We will avoid genre-specific slang and focus on general terms....and I'll up-date this piece, so feel free to contact me directly or leave a comment if you have any terms you think I should add.
We'll start with general musical terms and then look at some other specific terms (like studio lingo or business sayings).
Also note: I've utilized AI for the time-frame/origin of the terms and, in most cases, my personal understanding of the terms confirms the research. However (as personal knowledge falls into the category of "the fallacy of small sample"), I'm interested in YOUR views on the terms and origins. So please contact me or comment any corrections!
Finally, there are many outstanding genre-specific resources out there, and I'd refer you to those for specific musical styles. Books like Debra Devi's "Language of the Blues", "STREET TALK: Da Official Guide to Hip-Hop & Urban Slanguage", by Randy Kearse, "Barrelhouse Words: A Blues Dialect Dictionary" by Stephen Calt, and many others exist for those who dig the language exploration, both contemporary and historical. I highly recommend taking the dive - the water is warm!
Here we go!
Musical terms:
Ad-Lib, short for ad libitum (Latin for "at one's pleasure"), refers to improvising or embellishing a line spontaneously, with the slang use becoming common in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Axe is slang for any musical instrument, but most commonly applied to the electric guitar, saxophone, or trumpet, thought to have originated in the 1950s among jazz musicians as slang for the saxophone, later spreading to other instruments like the guitar (1967).
Blow is the jazz term (1920s–1930s) for playing, specifically to improvise a solo over the chord changes, directly related to wind instruments but quickly becoming generic.
Call is an old jazz term for choosing the next song to be played.
Changes (1930s jazz argot) are the harmonic structure, or the specific sequence of chords, in a song, part of the Jive talk popularized in the Harlem Jazz scene.
Chops (1940s jazz slang) denotes a musician's technical skill, dexterity, and endurance on their instrument, derived from a slang term for the mouth/lips, later extending to mean technical proficiency on any instrument.
Clam (early 1950s jazz/orchestra) is a definite mistake or flubbed note in a performance, possibly related to the failure of the mouth to perform the correct note or "clamming up."
Comping (1940s bebop jazz), short for accompanying, is the rhythmic and harmonic support provided by a piano, guitar, or other chordal instrument behind a soloist, a style solidified in Bebop.
Gig (1920s jazz argot) is a job or a single live musical performance, an abbreviation of the word "engagement."
Head (1940s bebop jazz) is the main, composed melody of a jazz tune, which "bookends" the improvised solos in the Bebop structure.
Improv (1970 colloquial shortening) is the shortened form of improvisation; the act of spontaneously creating music in real-time without specific, prior preparation, a term popularized by improvisational comedy and theatrical groups.
In the Pocket (Mid-20th century funk/R&B/jazz) describes a tight, cohesive rhythm section where the groove is very solid, synchronized, and "feels" perfectly placed, referring to the perfect placement of the backbeat.
In the Zone (Late 20th century general slang) is a state of deep concentration, high focus, and peak performance where a musician feels completely connected to the music and performs flawlessly, adopted from general US culture ("zone" and "flow").
Lick (Early 20th century blues/jazz) is a short, distinctive, and memorable melodic or rhythmic pattern used as a brief flourish within a solo, implying a quick musical "phrase."
Out (Mid-20th century jazz/general) is the verbal cue ("Take it out!") to finish or conclude the song by transitioning out of the solo section. Also, can refer to "playing outside", meaning playing notes outside of the standard notes of the key (other than mere chromatic passing tones).
Riff (blues/jazz, first written account is 1935, but in use far) is a short, repeated musical phrase, often highly rhythmic, used to create a foundation or groove. Short for "rhythmic figure", meaning a short melody repeated for the purposes of the rhythm of the song.
Woodshed or Woodshedding (1930s blues/jazz) means to practice diligently and often in isolation, originating from the idea of a musician retreating to a detached location to practice.
Train Wreck (Mid-20th century general musician slang) is the complete breakdown of a performance where the musicians lose synchronization, a vivid, descriptive metaphor for a total disaster. Lastly, a
Vamp (1930s sheet music) is a short, simple, repeated musical passage that is played until a verbal cue signals the move to the next section, often seen as the instruction "Vamp till ready."
