| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | abrasive | harsh and grating sounding |
| 2. | accessible | easy for many listeners |
| 3. | airy | light and spacious sounding |
| 4. | anthemic | grand, rousing, singalong quality |
| 5. | arrangement | the musical setting of a piece |
| 6. | arrhythmic | lacking a clear rhythm |
| 7. | atmospheric | creating a strong mood |
| 8. | atonal | without a tonal center |
| 9. | bass | the lowest musical range |
| 10. | beat | the basic pulse of music |
| 11. | bombastic | overblown and loudly dramatic |
| 12. | bridge | a contrasting song section |
| 13. | bright | clear and high in tone |
| 14. | brooding | darkly thoughtful and tense |
| 15. | cadence | a phrase-ending harmonic pattern |
| 16. | chord | three or more notes together |
| 17. | chorus | the song’s repeated main section |
| 18. | cinematic | broad and film-like in scope |
| 19. | consonant | pleasantly harmonious sounding |
| 20. | counterpoint | independent melodies sounding together |
| 21. | crescendo | gradually getting louder |
| 22. | crisp | clean and sharply defined |
| 23. | dark | deep, shadowy in tone |
| 24. | dense | packed with musical detail |
| 25. | derivative | too similar to earlier work |
| 26. | discordant | clashing and lacking harmony |
| 27. | disjointed | lacking smooth connection |
| 28. | dissonant | tense from note clashes |
| 29. | driving | strongly propulsive in rhythm |
| 30. | dynamics | variations in loudness |
| 31. | eclectic | drawing from varied styles |
| 32. | ethereal | delicate and otherworldly |
| 33. | euphoric | intensely joyful and uplifting |
| 34. | experimental | trying unusual musical ideas |
| 35. | ferocious | fierce and intensely forceful |
| 36. | fluid | smoothly flowing and easy |
| 37. | glacial | very slow and cold-feeling |
| 38. | gritty | rough, coarse, and forceful |
| 39. | groove | a compelling rhythmic feel |
| 40. | harmony | combined notes sounding together |
| 41. | haunting | lingering and emotionally evocative |
| 42. | hook | a catchy musical phrase |
| 43. | hypnotic | mesmerizing through repetition |
| 44. | infectious | catchy and hard to resist |
| 45. | innovative | introducing new musical ideas |
| 46. | intonation | accuracy of pitch |
| 47. | jagged | roughly broken and uneven |
| 48. | key | the tonal center of music |
| 49. | kinetic | full of movement and energy |
| 50. | legato | smoothly connected notes |
| 51. | loose | relaxed and less precise |
| 52. | lush | rich and full sounding |
| 53. | lyrical | expressive or songlike in quality |
| 54. | maximalist | using many dense elements |
| 55. | meandering | wandering without clear direction |
| 56. | melancholic | sadly reflective in mood |
| 57. | melody | a tune or main musical line |
| 58. | minimalist | using very few musical elements |
| 59. | mix | the balance of recorded elements |
| 60. | motif | a short recurring musical idea |
| 61. | muddy | unclear and blurred sounding |
| 62. | nasal | sounding through the nose |
| 63. | nimble | quick and agile in execution |
| 64. | octave | interval spanning eight notes |
| 65. | original | fresh and not imitative |
| 66. | overproduced | too heavily polished in studio |
| 67. | percussive | sharp and rhythmically struck |
| 68. | pitch | how high or low a note |
| 69. | plodding | heavy and lacking momentum |
| 70. | polished | smoothly refined and finished |
| 71. | production | the crafted recorded sound |
| 72. | punchy | strong and sharply impactful |
| 73. | raw | rough and unpolished sounding |
| 74. | refrain | a repeated line or section |
| 75. | resonance | rich ringing sound quality |
| 76. | restrained | controlled and not excessive |
| 77. | rhythm | the pattern of beats |
| 78. | riff | a repeated musical figure |
| 79. | seamless | flowing without obvious breaks |
| 80. | slick | highly polished, sometimes too much |
| 81. | soaring | rising with emotional lift |
| 82. | spare | plain and minimally arranged |
| 83. | staccato | short, detached notes |
| 84. | subtle | delicate and understated |
| 85. | syncopation | accenting unexpected beats |
| 86. | taut | tight and controlled |
| 87. | tempo | the speed of the music |
| 88. | tender | gentle and emotionally warm |
| 89. | texture | how musical layers combine |
| 90. | timbre | the tone color of sound |
| 91. | tonal | centered on a key |
| 92. | understated | effective without obvious display |
| 93. | underwritten | not fully developed compositionally |
| 94. | urgent | pressing and full of drive |
| 95. | velvety | smooth and soft in tone |
| 96. | verse | a recurring lyrical section |
| 97. | vibrato | slight wavering in pitch |
| 98. | virtuosic | showing exceptional technical skill |
| 99. | warm | rich, smooth, pleasingly full |
| 100. | wistful | gently sad and longing |
