Music accompanies many moments of the day. We listen to it in the car, at home, with headphones, in a cafe or during sport. To talk about music in French, one uses very common words like chanson, morceau, album and concert. We can also say that we listen to music, that we put a song on or that we search for a playlist. With activities like Loisirs Créatifs or Sports de Plein Air, music often serves as background sound or a source of energy. In everyday life, people talk as much about what they hear as about what they like to listen to.

The most frequent styles are pop, rock, rap, jazz, classique and électro. People often say j’écoute du rock or j’aime la pop because in French the musical style is most often presented with du. For a song or an artist, you can also specify the genre. An evening can be électro, a film can have a classique vibe, and a radio can broadcast jazz. In conversations, these words are used to quickly say which musical universe one is looking for or which style one prefers. The same categories also come up when talking about Nourriture et Boissons in a café, bar, or party atmosphere.

musique classiqueélectrorapreggaerockpopjazzmétal

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Le rock est une musique avec des guitares fortes et une énergie viveL électro est une musique créée avec des sons électroniques et des rythmes marquésLe métal est une musique très puissante et très intenseLa pop est une musique très facile à écouter et souvent très chantéeLe jazz est une musique souvent improvisée avec beaucoup de libertéLa musique classique est une musique liée à une tradition savante et à des instruments comme le piano ou le violonLe reggae est une musique au rythme souple et balancéLe rap est une musique où le texte est souvent parlé ou scandé

Most Common Styles of Music

Word	Definition
pop	The pop is music very easy to listen to and often very sung.
rock	The rock is music with strong guitars and lively energy.
rap	The rap is music where the lyrics are often spoken or chanted.
jazz	The jazz is music often improvised with a lot of freedom.
musique classique	The classical music is music connected to a scholarly tradition and to instruments like the piano or violin.
électro	The electro is music created with electronic sounds and marked rhythms.
reggae	The reggae is music with a relaxed and swinging rhythm.
métal	The metal is music very powerful and very intense.

Scramble

The basic vocabulary includes guitare, piano, batterie, violon, flûte and saxophone. One says jouer de la guitare, jouer du piano and jouer de la batterie. The word basse is very common in a band, and micro is used for the voice on stage or in the studio. When you hear a song, you can recognize a main instrument or several instruments at once. In a simple conversation, these words allow you to say what a musician plays or what you hear in a piece.

pianoflûteguitarebatteriesaxophoneviolonbassemicro

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La guitare est un instrument à cordes que l on pince ou gratteLe micro est un appareil qui sert à faire entendre la voix plus fortLe violon est un instrument que l on joue avec un archetLa batterie est un ensemble de tambours et de cymbalesLa flûte est un instrument que l on joue en soufflant dans un tubeLe saxophone est un instrument en métal au son chaudLa basse est un instrument qui donne les notes graves et soutient la musiqueLe piano est un instrument à touches qui produit des notes en frappant des cordes

Basic Musical Instruments

Word	Definition
guitare	The guitar is a stringed instrument that is plucked or strummed.
piano	The piano is a keyboard instrument that produces notes by striking strings.
violon	The violin is an instrument played with a bow.
batterie	The drums is a set of drums and cymbals.
flûte	The flute is an instrument that you play by blowing into a tube.
saxophone	The saxophone is a metal instrument with a warm sound.
basse	The bass is an instrument that provides the low notes and supports the music.
micro	The microphone is a device used to make the voice louder.

Scramble

We écoute a song, we mete music on, we lance a playlist and we change the track. For the radio, we can also mettre la radio or écouter la radio. The verb entendre describes what is perceived, while écouter shows a voluntary action. A person can mettre du son to work, cook or do housework. We also talk about playlist when several songs are stored together for a specific mood. These verbs appear often in everyday sentences, especially with a phone, a speaker or a computer.

Useful verbs for listening to music

Usage	Explanation
Put on a song	We use mettre when starting music or a song on a device.
Listen in the background	We use écouter when the music accompanies another activity without being the focus of attention.
Put on repeat	We use mettre en boucle when we want the music to start again automatically.
Skip to the next song	We use this expression to change tracks and go to the next one.
Turn up the volume	We use this expression to increase the volume of a piece of music.
Turn down the volume	We use this expression to decrease the volume of a piece of music.
Download a song	We use this verb when you save a track on a device to listen later.
Create a playlist	We use this expression when you gather several tracks into one list.

