4 ms·

Fascinating. I've been thinking about this recently. I'm 100% a music person. My girlfriend seems to be a lyrics person. She doesn't seem to understand why I l

Fascinating. I've been thinking about this recently. I'm 100% a music person. My girlfriend seems to be a lyrics person. She doesn't seem to understand why I listen to music that has no words (also, she calls every piece of music a "song", which is all too common, alas). Conversely, I think some of the stuff she listens to is mind-numbingly boring and generic (like Taylor Swift), but apparently the lyrics mean something. If something can be musically interesting and have great lyrics (like The Beatles), then that's even better. But I'll listen to complete bullshit that is musically good (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg). But if it's got shit music then it's essentially poetry, and I don't like poetry.

recursive 2y ago
> also, she calls every piece of music a "song" "piece of music" is a little cumbersome. Given the choice between being correct, and using a word as convenient as "song", I'll probably side with the changing language. Is there any other alternative phrasing? "Piece" sounds ambiguous to me. Am album could be a "piece of music". Or a playlist. Or part of a song. Or just the flute track.
- liotier 2y ago
  "Track" covers the whole range.
- hunter2_ 2y ago
  Albums and playlists are not themselves pieces, but collections of pieces. Passage is a generic term for a portion of a song across the time domain, and part is the term for what one performer is contributing among many. Analogy: "image" is like "piece of music" in that it is a general term that divides into photo, graphic, and more. A photo album is not an image, it is a collection of images (specifically photos). And across art more generally, "piece" could be a unit of music, image, sculpture, or others. A piece is a unit. Like a SKU. Like a chocolate bar with a barcode on it (piece of music), which arrives in a carton of many bars (album or playlist) and can also be broken along scored subdivisions (verses or movements). Some bars are milk chocolate (song), others are dark chocolate (concerto), and plenty of other varieties as well. Don't clap between movements, only at the end of the piece. Is "hoover" a genericized trademark used to refer to many other vacuum cleaners because "vacuum cleaner" is more cumbersome to say in casual conversation? Yes. Is it useful to point that out in an analysis of different vacuum cleaners? Yes.
- globular-toast 2y ago
  You seem to be analysing words out of context, which is pointless. There is always context. I variously use the words "song", "recording", "piece", "album", "track" etc. depending on what type of music I'm talking about and in which context. "Piece" always works when talking about classical music. "Song" usually works when talking about popular music. "Track" works in most cases when talking about recorded music (apart from classical). But it would make no sense to refer to a song I'm about to play on guitar as a "track". Nor would it make sense to call a solo piece a "song". My point wasn't really about "correct" terminology, though, but merely that in some people's minds music is songs and anything else (ie. without lyrics, and yes, lyrics, not vocals) is not appreciated.
analog31 2y ago
A technical factoid: A "song" has melody and words. A convenient term for a tune without lyrics is... "tune."
- hunter2_ 2y ago
  Thank you! I've been feeling like there was something more appropriate for casual vernacular than "piece" and this is perfect.
- globular-toast 2y ago
  -oid means "like but not actually". Humanoid = like a human but not. Typhoid = like typhus but not. Factoid = like a fact but not (ie. it's not true).
  - analog31 2y ago
    Thanks. Looks like I walked right into one of the laws of the internet: If you try to use terminology to explain something, you will get the terminology wrong.
TheRealNGenius 2y ago
[dead]

recursive 2y ago

> also, she calls every piece of music a "song" "piece of music" is a little cumbersome. Given the choice between being correct, and using a word as convenient as "song", I'll probably side with the changing language. Is there any other alternative phrasing? "Piece" sounds ambiguous to me. Am album could be a "piece of music". Or a playlist. Or part of a song. Or just the flute track.

liotier 2y ago
"Track" covers the whole range.
hunter2_ 2y ago
Albums and playlists are not themselves pieces, but collections of pieces. Passage is a generic term for a portion of a song across the time domain, and part is the term for what one performer is contributing among many. Analogy: "image" is like "piece of music" in that it is a general term that divides into photo, graphic, and more. A photo album is not an image, it is a collection of images (specifically photos). And across art more generally, "piece" could be a unit of music, image, sculpture, or others. A piece is a unit. Like a SKU. Like a chocolate bar with a barcode on it (piece of music), which arrives in a carton of many bars (album or playlist) and can also be broken along scored subdivisions (verses or movements). Some bars are milk chocolate (song), others are dark chocolate (concerto), and plenty of other varieties as well. Don't clap between movements, only at the end of the piece. Is "hoover" a genericized trademark used to refer to many other vacuum cleaners because "vacuum cleaner" is more cumbersome to say in casual conversation? Yes. Is it useful to point that out in an analysis of different vacuum cleaners? Yes.
globular-toast 2y ago
You seem to be analysing words out of context, which is pointless. There is always context. I variously use the words "song", "recording", "piece", "album", "track" etc. depending on what type of music I'm talking about and in which context. "Piece" always works when talking about classical music. "Song" usually works when talking about popular music. "Track" works in most cases when talking about recorded music (apart from classical). But it would make no sense to refer to a song I'm about to play on guitar as a "track". Nor would it make sense to call a solo piece a "song". My point wasn't really about "correct" terminology, though, but merely that in some people's minds music is songs and anything else (ie. without lyrics, and yes, lyrics, not vocals) is not appreciated.

analog31 2y ago

A technical factoid: A "song" has melody and words. A convenient term for a tune without lyrics is... "tune."

hunter2_ 2y ago
Thank you! I've been feeling like there was something more appropriate for casual vernacular than "piece" and this is perfect.
globular-toast 2y ago
-oid means "like but not actually". Humanoid = like a human but not. Typhoid = like typhus but not. Factoid = like a fact but not (ie. it's not true).
- analog31 2y ago
  Thanks. Looks like I walked right into one of the laws of the internet: If you try to use terminology to explain something, you will get the terminology wrong.

TheRealNGenius 2y ago

[dead]