Studio terms:
Bleed (Mid-20th century) is the sound of one instrument or vocal being picked up by a microphone intended for another source, a phenomenon common since multi-track recording began.
Cans (Mid-20th century) is the term for headphones used in the studio, potentially originating from the crude telephone made from tin cans and string.
Click Track (Mid-20th century) is a metronome-like guide played in the musicians' headphones to keep time during recording, essential since the era of tape.
Clipping (20th century) is a form of waveform distortion that occurs when the input signal level exceeds the maximum capacity of the electronic circuit, typically resulting in an undesirable harsh sound.
Comp (Late 20th century DAW era) is the verb or noun for compiling the best parts of multiple takes (a process called "comping") into a final, single track, which became non-destructive in Digital Audio Workstations (DAW).
DAW (Late 20th century acronym) is the acronym for Digital Audio Workstation, the software and hardware used to record, edit, and mix audio files, becoming the standard tool for recording.
Dry/Wet (20th century) refers to the ratio of an effect applied to a sound: "dry" is the original, unprocessed signal, and "wet" is the fully processed signal.
Overdub (1950s tape recording) is the act of recording a new track or part over previously recorded tracks, a technique made possible with the advent of multi-track tape machines.
Punch-In (1950s tape recording) is a technique where the engineer starts recording on a track during playback to replace a small, specific section of a performance, originally requiring the engineer to physically "punch" a button with split-second timing.
Red Light Fever (Mid-20th century) is the anxiety or performance pressure felt by a musician when they know they are being recorded, from the red light indicator on the microphone or control board (or in many cases a physical red light that comes on when the recording starts) that signals a live take.
Scratch Track (Mid-20th century) is a temporary, rough guide track (often a vocal or simple instrument) recorded only to provide a reference for other musicians to record their parts against.
Sweetening (1960s) is a general term for adding extra orchestral, vocal, or instrumental parts (such as strings or brass) to a basic track to improve or "sweeten" the overall sound, often associated with a more polished production style.
Vox (20th Century Studio Shorthand) is the written version for vocals or the main vocal track (compare to "backing vox" or "b-vox").
Music Business terms:
360 Deal (21st century contract law) is a contract between a record label and an artist where the label receives a percentage of income from all the artist’s revenue streams—including recorded music, touring, publishing, and merchandise—to reflect the label's investment in development.
Advance (20th century record deals) is an upfront payment of money to an artist or writer, functioning as a loan that is later recouped by the payer (label or publisher) from the artist's future royalties.
Backend (Mid-20th century entertainment law) is a general term referring to any money due to a creative party (artist, producer, songwriter) after a project has become profitable or, specifically, the performance royalties received after a work has been publicly played.
Black Box Royalties (Late 20th century publishing) refers to royalties that are earned but remain undistributed because the rightful copyright holder cannot be identified or located, a problem that is becoming more transparent with digital tracking.
Guarantee (see "versus deal" below)
The Nut (1950s) is the total amount of money required to cover all fixed operating expenses and costs for a venture, such as a concert or a record label, derived from general US slang for the required capital for a business.
Points (Mid-20th century) is the industry term for the percentage of royalties or revenue an artist or producer receives, where one "point" usually equals one percent of the agreed-upon royalty rate.
Recoupment (20th century) is the process by which a record label or publisher recovers its initial investments and expenses (including the advance) from the artist's future royalties before the artist receives any income.
Skating (Late 20th century) refers to the act of avoiding responsibility or costs, often used when a promoter or venue attempts to "skate on" their financial obligations or delay payment to an artist.
Versus Deal (Mid-20th century) is a common live performance contract where the artist is paid either a set "guarantee" (fixed fee) or a negotiated percentage of the net income, whichever amount is greater, ensuring the artist receives a baseline payment but can benefit from high ticket sales.
Walkout (Mid-20th century) is the total amount of money an artist actually leaves the venue with after a performance, including their guarantee, any bonuses, and money from merchandise sales.
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