Arpeggio

A broken chord where notes are played sequentially, rather than simultaneously, forming melodic and harmonic patterns.

Rhythmic Arpeggio Patterns

Arpeggios utilized to establish a clear rhythmic pulse, ostinato, or driving motif, often in accompaniment or lead instrumental lines.

Atmospheric Arpeggiated Textures

Arpeggios, frequently on synthesizers or instruments with reverberation, creating spacious, evolving, or shimmering soundscapes and pads.

Consistent and prominent use of arpeggios as a primary musical feature across diverse styles and instrumentations.


Synthesizer Timbre

Melodic, harmonic, or textural content primarily defined by sounds from synthesizers.

Electronic Ambience & Drones

Atmospheric soundscapes or sustained tonal/textural beds created with electronic sources.

Processed & Abstract Sounds

Audio manipulated to produce unconventional, often noisy or abstract, timbres via electronic effects or techniques.

Minimalist Electronic Motifs

Simple, often repetitive, electronic patterns, arpeggiations, or brief tonal events.

Experimental Electronic Sound

Electronically generated sounds used in non-traditional musical contexts, often exploring dissonance, noise, or unconventional structures.

Consistent incorporation of electronically generated or significantly processed audio across varied musical styles.


Pitched Sound Material

Core musical information conveyed through sounds with definite, recognizable pitches.

Melodic Phrasing

Features discernible melodic lines or themes, often carried by lead instruments or voices.

Harmonic Context

Employs harmony through chords, counterpoint, or implied tonal relationships.

Articulated Rhythm

Music possesses a clear rhythmic organization, pulse, or patterned movement.

Western Tonal System Adherence

Musical pitches and their relationships conform to scales, intervals, and harmonic practices common in Western music.

Pitches and harmonies structured according to Western musical conventions.


Spacious Sonic Environments

Sound characterized by a strong sense of depth, openness, and ambiance, often created using prominent reverb and delay effects.

Rich Textural Layering

Music built from multiple, often interwoven, sound elements or instrumental parts, creating complex and dense sonic tapestries.

Immersive Atmospheres

Musical focus on creating enveloping and evocative moods or environmental sensations through tonal color, texture, and space.

Creation of spacious, richly layered, and immersive sonic atmospheres using effects like reverb and delay, and dense textural arrangements.


Synthesized Timbres

Predominance of sounds generated electronically by synthesizers, encompassing emulated acoustic instruments and unique electronic textures.

Electronic Audio Effects

Significant use of signal processing like distortion, reverb, delay, and chorus to modify and enhance instrumental or vocal sounds.

Programmed Rhythmic & Melodic Patterns

Rhythms and melodies constructed via sequencing or programming, often featuring drum machines, arpeggiators, or looped phrases.

Music predominantly created or characterized by synthesized sounds, electronic effects, and programmed instrumental parts.


Guitar-centric Instrumentation

Acoustic or electric guitars serve as principal instruments for melody, harmony, or rhythmic drive.

Pianos or synthesizers (pads, leads, arpeggios, bass) serve as principal instruments for melody, harmony, or atmospheric texture.

Core musical expression consistently relies on either guitar-family instruments or keyboard/synthesizer instruments for melodic and harmonic content.


Non-Lyrical Focus

Primary emphasis on instrumental music or wordless vocal textures, lacking narrative lyrics.

Melancholic Expression

Musical language (harmony, melody) evoking sadness, introspection, or somberness.

Spacious & Sustained Sonorities

Prominent long, reverberant, or layered sounds creating atmospheric depth and texture.

Deliberate Pacing

General musical movement at slow to moderate tempos, enhancing reflective or serious moods.

Somber atmospheric music; non-lyrical focus; melancholic expression; spacious, sustained sonorities; deliberate pacing.


Sustained Tones

Musical notes or sounds held for extended durations, often with slow decay.

Ambient Soundscapes

Atmospheric, spacious, or ethereal musical environments, often background-focused.

Reverberant Acoustics

Prominent use of reverberation or similar effects creating a sense of depth and space.

Electronic Timbres

Sounds predominantly originating from synthesizers, sampling, or heavy electronic processing.

Underlying Drones/Pads

Continuous or slowly evolving, often low to mid-frequency, textures or sustained notes forming a harmonic bed.

Long, sustained musical elements; prevalent electronic timbres and reverberation; creation of atmospheric, spacious soundscapes.


Prominent Synthesizer Melodies

Synthesizers delivering distinct melodic lines or fast arpeggiated patterns as a melodic focus.

Featured Electric Guitar

Electric guitar in a lead role with solos, prominent riffs, or melodic phrases.

Consistent Rhythmic Pulse

Clear, often driving rhythmic foundation from drums, programmed beats, or strong rhythmic instrumental parts.

Distinct, easily followed melodic line as central musical element.


Persistent Beat

A clearly discernible and continuous beat or pulse maintained throughout, irrespective of tempo or style.

Groove Establishment

Rapid formation of a characteristic rhythmic feel or groove that defines the style and propels the musical motion.

Rhythmic Layering

Interaction of multiple distinct rhythmic elements, such as drum patterns, bass lines, and chordal rhythms, creating a composite texture.

Foundational, continuous rhythmic beat or pulse as the primary structural and driving element across diverse musical styles.


Drone Texture

A prominent, continuous, and often low-pitched harmonic or monophonic sound that persists throughout a significant portion of the music, creating a foundational layer.

Sustained Acoustic Guitar Harmonies

Chords and notes played on acoustic guitars that ring out or are strummed continuously, creating an ongoing harmonic background or resonant texture.

Electronic Sustained Pads

Synthesized sounds, often lush and evolving, that are held for extended durations to provide atmospheric, harmonic, or textural support.

Continuous Vocal Lines

Melodic or harmonic vocal parts, including singing and chanting, characterized by notes being held or flowing seamlessly, contributing to a sense of uninterrupted sound.

Resonant Processed Instrumentation

Instrumental sounds, typically electric guitar, heavily altered by effects like distortion or delay, resulting in a sustained, resonant, and often textured sonic quality.

Consistent use of continuously sounding or long-resonating tonal elements (acoustic, electronic, or vocal) as a core sonic characteristic.


Clear Melodic Lines

Each piece contains easily discernible melodies or melodic motifs forming a core musical component.

Use of Repetition

Widespread employment of repeated melodic phrases, riffs, rhythmic patterns, or formal sections as a structural device.

Synthesizer Sound Sources

Electronically generated sounds from synthesizers used for melodic, harmonic, or textural roles in many pieces.

Diverse Timbres

A wide array of instrumental, vocal, and electronic timbres employed, showcasing varied sound palettes.

Acoustic Instrument Sonorities

Presence of traditional acoustic instruments, such as orchestral strings, accordion, or acoustic drums, in some pieces.

Clear, repetitive melodic content central to all pieces; diverse genres and instrumentations.


Repetitive Musical Phrases

Use of short, recurring melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic patterns as a core structural element.

Instrumental Ostinati Focus

Repetitive patterns are predominantly performed by instruments and are central to the musical texture.

Music characterized by the foundational use of short, persistently repeated instrumental figures (melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic).


Synthesizer Sonorities

Utilization of sounds created by synthesizers for melodic, harmonic, textural, or rhythmic roles.

Electronic Audio Effects

Widespread application of signal processing (e.g., reverb, delay, distortion, filtering, modulation) to shape timbre and acoustic space.

Processed & Synthetic Timbres

Dominance of sound colors that are clearly not from unprocessed acoustic instruments, often sounding overtly electronic or heavily altered.

Music predominantly featuring sounds created or manipulated by electronic means, including synthesis and signal processing.


Clear Melodic Articulation

The principal melody is presented with distinctness, making it easily discernible as the main musical idea.

