12-inch single. A 45-rpm single the size of an LP and
typically holding a longer version of a popular song,
such as a dance mix.- See single.
A&R. “Artists and repertoire”; the segment of the record
industry focused on locating new artists and songs.
aaba form. A common song structure, consisting of
statement, restatement, contrast, and return.
accelerando. A gradual increase in tempo.
accent. Emphasis on a beat or note.
album-oriented rock (AOR). A 1970s radio format that
emphasized mainstream and progressive rock.
aleatoric music. See chance music.
alt.country. A style that blends traditional country
music elements with roots rock and punk; some-
times called “A mericana.”
alternative hip-hop. A broad category embracing art-
ists that fi t neither the gangsta nor mainstream
categories.
alternative rock. Since the 1980s, any rock style whose
proponents hold an oppositional stance to the
“mainstream.”
Americana. See alt.country.
amplitude. The distance a vibrating object moves with
each oscillation, audible as its dynamic level.
ancient music. Nineteenth-century term for simple
psalm and hymn tunes composed much earlier.
answer song. A popular song written in response to an
earlier song.
anthem. An elaborate choral work, often with biblical
text.
anti-folk. A category that embraces singer-songwriters
whose sound is too edg y or punk to be considered
part of the folk tradition.
GLOSSARY
arco. Performance direction to sound the strings with
the bow; cf. pizzicato.
arena rock. A mainstream popular music genre of the
1970s.
arpeggio. Musical fi gure in which the notes of a
chord are played one after another instead of
simultaneously.
atonality. The avoidance of any clear key center.
augmentation. Playing a melody with each note
“stretched out” in slower rhythm.
B side. The back side of a 78-rpm or 45-rpm single; also
called the fl ip side.
b-boying. A style of dancing to hip-hop often called
“break dancing” by the general public.
b-boys and b-girls. Break dancers.
back phrasing. In jazz, intentionally lagging behind
the accompaniment for expressive effect.
backbeat. An emphasis on beats 2 and 4 in four-beat
duple meter.
Bakersfi eld sound. A 1960s popular style that updates
traditional honky-tonk music with drums, electric
bass, and rock-style electric guitar.
ballad. 1. A narrative song in strophic form. 2. A pop-
ular song in medium or slow tempo with lyrics
expressing a romantic sentiment.
ballad opera. A theater work whose songs consist of
new words set to familiar tunes.
banda. Mexican American music played by wind
bands with military-style instrumentation.
bar. A grouping of beats (usually two, three, or four);
also called measure.
barbershop quartet. A style of four-part singing for
men in which a lead voice carries the melody,
higher and lower voices (tenor and baritone) add
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