A song is often made up of a couplet, a refrain and sometimes a pont. The refrain is the part that returns several times and that everyone easily remembers. The paroles are the lyrics of the song. One can also talk about début, fin or rythme to describe the structure of a track. When a song is easy to sing, the refrain is often simple and repeated. In careful listening, you also notice the lead voice and the instrumental passages.

introrepriserefrainsoloparolescoupletfinalpont

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Le solo est un passage où un instrument joue seul ou presque seulLe final est la fin d une chanson souvent plus intense ou plus marquanteLe pont est une partie qui relie deux sections de la chansonL intro est le début d une chanson qui prépare l écouteLes paroles sont les mots chantés dans une chansonLe couplet est une partie de chanson qui raconte ou développe l idée principaleLe refrain est la partie d une chanson qui revient plusieurs foisLa reprise est le retour d une idée musicale déjà entendue

Elements of a Song

Word	Definition
refrain	The refrain is the part of a song that repeats several times.
couplet	The verse is a part of a song that tells or develops the main idea.
paroles	The lyrics are the words sung in a song.
intro	The intro is the beginning of a song that prepares the listening.
pont	The bridge is a part that connects two sections of the song.
solo	The solo is a passage where one instrument plays alone or almost alone.
final	The final is the end of a song often more intense or more striking.
reprise	The reprise is the return of a musical idea already heard.

Scramble

To describe the sound, one often uses entraînant, calme, doux, triste, fort or lent. A entraînante piece of music makes you want to move, while a calme piece suits relaxation or work. Douce describes an agreeable and light sound, often with a voice or instrument without harshness. Triste is for a melancholic song, and fort for a high volume or powerful sound. One can also say that a piece is joyeux, énergique or émouvant. These adjectives are used to talk about a song, an album or a musical mood.

rythméeentraînantelentetristejoyeusecalmedouceforte

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Une musique triste est qui fait penser à la mélancolie ou à la peineUne musique rythmée est marquée par un rythme net et régulierUne musique douce est agréable et peu forteUne musique joyeuse est qui donne une sensation de bonheurUne musique calme est douce et peu agitéeUne musique entraînante est difficile à ignorer et donne envie de bougerUne musique lente avance avec un tempo posé et tranquilleUne musique forte est jouée à un volume élevé

Adjectives to Describe a Music

Word	Definition
entraînante	A catchy music is hard to ignore and makes you want to move.
calme	A calm music is soft and not agitated.
douce	A soft music is pleasant and not loud.
triste	A sad music is which evokes melancholy or sorrow.
joyeuse	A joyful music is which gives a sense of happiness.
rythmée	A rhythmic music is marked by a clear and regular rhythm.
forte	A loud music is played at a high volume.
lente	A slow music advances at a steady, calm tempo.

Scramble

A concert takes place on a stage in front of a public. Tickets are bought to enter, and the artist may embark on a tour in several cities or several countries. During a show, one also talks about a hall, musicians, a singer and a singeress. The audience applauds, sings and dances often during well-known pieces. In a concert, the opening act performs before the main artist. These words help describe the atmosphere of a musical event from start to finish.

bisencoretournéebilletpublicscèneconcertapplaudir

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Un concert est un spectacle où des musiciens jouent devant un publicUn billet est un papier ou un code qui permet d entrer au concertApplaudir signifie frapper des mains pour montrer son enthousiasmeEncore est aussi un mot pour demander une chanson de plusUne tournée est une série de concerts dans plusieurs villesBis est le mot que le public crie pour demander une chanson supplémentaireLa scène est l endroit où les artistes se produisentLe public est l ensemble des personnes qui regardent ou écoutent le spectacle

Vocabulary for Concerts and Shows

Word	Definition
concert	A concert is a show where musicians play in front of an audience.
scène	The stage is the place where artists perform.
public	The audience is the set of people who watch or listen to the show.
billet	A ticket is a paper or code that allows entry to the concert.
tournée	A tour is a series of concerts in several cities.
applaudir	To applaud means to clap one’s hands to show enthusiasm.
bis	Encore is the word the audience shouts to request an extra song.
encore	Encore is also a word to ask for one more song.