Melodic Foregrounding

The main melodic line is consistently positioned in the auditory foreground, clearly distinguished from accompaniment.

Timbral Diversity of Melodic Lead

The prominent melody is performed by varied sound sources, including voice, acoustic instruments (e.g., flute, guitar, harmonium), and synthesizers.

A clearly defined melodic line, whether vocal or instrumental, consistently functions as the primary element of musical interest.


Sustained Raw Brass

Raw-timbred brass instruments (e.g., horn, shofar) playing prolonged notes and figures with enduring presence.

Resonating Metallic Chimes

Tuned metallic percussion (bells, chimes) producing clear, ringing tones that decay gradually, emphasizing sustained resonance.

Bagpipe Drone and Melody

Bagpipes featuring a continuous, unwavering drone underpinning a melodic line with inherently sustained notes.

Pulsing Sustained Synthesizer

Electronic synthesizer generating a continuous pad sound with an applied rhythmic pulse, maintaining an underlying sustained texture.

Distortion-Enhanced Guitar Sustain

Electric guitar utilizing heavy distortion that naturally prolongs note duration within aggressive riffs, creating a sustained effect.

Sustained Folk Reed Tones

Reedy folk wind instrument (e.g., folk clarinet) characterized by prolonged notes and repeated figures with continuous airflow.

Sustained Latin Jazz Flute/Piano

Latin jazz arrangement where a flute renders sustained melodic phrases over piano providing harmonic backing with prolonged chords.

Sustained Salsa Ensemble Harmonies

Salsa music showcasing sustained notes from brass instruments and enduring piano harmonies, building a full, resonant band sonority.

Continuous Basic Synthesized Tone

Elementary synthesized waveform (e.g., sawtooth) presented as an unwavering, continuous tone, highlighting its inherently sustained quality.

Musical sounds (instrumental/synthesized) held, prolonged, or resonating; creating continuity or lingering sonority.


Bass as Harmonic Foundation

Low-frequency instruments consistently provide the core harmonic support and grounding for the music across various genres.

Distinct Bass Sonority

The specific timbre of the bass instrument (e.g., electric guitar, synthesizer, acoustic) is clearly defined and audible in the mix.

Active Bass Lines

Bass parts are musically engaging, featuring melodic content, rhythmic drive, or significant textural presence beyond simple root-note accompaniment.

Consistent featuring of clearly audible bass instruments playing a crucial harmonic, rhythmic, or textural role.

Prominent and Active Bass Instrumentation


Bass as Rhythmic Driver

Basslines frequently establish or reinforce the primary rhythmic pulse and groove of the music.

Bass as Harmonic Anchor

Low-frequency instrumental parts consistently provide foundational harmonic support, outlining chord roots and progressions.

Diverse Bass Instrumentation

The foundational bass role is performed by a variety of instruments, including electric bass, synth bass, and orchestral low strings, reflecting genre diversity.

Universal presence of a distinct musical layer in the bass register; fulfilling essential harmonic, rhythmic, or melodic roles across diverse genres.


Synthesizer Lead and Pads

Dominant use of synthesizers for melodic leads, harmonic pads, and atmospheric textures.

Electronic Percussion

Rhythmic foundation frequently provided by drum machines or synthesized drum sounds.

Atmospheric Reverb and Delay

Significant application of reverb and delay effects, creating spacious and immersive soundscapes.

Arpeggiated Synthesizers

Recurrent use of arpeggiators on synthesizers for rhythmic and melodic movement.

Polished Electronic Production

Characterized by a clean, clear, and often modern electronic production style.

Pervasive synthesizers, electronic percussion, spatial effects, and polished production define a modern electronic sound.


Purely Instrumental Arrangements

All musical pieces are composed for instruments alone, without any vocal content.

Acoustic Piano via Electronic Mediation

Acoustic piano sounds, presented through recording or sampling, fitting within an electronically mediated context.

Synthesizer Prevalence

Dominant use of synthesizers for a wide array of sounds including emulations (strings, celesta, organ), pads, leads, and electric piano timbres.

Amplified Guitars and Bass

Feature of electric guitars and bass, inherently relying on electronic amplification for their sound.

Programmed or Electronic Drums

Rhythmic accompaniment often utilizing drum machines, samples, or synthesized percussion sounds.

Consistent use of sounds that are either electronically generated (synthesizers, samplers, drum machines) or acoustic instruments captured and presented via electronic means (miking, amplification, sampling). All music is instrumental.

Electronically Mediated Instrumental Music


Melodic Electric Guitar

Electric guitar, often with tonal shaping effects, delivering the main melodic or thematic content.

Melodic Synthesizer

Synthesized timbres forming the primary melodic lines, characteristic of electronic music.

Melodic Acoustic Strings

Acoustic string instruments (e.g., orchestral strings, acoustic guitar) playing the principal melody.

Consistent presence of a distinct, instrumentally-conveyed primary melody.


Music Box/Toy Instrument Timbre

High-pitched, metallic, percussive sounds of music boxes or toy instruments, often with mechanical or slightly detuned qualities.

Live/Environmental Recording Elements

Audio characteristics of recordings outside controlled studios, including PA system coloration, ambient noise, or spoken announcements.

Manipulated Sound & SFX

Prominent use of distinct sound effects or heavily processed audio, indicating artificial sound design and non-naturalistic sources.

Raw or Vintage Instrumental Tones

Unpolished, directly recorded, or retro instrumental timbres; sounds from basic synthesizers, amateur performances, or unprocessed acoustic sources.

Prevalence of lo-fi, raw, or unpolished sonic textures; audio imperfections, vintage/toy instrument qualities, and non-studio recording characteristics.


Pitched Melodic Contours

Musical excerpts are characterized by sequences of notes with definite pitch, forming recognizable melodic shapes and phrases.

Diverse Timbral Presentation of Melody

Melodic content is articulated by a variety of sound sources, including human voice, acoustic instruments (orchestral, guitar), electronic synthesizers, and pitched percussion.

Melody as Primary Focus

Melodic elements function as central, attention-grabbing components, often carrying the main musical idea or theme.

Distinct, pitched melodic lines or motifs as core structural and expressive elements.


Dominant Rhythmic Percussion

Strong, driving beat from acoustic drums or drum machine, central to track structure.

Foundational Bass Line

Audible bass part, via electric bass guitar or synthesizer, providing low-frequency harmonic and rhythmic support.

Key Guitar/Synthesizer Layer

Electric guitar or synthesizer prominently featured for riffs, melodies, chords, or textural soundscapes.

Consistent instrumentation featuring a rhythm section (drums, bass) and a key guitar or synthesizer layer, forming a full and energetic sound.


Dominant Synthesizer Tonality

Musical timbre overwhelmingly characterized by sounds produced by electronic synthesizers, encompassing melodic, harmonic, and textural elements.

Atmospheric Synth Textures

Use of synthesized pads, drones, or evolving soundscapes creating ambient backgrounds or harmonic layers.

Synthesized Rhythmic Elements

Rhythmic components, including beats and percussive effects, frequently generated by drum machines or synthesized percussion.

Primarily synthesizer-generated sounds defining core sonic identity across melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic roles.


Acoustic Piano Sonority

Distinct sound of acoustic piano in melodic or harmonic roles.

Synthesizer Lead Voices

Prominent melodic lines played by synthesizer instruments.

Synthesizer Atmospheric Textures

Sustained, evolving synthesizer sounds creating ambience or textural layers.

Programmed Rhythmic Backing

Rhythms from drum machines, sequencers, or synthesized percussion, often accompanying keyboard elements.

Keyboard instruments (piano, synthesizers) central to melodic, harmonic, or textural composition.


