. Take a look at these music words and phrases and then take the Lingo Challenge!
 People working in music more Lingo


  • A bassist - Someone who plays bass guitar.
  • A guitarist - Someone who plays a guitar.
  • A lead singer - The main singer in the band.
  • A drummer - The person who plays percussion and the drums.
  • A programmer - Someone who creates music by mixing different bits or samples of others.
  • A singer songwriter - Someone who writes and sings their own songs, eg Paul McCartney.
  • A boy band - A group of young men brought together by a record company.

Music

Health

Sport

Relationships

Food

Going out

Moods

Work

Texting

Money

 Types of music

  • Trance - DJ Quicksilver, Nomad, etc.
  • Ambient - Tangerine Dream to Brian Eno, Aphex Twin to Penguin Cafe Orchestra, etc.
  • Disco - Modern Talking, Steps, etc.
  • Techno - David Holmes, Laurent Garnier, Dave Clarke, etc.
  • Heavy metal - Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Guns n Roses, Nirvana, Limp Bizkit, etc.
  • Indie [abbrev. Independent ie not mainstream] - Coldplay, Muse, Stereophonics, etc.
  • Dance - Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Leftfield, etc.
  • Drum and bass - Roni Size, Grooverider, etc.
  • Jungle - Goldie, Digital, Photek, etc.
  • Hip hop - Grandmaster Flash, Wu Tang Clan, Dr Dre, Eminem, etc.
  • UK Garage - Truesteppers, Artful Dodger, Wookie, etc.
  • Britpop - mid 90s British pop / rock - Blur, Pulp, Oasis, Suede, Elastica, etc.


 In the studio

  • In the studio William Orbit mixed some of the tracks on Madonna's last CD. - He worked on the sound and arranged the music.
  • Chinn and Chapman produced a lot of the famous bands from the 1970s. - They decided on the songs and the sound of the bands so the music had a distinctive sound.
  • Most bands record many demo versions of their music. - Recordings of songs before their final production.

 Making the music

  • They got a really good deal with Warner Brothers. - They've been signed up by a major record company.
  • She did vocals on Radiohead's latest release. - She sang on Radiohead's last CD.
  • The concert's been sold out for weeks. - All the tickets were sold weeks ago.
  • They were headlining at Glastonbury. - They were the main band at Glastonbury [a festival often held on a farm in the south west of England].
  • Paul McCartney is a great singer-songwriter - He writes his own songs and performs them.
  • Maria Callas was a famous soprano. One of her greatest performances was as Violetta. She was accompanied by the famous tenor Arrigo Pola - These are terms often used in the description of operatic performers.
  • The orchestra at the Royal Opera House was conducted by Bernard Heitink. - The conductor is the person who leads the orchestra.

 Musical ability

  • I can play the trumpet but I'm not very good at the piano. My brother can't play anything! - These are examples of using play to describe what instruments you can use.
  • I wish Jemima wouldn't sing - she's tone deaf! - Jemima is someone who can't sing in tune or recognise different tunes.
  • I've been able to sightread since I was six. - I can play music the first time I see it on a page.
  • She was born to sing. - She is very talented at singing.
Lingo Challenge

Try using as many of these phrases as you can in a one-minute conversation! How many will you manage to use? Have fun!



BBC copyright
 
Learning English | News English | Business English | Watch and Listen
 
Grammar and Vocabulary | Communicate | Quizzes | For teachers
 
Downloads | FAQ | Contact us