Scramble

An album contains several songs. A single is a song released alone. A morceau can refer to any song or track. A playlist gathers several titles, sometimes for a specific activity or a particular mood. The radio plays songs continuously, while a video clip is the video associated with a song. These formats are used to talk about the music we discover, share or listen to online. In a music library, these words are often used to organize tracks.

albumclipcassetteradioplaylistmorceausinglevinyle

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Un clip est une petite vidéo qui accompagne une chansonUn single est une seule chanson publiée séparémentUne cassette est un ancien support audio avec une bande magnétiqueLa radio est un média qui diffuse de la musique et des émissionsUn album est un ensemble de plusieurs chansons réuniesUn vinyle est un disque que l on écoute sur une platineUn morceau est une chanson ou une pièce musicaleUne playlist est une liste de morceaux choisis

Supports and Formats for Music

Word	Definition
album	An album is a set of several songs gathered.
single	A single is one song released separately.
morceau	A track is a song or musical piece.
playlist	A playlist is a list of chosen tracks.
radio	The radio is a medium that broadcasts music and shows.
clip	A clip is a short video that accompanies a song.
vinyle	A vinyl is a disc that you listen to on a turntable.
cassette	A cassette is an old audio medium with magnetic tape.

Scramble

To practice, we répète before a concert, we joue an instrument and we compose a song. We can also écrire lyrics or enregistrer a track. A musician travaille on their technique, s’exerce and prépare a show. As a group, we make music together, we follow the rhythm and we look for a good balance between the instruments. When a person is starting out, they often learn to read a score, tune their instrument and play the basics with regularity.

accorderchanterdirigerenregistrerjouerrépéterimprovisercomposer

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Accorder signifie régler un instrument pour qu il sonne justeEnregistrer signifie capturer la musique ou la voix sur un supportComposer signifie créer une nouvelle musiqueJouer signifie produire de la musique avec un instrumentDiriger signifie guider un groupe de musiciensChanter signifie faire de la musique avec sa voixImproviser signifie inventer sur le moment sans tout préparerRépéter signifie rejouer ou retravailler un passage pour mieux le faire

Actions for Playing Music

Word	Definition
répéter	Répéter means to replay or rework a passage to do it better.
jouer	Jouer means to produce music with an instrument.
composer	Composer means to create new music.
chanter	Chanter means to make music with your voice.
enregistrer	Enregistrer means to record music or voice on a medium.
improviser	Improviser means to improvise on the moment without full preparation.
accorder	Accorder means to tune an instrument so it sounds right.
diriger	Diriger means to lead a group of musicians.

Scramble

To talk about one’s tastes, one says j’aime, j’adore, je préfère or je n’aime pas. In French, the verb aimer is combined very often with la musique, le rock, une chanson or ce groupe. One can express a precise preference by saying je préfère le jazz à la pop or j’aime mieux les morceaux calmes. When one wants to be stronger, one says je déteste or je ne supporte pas. These phrases are used to show what one enjoys listening to and what one avoids.

Forms for Expressing One's Musical Tastes

Usage	Explanation
to like	We use to like to say that a music pleases us.
to adore	We use to adore to say that we really love a piece of music.
to prefer	We use to prefer to choose a piece of music over another.
to not like	We use this form to say that a piece of music does not please us.
to hate	We use to hate to show a very strong rejection of a style or a song.
to be a fan of	We use to be a fan of to talk about a great admiration.
to find awesome	We use this expression to say that we judge a music as excellent.
to listen to on repeat	We use this expression to say that we replay the same song often.

We listen to music in the car, at home, with headphones, in transport or at a party. With headphones and earphones are suitable when you want to hear music without disturbing others. At home, you can listen while working, cooking or relaxing. In the car, the radio and playlists are very common. At a party, music helps set the mood and makes people dance. These situations come up often when talking about daily life and listening habits.