Melodic Lines

Features discernible sequences of pitches forming tunes or melodic phrases.

Harmonic Content

Utilizes chords, counterpoint, or harmonically rich textures created by simultaneous pitches.

Pitched Instrumentation

Employs instruments or voices that produce sounds of definite musical pitch.

Tonal Framework

Musical structure is organized around a central key or tonal center, providing a sense of resolution.

Diverse musical styles unified by a tonal framework, featuring melody, harmony, and pitched instrumentation.


Synthesizer Ostinatos and Loops

Short, persistently repeated melodic or rhythmic phrases (ostinatos) and cyclical patterns (loops) performed by synthesizers.

Repetitive Rhythmic Grooves

Consistent and recurring rhythmic patterns, often from electronic percussion or strummed instruments, establishing a distinct groove.

Sustained and Drone-like Elements

Long, continuous or slowly evolving sounds, typically synthesized, creating static, textural, or atmospheric layers.

Cyclical Song Structures

Musical organization characterized by the recurrence of large sections such as verses, choruses, or refrains.

Dominance of recurring melodic phrases, rhythmic patterns, sustained textures, or cyclical formal structures.


Reverberant Distorted Guitar

Electric guitar timbre combining distortion with audible reverberation for a spacious and powerful effect.

Orchestral Hall Ambience

Acoustic signature of a large performance space, imbuing orchestral recordings with grandeur and depth through natural or simulated reverberation.

Atmospheric Guitar Delay & Reverb

Electric guitar textures shaped by prominent delay and reverb, creating expansive and immersive soundscapes.

Ethereal Pad Reverberation

Sustained, atmospheric sounds, often synthesized or heavily processed, defined by extensive reverberation for a spacious, immersive quality.

Reverberant Folk Ensemble

Acoustic folk or world instruments presented with reverberation to enhance timbral richness and create a sense of shared acoustic space.

Pervasive reverberation creating spatial depth and atmosphere across diverse musical styles and instrumentation.


Drone Harmonies

Sustained notes or chords forming a continuous harmonic background or foundation.

Sliding and Bending Pitch

Melodic lines featuring prominent glissandi, portamenti, or pitch bends.

Synthesizer Timbre

Sounds characteristic of synthesizers in melodic, harmonic, or bass roles.

Folk/World Instrumental Color

Distinctive timbres from instruments of folk or non-Western traditions (e.g., bagpipes, sitar-like, pedal steel).

Prominent sustained notes, drones, or slow-decay sounds creating continuous tonal presence.


Pervasive Synthesizers

Core instrumentation and sound design primarily realized through various synthesizer types, encompassing leads, pads, bass, and effects.

Synth Pads & Atmospheres

Sustained synthesizer textures creating atmospheric, ambient, or harmonic backdrops, often evolving slowly.

Electronic Rhythms

Rhythmic drive from drum machines, synthesized percussion, or rhythmically sequenced/arpeggiated synthesizers.

Synthesizer Lead Voices

Melodic themes and primary instrumental lines typically performed by distinct synthesizer timbres.

Predominantly synthesizer-based instrumentation, creating electronic soundscapes with synthesized melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic content.


Chiptune and Retro Synthesis

Use of sounds and compositional styles reminiscent of early video game console sound chips, often featuring synthesized waveforms like square and pulse waves, and fast arpeggiated figures.

Atmospheric and Cinematic Synthesizers

Employment of synthesizers to create immersive soundscapes, orchestral emulations (e.g., string pads), and grand, emotional themes suitable for dynamic or narrative media.

Genre Versatility for Interactive Media

A broad spectrum of musical genres (e.g., rock, electronic, classical, folk, metal) utilized to score diverse scenarios, environments, and emotional arcs, characteristic of game soundtracks.

Rock and Metal Idioms for Intensity

Incorporation of rock and heavy metal elements, such as distorted electric guitars, prominent basslines, and driving drum beats, to create energy for action sequences or intense moments.

Melody-Driven Composition

Emphasis on clear and often memorable melodic lines, important for creating recognizable themes and leitmotifs in contexts like game music or film scores.

Piano for Emotional Expression

Use of piano, either as a solo instrument or prominently featured, to convey emotional depth, introspection, or poignant moments.

Diverse musical styles and production techniques typical of video game soundtracks, including synthesized textures, genre versatility, and melody-driven compositions tailored for interactive experiences.


Sustained Pitched Tones

Feature of prominent pitched sounds (instrumental or vocal) held or resonating for significant duration, distinct from purely percussive or extremely brief notes.

Connected Musical Phrasing

Tendency for melodic and harmonic elements to be smoothly linked or articulated, promoting a sense of musical flow and continuity.

Non-Dominant Staccato Articulation

Musical textures generally not defined by short, sharply detached (staccato) notes; prevalence of longer note values or resonant sound decays.

Pervasive use of sounds with notable duration and resonance; textures favoring continuity and flow over abruptness or primarily percussive qualities.


Direct Instrumental Sound

Minimal ambient effects or studio processing on instruments, yielding an upfront, clear, sometimes stark timbre.

Lo-Fi or Raw Recording

Audio quality suggesting limited fidelity, live capture imperfections, or intentional rawness; may include noise, distortion, or an unrefined mix.

Prioritized Performance Energy

Strong sense of immediacy and energy from the performance, valuing expressive power above technical sonic perfection.

Direct, unrefined, or minimally processed sound; prioritizes immediacy, raw energy, or lo-fi aesthetics over conventional studio polish.


Vocal Lead Melody

A distinct and primary melodic line performed by a human voice, carrying the main musical theme.

Aerophone Lead Melody

A prominent melodic line played by a wind instrument (aerophone), such as bagpipes, reed instruments, brass, or orchestral woodwinds, serving as the principal melodic focus.

Synthesizer Lead Melody

A primary melodic line generated by an electronic synthesizer, often defining the main theme, particularly in electronic music genres.

Consistent presence of a clear, primary melodic line that stands out from any accompaniment, serving as the principal musical focus across diverse genres and instrumentations.


Sequential Chord Tones (Arpeggios)

Musical technique where chord notes are played in sequence, creating a flowing, broken-chord texture.

Electronic Timbre Arpeggiation

Arpeggiated patterns predominantly performed using synthesizers or other electronic sound sources.

Arpeggios as Primary Melodic Voice

Arpeggiated figures frequently functioning as the main tune or a prominent melodic element.

Fast-Paced Arpeggiated Rhythms

Rapidly played arpeggios contributing significantly to rhythmic energy and textural intricacy.

Universal application of arpeggiated figures across diverse instrumental palettes and musical styles.


Electric Guitar Presence

Electric guitar sounds, clean or distorted, in lead or rhythm roles.

Synthesizer Elements

Electronically generated synthesizer sounds for melodies, harmonies, bass, or textures.

Defined Percussive Beat

Clear rhythmic pulse from acoustic/electronic drums or percussion.

Vocal Content

Human voice through sung melodies, speech, or sampled phrases.

Universal distinct bass line (bass guitar or synth) grounding harmony/rhythm.


Electronic Music Composition

Music primarily composed and produced using electronic instruments, synthesizers, and digital audio workstations.

Dominant Synthesizer Timbre

Melodic, harmonic, bass, and textural elements are predominantly generated by various types of synthesizers.

Programmed Electronic Percussion

Rhythmic foundation built using drum machines, synthesized drum sounds, or sequenced samples, often with a precise, non-acoustic quality.

Repetitive Rhythmic and Melodic Motifs

Frequent use of looped phrases, arpeggiations, ostinatos, and recurring rhythmic patterns, contributing to a driving or hypnotic feel.

Predominant use of synthesizers for diverse timbres, coupled with programmed electronic rhythms and often repetitive structures, spanning various electronic music subgenres.


Synthesizer Lead

Primary melodic lines carried by various synthesizer timbres, including emulations of plucked strings.

Guitar Lead / Riff Focus

Melodic themes or prominent, defining riffs delivered by acoustic or electric guitar.

Wind Instrument Lead

A wind instrument, such as a harmonica, featured as the main melodic voice.

String Section Lead

Melodic focus provided by an ensemble of string instruments, whether acoustic or synthesized.

Instrumental compositions consistently featuring a distinct non-vocal melodic lead or primary thematic line.


Synthesizer-driven Arpeggios

Electronically generated, sequential chord notes forming rhythmic and melodic patterns on synthesizers.

Acoustic Piano Arpeggiation

Sequentially played chord notes on acoustic piano, creating flowing accompaniment or melody.

Arpeggiated Guitar & Bass Lines

Guitar and bass melodies or riffs built from sequentially played chord tones.

Evolving Arpeggiated Pads

Ambient synthesizer pads with slow, internal sequenced or arpeggiated harmonic movement.

Widespread use of arpeggios and arpeggiated figures across diverse instruments and styles, as a core textural, melodic, or harmonic element.


Synthesizer Usage

Prominent use of electronically generated timbres for melodies, basslines, pads, and effects.

Programmed Rhythms

Rhythmic foundations often created by electronic drum machines or sequenced percussive sounds.

Electronic Dance Music Characteristics

Stylistic elements typical of electronic dance music genres, such as steady kick drums and synth leads.

Arpeggiated Synthesizers

Melodic or harmonic patterns formed by playing chord notes in sequence using synthesizers.

Musical compositions built upon the extensive repetition of rhythmic, melodic, or harmonic phrases and loops.


Piano-led Arpeggios & Melodies

Piano as a primary instrument delivering arpeggiated chord patterns or distinct melodic lines that outline harmony.

Figuration on Plucked Strings

Plucked string instruments (e.g., guitar, oud) articulating chords through fingerpicking, rapid melodic runs, or arpeggio-like figures.

Synthesizer Harmonic Animation

Synthesizers employed to create harmonic movement via arpeggiated patterns or slowly evolving, non-static pad textures.

Harmony articulated via sequential notes (arpeggios, melodies) or evolving textures, not static chords.


Reverberation

Audible effect of sound reflections, creating spaciousness, depth, or specific acoustic character in the audio.

Consistent and prominent use of reverberation across diverse musical styles to create or enhance spatial qualities and atmosphere.


Synth-based Harmonic Beds

Synthesizer pads or sustained synth textures providing harmonic foundation and atmosphere.

Sustained String Underpinnings

Orchestral strings creating lush, sustained harmonic layers as a core textural element.

Guitar Chordal Sustain

Electric guitars playing sustained chords, often layered or distorted, forming a dense harmonic backdrop.

Widespread use of sustained instrumental layers (synthesizers, strings, or guitars) creating rich harmonic foundations and often contributing to atmospheric depth.


Fundamental Frequencies

Presence of dominant lowest frequencies defining the perceived pitch in all audio segments.

Tonal Quality

Sounds exhibit a definite pitch or note-like character, distinguishable from atonal noise.

Periodic Vibration Basis

Pitched sounds originate from sources vibrating in a periodic or quasi-periodic manner, enabling pitch perception.

Discernible pitches derived from fundamental frequencies of periodic or quasi-periodic sound source vibrations.


Glissando / Portamento

Smooth, continuous, and often prominent sliding of pitch between notes or as a defining characteristic of a sound, used expressively.

Instrumental & Vocal Pitch Bending

Deliberate, controlled alteration of pitch (e.g., bending up/down and often returning) on instruments or voices for expressive effect.

Expressive Vibrato

Significant, often wide or varied in speed, pulsating pitch change on sustained tones from instruments or vocals, contributing to expression.

Pervasive use of non-static pitch articulations (glissandi, portamento, bends, slides, notable vibrato) as key expressive features in primary melodic or timbral elements.


Plucked String Articulation

Sounds characterized by the distinct attack and decay of plucked strings, prominent in instruments like guitars and harpsichord emulations.

Sustained Instrumental Tones

Significant use of prolonged notes or legato phrasing by instruments such as orchestral strings, wind instruments, synthesizers, and distorted guitars.

Ambient Reverberation

Widespread use of reverberation to create a sense of acoustic space, depth, or atmospheric texture.

Music performed solely by instruments, characterized by the complete absence of sung vocals.


Acoustic Guitar Focus

Prominent use of acoustic guitar for melody, harmony, or rhythm, defining the core sound in many segments.

Processed & Distorted String Instruments

Sounds likely originating from string instruments (e.g., guitar, bass) that are heavily modified by effects like distortion, filtering, or modulation, creating unconventional timbres.

Synthesizer Melodies & String-like Pads

Electronically generated sounds featuring clear synthesizer-played melodies or ambient pads that often emulate or evoke string ensemble textures.

Music featuring diverse manifestations of string instrument sounds, including acoustic, electric, heavily processed, or synthesized emulations, fulfilling melodic, harmonic, and textural roles.


Primary Synthesizer Voicing

Synthesizers serve as the principal source for nearly all melodic, harmonic, bass, and textural elements.

Pervasive Electronic Timbre

A consistent sound world defined by artificial, synthesized, and processed timbres, with a general absence of acoustic instrument characteristics.

Functional Synthesis Implementation

Synthesizers are employed to construct all necessary musical components, fulfilling roles of melody, harmony, bass, texture, and contributing to rhythmic elements.

Dominant synthesizer voicing; pervasive electronic timbre; functional synthesis implementation across varied electronic styles.


Pitched Percussive Timbres

Clear, decaying, metallic or crystalline tones from sounds resembling struck idiophones (e.g., music box, glockenspiel) or bright percussive keyboards.

Bright Electric Guitar

Electric guitar tones, typically clean or lightly driven, emphasizing high frequencies and clear string articulation.

Shimmering Synthesizers

Luminous, bright, sometimes ethereal synthesized textures (pads, leads, arpeggios) with prominent high-frequency content.

High-Frequency Ambience/Noise

Non-melodic soundscapes or noise characterized by significant high-frequency presence (e.g., hiss, crackle).

Emphasis on higher frequencies across varied sound sources (acoustic, electric, synthetic), creating a predominantly clear, sharp, or luminous sonic character.


Acoustic Piano Sonority

Presence of the characteristic sound of an acoustic piano, utilized for melody, harmony, or rhythmic figures.

Diverse Keyboard Timbres

Employment of a variety of keyboard instruments including electric pianos, synthesized piano-like sounds, toy pianos, and celesta.

Keyboard as Primary Musical Voice

Piano or other keyboard instruments are featured prominently, often delivering main melodies, solos, or driving harmonic content.

Consistent and central use of piano and other keyboard instruments across various styles, forming core timbral and structural elements.


Clear Melodic Lead

A distinct and prominent melodic line serves as the primary musical focus.

Articulated Melodic Performance

Lead melodic lines are performed with clarity, whether vocal or instrumental, ensuring easy perception.

Diverse Melodic Expression

Lead melodies exhibit a wide range of characters, from lyrical and atmospheric to aggressive or playful.

Music consistently highlights a primary melodic line, performed by a distinct solo instrument or lead vocal.


Synthesizer-Carried Melodies

Main melodic lines and themes are consistently performed by synthesizer instruments.

Layered Synthesizer Harmonies & Textures

Harmonic support and atmospheric depth are primarily achieved through layered synthesizer pads, strings, and other sustained electronic sounds.

Vintage & Retro Synthesizer Timbres

The synthesizer sounds predominantly evoke timbres and characteristics of analog or early digital synthesizers typical of the 1970s, 80s, and early 90s.

Music primarily characterized by the extensive use of synthesizers for melody, harmony, and texture, often employing vintage-inspired electronic timbres.


Melodic Arpeggios

Chord notes played in rapid succession to form distinct melodic lines or virtuosic instrumental passages (e.g., on violin, piano, guitar, clarinet, synth leads).

Arpeggiated Textures and Accompaniment

Harmonic or textural layers created by sequentially playing chord notes, common in synthesizer pads, sequenced basslines, and guitar or piano accompaniment.

Sequential Unfolding of Harmony

Harmonic content revealed through notes sounding in succession rather than strictly simultaneously, observable in polyphonic vocal music and layered instrumental textures.

Predominant use of arpeggios and other broken chord techniques; sequential playing of chord notes for melody, harmony, and texture across diverse styles.


Repetitive Phrases

Prominent use of short, recurring melodic motifs, riffs, or rhythmic patterns forming core musical structure.

Instrumental Composition

Music entirely without vocals; expression conveyed solely through instruments.

Cyclical Structures

Musical forms heavily reliant on looped segments or ostinatos, creating a repeating or evolving cyclical feel.

Multi-Layered Arrangements

Compositions featuring multiple distinct instrumental lines or timbres concurrently, creating textural depth.

Instrumental pieces characterized by recurring musical phrases and layered textures.


Sustained Instrumental Sounds

Instrumental notes and chords, whether acoustic or electronic, that are held or decay slowly, creating a continuous or legato effect.

Synthesizer Pads and Drones

Electronically generated sustained sounds, often evolving, used for harmonic support, atmospheric texture, or as continuous foundational tones.

Atmospheric Soundscapes

Creation of spacious, immersive environments through the use of reverberation, delay, and sustained textural layers.

Dominant use of prolonged notes, chords, or sonic textures, creating continuous, flowing, or atmospheric soundscapes across diverse instrumentation.


Foundational Bass Instrument

Consistent presence of a distinct bass instrument (electric, acoustic, or synthesized) providing harmonic and rhythmic groundwork.

Multi-Layered Instrumental Textures

Music constructed with multiple distinct instrumental or synthesized layers, creating a full and varied texture.

Studio Production Characteristics

Audio exhibits clarity, balance, and intentional sonic shaping typical of studio recordings across diverse genres.

Distinct bass instrument (electric, synth, acoustic) consistently anchoring harmony and rhythm across diverse excerpts.


Consistent Bass Foundation

Presence of a distinct bass instrument (electric, synth, or processed) providing low-frequency harmonic and rhythmic support.

Defining Percussive Groove

Use of drums (acoustic or electronic) or clear rhythmic sounds establishing a core pulse or groove.

Music fundamentally structured around prominent bass lines and driving percussive rhythms.


Chordal Structures

Presence of simultaneous or arpeggiated pitches forming chords or implied harmony, providing a harmonic foundation.

Melody in Tonal Context

Melodic lines and motifs clearly relating to an underlying tonal harmony, not independent of a harmonic framework.

Functional Harmonic Movement

Chord sequences creating directed movement, tension, and release relative to tonal centers, or sustained harmony implying a stable tonal area.

Music structured around systems of keys, chords, and harmonic progressions, establishing pitch hierarchies and expectations of resolution.


Synthesizer Dominance

Predominant use of synthesizers for melodic, harmonic, and textural elements.

Bass and Percussion Grooves

Rhythmic foundation built on interacting bass and percussion instruments (acoustic or electronic).

Focal Melodic Line

A distinct and primary melody, whether instrumental or vocal, as a central musical feature.

Music primarily constructed and performed using acoustic, electric, or synthesized instruments.


Extended Duration Sounds

Prominent use of musical notes or textures held for significant lengths of time, forming a continuous sonic presence.

Drone Harmonies/Textures

Sustained sounds creating a continuous harmonic background, foundational tonal center, or slowly evolving sonic bed.

Immersive Soundscapes

Creation of enveloping or mood-evocative auditory environments, frequently achieved through sustained and often reverberant elements.

Predominant musical characteristic is the extensive use of long-held notes or continuous sonic textures, often functioning as drones or creating atmospheric environments.


Melodic or harmonic lines played by instruments with electronically synthesized timbres, including leads, arpeggios, and synthesized emulations of acoustic instruments.

Electronic Rhythm Elements

Rhythmic foundation or prominent patterns derived from synthesized percussion, drum machines, electronic clicks, or synthesized basslines.

Synthesized Atmospheric Textures

Background ambiences, drones, pads, or sustained textural layers created using synthesizers to establish mood or fill sonic space.

Universal presence of electronically generated sound elements across melodic, rhythmic, or atmospheric roles.


Prominent Synthesizer Sonorities

Melodies, basslines, pads, and textural effects are predominantly created using various types of synthesizers.

Electronic Drum Machine Rhythms

Rhythmic foundation built with synthesized or sampled drum sounds (kicks, snares/claps, hi-hats), typically programmed and repetitive.

Repetitive Loop-Based Structures

Musical phrases, especially rhythmic and melodic motifs, are extensively repeated, often forming cyclical loops characteristic of electronic music.

Four-on-the-Floor Kick Drum

A steady, accented kick drum beat on every quarter note (1, 2, 3, 4), providing a common dance music pulse.

Arpeggiated Synthesizer Lines

Synthesizer melodies or textures created by playing the notes of a chord in a repeating sequence, often at a fast tempo.

Dominated by synthesized instrumentation, electronic drum machine patterns, and repetitive, often dance-oriented rhythmic structures.


Synthesizer Presence

Electronically generated sounds from synthesizers for melody, harmony, or texture.

Electric Guitar-Driven Rock

Prominent, often distorted, electric guitars forming the core of rock tracks.

Programmed Rhythmic Backing

Rhythmic elements created via drum machines, sequencers, or synthesized percussion.

Groove-Oriented Rhythms

Strong emphasis on a compelling rhythmic feel, often carried by percussion and bass.

Foundational use of recurring melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic figures (motifs, riffs, loops).


Sharp Attack Transients

Sounds across instruments and voices initiate with a well-defined, often quick, attack phase.

Rhythmically Explicit Instrumentation

Use of instruments suited for rhythmic articulation, including percussion, drum machines, plucked sounds, and keyboards, often played with rhythmic precision.

Discrete Rhythmic Events

Music constructed from individual, discernible sound events marking points in time, contributing to an overall rhythmic framework or pulse.

Musical texture dominated by sounds with clear, distinct onsets, contributing to rhythmic clarity and definition.


Programmed Rhythms

Rhythmic elements (drums, percussion, basslines) created with sequencers or drum machines, notable for precision, repetition, or complex patterns.

Sequenced Melodic and Harmonic Content

Melodies, arpeggios, basslines, or harmonic parts constructed or played back via MIDI sequencing, enabling precise timing, repetition, and complex layered structures.

Use of Synthesized or Sampled Timbres

Prominent use of sound timbres generated by electronic synthesis (e.g., synthesizers) or sample-based instruments (e.g., samplers, ROMplers, sampled drums), including emulations of acoustic instruments.

Music featuring elements created or arranged using sequencers, such as rhythmic patterns, melodic lines, or instrumental layers, often employing synthesized or sampled sounds.


Instrumental Sustain

Pitched sounds from acoustic, electric, or electronic instruments that naturally ring out or are held, decaying gradually after initiation.

Legato Phrasing and Textures

Melodic lines and harmonic layers built from connected, sustained notes, creating smooth and flowing musical passages.

Resonance & Decay Enhancement

Amplification or extension of sound duration and resonance using techniques like distortion, reverberation, delay, or chorus effects.

Musical elements characterized by noticeable sustain, resonance, or extended decay, achieved through instrumental properties, performance techniques, or audio effects.


Vocal Percussion (Beatboxing)

The human voice emulating drums, rhythmic patterns, and other instrumental sounds.

Rhythmic Speech (Rapping)

Vocals delivered with rhythmic cadence and flow, emphasizing speech-like patterns over melodic singing.

Non-Melodic Vocalizations

Use of shouts, growls, chants, or other forceful, non-sung vocal expressions as significant musical elements.

Manipulated Vocal Samples

Recorded vocal fragments used as processed, chopped, or textural sound elements within the music.

Prominent and varied use of the human voice, often in non-traditional ways including vocal percussion, rhythmic speech, exclamations, or as processed samples.

Diverse and Prominent Vocal Articulation


Chordal Accompaniment

Harmonic foundation via instrumental chords or chordal patterns (sustained, strummed, arpeggiated).

Layered Instrumental Textures

Interweaving melodic/harmonic lines from one or more instruments, creating sonic depth and complexity.

Prominent Polyphonic Instruments

Centrality of multi-note capable instruments (e.g., guitars, keyboards, string ensembles) in defining harmony and texture.

Multi-note instrumental performance; rich harmony; layered textures.


Acoustic Guitar

Music featuring the acoustic guitar as a primary harmonic or melodic instrument, employing techniques like strumming or fingerpicking.

Synthesizer Textures

Use of synthesizers to create evolving pads, atmospheric layers, or distinct melodic lines.

Atmospheric Piano

Piano employed to evoke reflective, melancholic, or spacious moods, often through nuanced melodies and harmonies.

Programmed Beats

Rhythmic frameworks constructed from electronically generated or sequenced percussion sounds, common in electronic genres.

Drone Elements

Musical texture characterized by sustained or slowly evolving tones or harmonic clusters, often forming a continuous sonic background.

Musical compositions performed entirely by instruments, without sung vocal parts.


Pitched Struck/Plucked Sounds

Melodic and harmonic elements from instruments like bells, chimes, piano, synth plucks, and guitars, characterized by distinct initial transients.

Impact-Driven Rhythms

Rhythmic foundation built on the clear impacts of drums, cymbals, and sharp electronic percussive effects.

Accented Note Onsets

Individual notes in melodic lines or sequences, including from wind instruments or vocals, delivered with marked, clear beginnings.

Musical textures emphasizing sounds with sharply defined onsets, achieved through striking, plucking, or clear note enunciation.


Melodic Synth Glide/Portamento

Lead melodies or prominent musical lines on synthesizers with smooth, continuous pitch slides between notes.

Rapid Pitch Sweep Effects

Distinct sound effects with fast, wide-ranging, continuous pitch changes, like 'laser' or 'siren' sounds.

Filter Sweep Textures

Synthesizer textures or rhythmic elements with a 'whooshing' or evolving timbre from filter modulation.

Dominance of electronic sounds with continuous pitch slides (melodic glissandi/portamento) and/or sweeping timbral/pitch effects.


Synthesizer Tonality

Predominance of electronically generated synthesizer sounds in melodic, harmonic, bass, or textural roles.

Programmed Rhythmic Elements

Rhythmic foundations created with drum machines or synthesized percussion, often forming repetitive, precise patterns.

Processed Audio Quality

Sound characteristics shaped by studio recording techniques and electronic signal processing (e.g., reverberation, equalization, compression), apparent in all recordings.

Music featuring sounds created or significantly shaped by electronic technology, including synthesis, programmed beats, and studio processing.


Synthesized Lead Voices

Melodies played by diverse electronically generated instrumental timbres.

Electronic Pad Harmonies

Sustained synthesizer sounds (pads, string/choir emulations) providing harmonic foundation and atmosphere.

Musical elements (melody, harmony, rhythm if present) primarily realized through electronic sound generation.

Compositions characterized by the pervasive use of synthesized sounds for melodic, harmonic, and textural roles.


Non-Vocal Composition

A musical form defined by the complete absence of sung human voice or lyrical content.

Instrumental Melodic Lead

The primary melodic lines and thematic development are executed by musical instruments.

Emphasis on Instrumental Timbre

The unique sound qualities (timbres) of the chosen instruments are central to the music's character and expression.

Musical compositions performed exclusively by instruments, characterized by the absence of sung vocals.


Sustained Sonorities

Emphasis on sounds (notes, chords, textures) held or resonating for extended durations, often forming a primary textural basis.

Spacious Ambience

Creation of sound environments with a strong sense of space, depth, and reverberation, often through effects like reverb and delay.

Processed Timbres

Predominant use of sounds whose character is significantly shaped by electronic synthesis or signal processing effects.

Evolving Sound Textures

Soundscapes that change gradually over time in timbre, density, or harmony, rather than being static or relying on distinct, repetitive melodic phrases.

Music characterized by sustained, spacious, and often electronically processed sounds that evolve texturally to create immersive soundscapes.


Electric Bass Guitar Focus

Prominent use of electric bass guitar, contributing significant rhythmic and harmonic content with its characteristic timbre.

Synthesizer Bass Lines

Utilization of synthesized bass sounds for distinctive low-end melodic and rhythmic patterns, often in electronic or pop contexts.

Rhythmically Driving Bass

Bass instruments consistently provide strong rhythmic impetus and groove, playing active lines rather than static harmonic support.

Music characterized by a consistently audible and functionally important bass part, whether from electric bass guitar or synthesizer, often defining the groove or harmonic motion.


Fretted String Instrument Timbre

Characteristic sound of instruments like guitars or banjos, used melodically, rhythmically, or harmonically.

Rapid Instrumental Execution

Fast-paced, often complex, melodic lines or rhythmic figures demonstrating technical skill or high energy.

Electric Guitar Sonority

Sound of amplified electric guitars, whether clean, driven, or heavily distorted, forming key musical elements.

Synthesizer Textures

Electronically produced sounds used for melodic leads or sustained harmonic pads.

Acoustic Plucked Strings

Timbre of unamplified string instruments, typically guitar or banjo, being plucked or strummed.

Consistent presence of multiple distinct pitches creating chords, counterpoint, or harmonically supported melodies across all excerpts.


Clear Rhythmic Pulse

Consistent, discernible rhythmic pulse foundational to each piece, articulated by percussion or primary instruments.

Melodic Presence

Identifiable melodic lines or motifs present in all clips, conveyed by diverse sound sources including instruments, synthesizers, or voice.

Pattern-Based Composition

Musical structure built upon repeating or evolving rhythmic, melodic, or harmonic patterns, fundamental to each clip's identity.

Diverse musical styles consistently featuring strong rhythmic pulses, melodic presence, and structures built on discernible musical patterns.

Universally Rhythmic and Patterned Music


Synth Pads

Electronically generated sustained sounds, often with slow attack and release, used for harmonic bedding and atmospheric texture.

Electronic Timbre Dominance

Musical textures primarily shaped by sounds from synthesizers, electronic keyboards, or other electronic instruments.

Layered Sustained Harmonies

Multiple layers of long, held notes or chords, frequently from electronic sources, creating rich harmonic backdrops and atmospheric depth.

Consistent use of electronically generated, sustained keyboard sounds (pads) as a foundational harmonic and atmospheric element.


Multi-Layered Musical Texture

Music constructed from multiple simultaneous sonic elements, including melodic lines, harmonies, rhythms, or textures, creating a composite sound rather than a single monophonic line.

Multiple concurrent musical parts or textural sound elements forming a composite sound.


Synthesizer Lead Voices

Prominent melodic lines and themes articulated by various synthesizer timbres.

Layered Electronic Textures

Rich soundscapes and harmonic foundations built from synthesizer pads, drones, and chords.

Synthesized Rhythmic Elements

Rhythmic drive and patterns created by drum machines, arpeggiators, or sequenced synthesizer lines.

Diverse Synthesizer Palette

Broad spectrum of synthesizer sounds, from clean tones and emulations to abstract effects and complex noises.

Pervasive presence of synthesizers in diverse musical roles: melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture.


Drone Harmonies/Textures

Sustained or cyclically repeated tones creating a continuous harmonic or textural bed.

South Asian Sonic Palette

Melodic (raga-like), rhythmic (tabla-like), and timbral elements characteristic of Indian subcontinent's music.

Articulated Plucked Strings

Predominant sound from instruments with plucked strings, emphasizing distinct attacks (e.g., guitar, sitar).

Folk-Inspired Melodies and Instrumentation

Acoustic instruments, accessible melodic contours, and structures typical of traditional folk genres.

Sung and Chanted Vocals

Human voice employed for melodic singing or rhythmic, repetitive utterances (chanting).

Consistent presence of discernible rhythmic impulses or patterns across all sound excerpts.


Tonal Centricity

Organization of musical material around a central pitch or key, establishing a sense of tonality.

Harmonic Richness

Utilization of chords or simultaneous/sequential pitches to create harmonic textures and progressions.

Defined Melodic Content

Presence of discernible sequences of pitched notes forming melodies or melodic motifs.

Music fundamentally built on key-centered organization, harmonic textures, and pitched melodic development.


Synthesizer Timbres

Prominent use of sounds created by electronic synthesizers for melodic, harmonic, or textural roles.

Electronic Signal Processing

Extensive modification of audio signals using electronic effects such as reverb, delay, distortion, or filtering, shaping the final timbre and character of sounds.

Electronic Rhythms

Rhythmic structures primarily built with drum machines, synthesized percussion, or sequenced electronic patterns.

Music primarily characterized by sounds generated or significantly altered through electronic devices and techniques, including synthesis and signal processing.


Cyclical Modulation Processing

Sound processed with cyclical electronic effects (e.g., chorus, flanger, phaser) creating swirling, detuned, or sweeping timbral movement.

Acoustic Resonance and Overtones

Rich, often shimmering timbre from inherent instrumental resonance, complex overtones, and their interactions, producing natural chorus-like effects or fullness.

Pervasive shimmering or chorus-like sound quality derived from electronic modulation effects or inherent acoustic resonance and rich overtones.


Pervasive Reverb

All audio examples feature clearly audible reverberation applied to key musical elements, significantly contributing to their overall sound by creating a sense of space, depth, or specific ambiance.

Atmospheric Sound Design

A common focus on creating spacious, ambient, or evocative soundscapes, often achieved through the prominent use of reverb, sustained sounds, and layered textures.

Electronic and Processed Timbres

Frequent use of synthesizers, drum machines, or acoustic instruments audibly altered by electronic effects, shaping the characteristic sound of many clips.

Universal application of noticeable reverberation effects across diverse musical elements and styles, consistently creating spacious and atmospheric sound qualities.


Reverberation for Ambience

Use of reverberation effects to create a sense of space, depth, and environmental context.

Sustained Harmonic Layers

Instruments or voices providing continuous or long-held notes/chords forming a harmonic background or texture.

Layered Sonic Construction

Sound built from multiple distinct sonic elements or musical lines, creating depth and complexity.

Spacious sound emphasizing environment and texture, achieved via reverberation, sustained harmonies, and layered construction.


Acoustic String Timbre

Sounds produced by vibrating strings on acoustic instruments (bowed, plucked, struck).

Synthesized Soundscapes

Textures and musical ideas built primarily from electronically synthesized sounds.

Rhythmic Percussive Drive

Music featuring prominent, often repetitive, rhythmic patterns from percussive instruments or articulations.

Melodic Focus

Clear presence of a leading melodic line or tune as a primary element.

Use of Spatial Effects

Application of reverberation, delay, or other effects to create a sense of space, depth, or atmosphere.

Musical material in all segments characterized by sounds with discernible pitch, forming melody, harmony, or pitched rhythm.


Synthesizer-Led Composition

Music where synthesizers provide core melodic, harmonic, and textural elements, often defining the genre and mood. Includes leads, pads, arpeggios, and basslines.

Electric Guitar Timbre

Sounds characteristic of electric guitars, reliant on electronic amplification, encompassing clean tones and heavily distorted or effects-laden textures.

Electronic Rhythm Section

Rhythmic foundations built with drum machines, synthesized percussion, or heavily processed/sampled acoustic drums, typical in various electronic genres.

Emulative Synthesis and Sampling

Use of synthesizers or samplers to create timbres that emulate acoustic instruments (e.g., bagpipe-like sounds, orchestral brass) or other specific sonic characteristics.

Atmospheric Electronic Textures

Creation of ambient soundscapes or background layers using sustained, evolving electronic sounds, often synthesizer pads with spatial effects like reverb and delay.

Music characterized by primary sound sources being electronic instruments (synthesizers, electric guitars, drum machines) or acoustic sounds significantly shaped by electronic processing and effects.

Electronic Sound Generation and Processing


Instrumental Primary Melody

A distinct, non-vocal melody serves as the principal musical focus in each excerpt.

Clear Melody-Accompaniment Structure

Musical texture characterized by a prominent melody supported by underlying harmonic and rhythmic backing.

Exclusively Instrumental Performance

Music performed solely by instruments, with a complete absence of vocal elements.

Consistent presence of distinct, instrumentally-played primary melodies without vocals, set against supporting accompaniment.


Melodic Focus

Emphasis on a distinct sequence of pitches forming a prominent tune or melodic line.

Electronic Timbre Palette

Utilization of sounds generated or heavily processed by electronic means, contributing unique sonic textures.

Diverse Rhythmic Styles

A variety of approaches to temporal organization, from driving industrial beats and rock grooves to subtle pulses and spoken word cadence.

Expressive Instrumental Performance

Showcasing of instrumental skill and emotional delivery in lead or solo passages.

All audio segments contain sounds with perceivable and changing pitch characteristics, whether as musical melodies/harmonies, speech intonation, or shifting tonal colors in electronic soundscapes.


Synthesizer Dominance

Melodic, harmonic, and textural elements primarily generated by synthesizers.

Drum Machine Rhythms

Rhythmic foundation provided by programmed electronic drum sounds (kicks, snares, hi-hats); characteristic even if one clip is ambient.

Electronic Sound Palette

Characterized by sounds produced by electronic instruments and signal processing.

Repetitive Motifs

Use of looped or repeated rhythmic and melodic phrases, common in electronic music.

Synthesizer-driven electronic music, characterized by programmed rhythms and often repetitive structures.


Consistent Metrical Pulse

A regular, underlying beat or rhythmic pulse that organizes the music temporally.

Tonal Harmonic System

Musical structure based on a system of keys or modes, creating a sense of harmonic centeredness.

Instrumental Sound Sources

Utilization of acoustic, electric, or electronic musical instruments to produce sound.

Melodic Content

Presence of discernible sequences of notes forming tunes or primary musical lines.

Regular, underlying beat or rhythmic pulse organizing music temporally.


Pervasive Guitar Sonority

The distinct timbre of either acoustic or electric guitar strings is consistently audible and integral to the sonic fabric.

Expressive Guitar Articulation

Guitar is played using varied techniques such as strumming, picking single notes, riffs, or arpeggios, contributing to its expressive musical role.

Music characterized by the guitar (acoustic or electric) as a primary, consistently featured instrumental voice, utilized expressively across diverse genres.


Tonal Melodic Content

Presence of distinct melodic lines and themes operating within a framework of keys and scales.

Tonal Harmonic Structure

Use of chords and chord progressions that create a sense of key and harmonic function.

Metered Rhythmic Organization

Music structured around a regular pulse, with patterns of accent and duration defining a meter.

Compositions characterized by melodies and harmonies rooted in tonal systems (keys/scales) and organized within a metrical rhythmic framework.


Prominent Lead Melody

A distinct, foregrounded primary melodic line is consistently present.

High-Register Melodic Placement

The main melodic content is predominantly situated in upper pitch ranges.

Aerophonic Melodic Timbre

Lead melodies feature timbres of, or akin to, wind instruments (e.g., flutes, reeds, sirens, organ pipes), emphasizing clear, bright, or breathy tones.

Prominent high-register melodies characterized by timbres resembling or functionally similar to aerophones.

Dominant High Aerophonic-Timbre Melodies


Bass Register Tonality

Consistent presence of musical information occupying the low-end of the frequency spectrum, serving as a tonal anchor.

Varied Bass Articulation

The foundational bass register is articulated through diverse methods, including distinct basslines (played by guitar or synth) and sustained low-frequency synthesized textures or drones.

Low-End Rhythmic Grounding

Low-frequency elements consistently provide a rhythmic grounding, whether through explicitly rhythmic patterns or the inherent pulse of sustained low sounds.

All musical pieces prominently feature a foundational layer in the bass frequency spectrum, irrespective of genre or specific instrumentation.


Synthesizer Timbres

Sounds created by electronic synthesis, including pads, leads, basses, textures, or noise.

Electric String Instruments

Sound from electric guitars or electric bass guitars, characterized by their amplified nature.

Electronic Rhythm Generation

Percussion and rhythmic patterns produced by drum machines or other synthesized percussive sounds.

Manipulated Electronic Audio

Electronically sourced sounds heavily processed to create noise, distortion, or effects like DJ scratching.

Presence of electronically generated or amplified sound sources.


Sustained Melodic & Harmonic Content

Prolonged melodies, chords, or pitched drones.

Sustained Sonic Textures

Prolonged sounds, whether simple or complex, layered or reverberant, contributing to the overall sonic fabric or atmosphere.

Electronically Influenced Sustain

Sustained sounds originating from or significantly shaped by electronic instruments, amplification, or signal processing.

Sounds with extended duration, decay, or resonance; diverse timbres and sources.


Instrumental Leads

Core musical focus on prominent melodic phrases played by non-vocal instruments.

Synth & Keyboard Colors

Significant use of synthesizers, electric pianos, or other keyboard instruments for melody, harmony, or texture.

Production Clarity

General clearness and definition in audio production, highlighting instrumental details and melodic lines.

Melodic Guitars

Guitars, whether acoustic or electric, frequently delivering distinct melodic lines or prominent riffs.

Centrality of distinct, instrument-played melodies across a diverse range of styles and timbres.


Ostinato Bass Figures

Persistently repeated short melodic or rhythmic patterns in the bass register, played by synth, traditional bass instruments, or implied by guitar, creating a foundational groove.

Looping Rhythmic Accompaniment

Consistent, often cyclical drum beats, percussive layers, or instrumental rhythmic patterns (e.g., guitar strumming/picking) that form a repetitive backbone.

Repetitive Melodic Motifs

Short, recurring melodic phrases, riffs, or hooks played by instruments or sung, often contributing to the music's memorable and cyclical quality.

Music predominantly characterized by the use of ostinatos, looping figures, and repeated rhythmic or melodic motifs as core structural elements.


Lead Melody Focus

Each piece centrally features a primary melodic line carried by a single instrumental or vocal source, making it the main point of musical interest.

Timbral Distinction of Lead

The lead melodic voice possesses a timbre that is clearly set apart from any backing elements, ensuring its audibility and prominence.

Characteristic Lead Articulation

Lead melodies display articulations (e.g., legato, staccato, slides, ornamentation, vibrato, arpeggiation) characteristic of their source and expressive intent.

All excerpts prominently feature a distinct solo instrumental or vocal line carrying the primary melody.


Ambient Synthesizer Textures

Evolving, atmospheric soundscapes created by synthesizers, characterized by slow attacks and long releases, forming harmonic beds.

Heavy Metal Guitar Riffage

Prominent, distorted electric guitar performance featuring fast, aggressive, and rhythmically complex patterns.

Chiptune Synthesis

Musical style employing sounds characteristic of vintage video game sound chips, often using simple electronic waveforms and arpeggios.

Electronic Dance Music Beat

Rhythmic foundation built with electronic drums and synthesized basslines, driving dance-oriented genres.

Acoustic Jazz Improvisation

Spontaneous musical creation on acoustic instruments (e.g., saxophone, piano, bass, drums) within a traditional jazz context.

Lo-fi Hip Hop Groove

Relaxed hip hop rhythm, often with a warm, slightly degraded sound aesthetic, featuring mellow drums and basslines.

Indie Rock Instrumentation

Song arrangement centered on electric guitars, electric bass, and acoustic drums, characteristic of indie rock music.

Use of Reverberation

Application of reverberation effects to instruments and sounds, creating a sense of acoustic space, depth, or atmosphere.

Intentional placement and movement of distinct musical elements within a stereo (left-right) auditory space, creating effects of width, depth, and separation.


Steel Pan Lead

Prominent melodic line played by an instrument with a timbre characteristic of a steel pan, often found in Caribbean music.

Heavy Metal Ensemble

High-energy performance featuring heavily distorted electric guitars, powerful drumming, and often aggressive vocals, typical of the heavy metal genre.

Middle Eastern Plucked String Melody

Lead melody performed on an oud-like plucked string instrument, characterized by intricate ornamentation and a modal harmonic language.

Atmospheric Synthesizer Soundscape

Use of layered synthesizers to create spacious, evolving pads, ambient textures, and ethereal melodic lines.

Classical Era String Arrangement

Music featuring a Western classical string ensemble, sometimes with harpsichord, in a polyphonic style typical of the Baroque or Classical periods.

Folk Accordion Feature

Dominant melodic and harmonic role of an accordion, often central to various European and other folk music traditions.

Applied Reverberation

Presence of artificial or natural reverberation effects on vocals and/or instruments, contributing to spatial depth and ambiance in the mix.

Ubiquitous application of reverberation or spatial acoustic effects enhancing sonic depth and ambiance across diverse musical genres and instrumentations.


Pervasive Synthesizer Timbre

Core sound palette primarily composed of timbres from electronic synthesizers, used for melodies, textures, and bass.

Electronic Rhythmic Elements

Beats and rhythmic patterns built from synthesized drum sounds or drum machines.

Synthetic Atmospheric Layers

Evolving pads, drones, and ambient textures created with synthesizers, contributing to mood and space.

Music characterized by a core sound palette of synthesizer timbres, often featuring electronic rhythmic elements and synthetic atmospheric layers.


Electronic Percussion

Rhythmic foundation from synthesized, sampled, or heavily processed drum sounds.

Prominent String Instruments

String instruments (acoustic, electric, bowed, plucked) in significant melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic roles.

Synthesizer-Generated Sounds

Dominant use of electronically produced sounds from synthesizers for melodies, harmonies, textures, or instrumental emulations.

Discernible musical pitches forming melodic, harmonic, or pitched rhythmic content.


Pitched Musical Elements

Core musical ideas are conveyed through sounds with definite pitch, such as notes from instruments, synthesizers, or voice.

Layered Arrangements

Compositions feature multiple distinct instrumental, synthesized, or vocal parts sounding simultaneously or in close interplay, creating textural depth.

Organized Rhythmic Structure

Each piece is built upon a clear rhythmic foundation, defining its tempo, meter, and characteristic groove or flow.

Presence of Melody and Harmony

All excerpts contain both melodic lines that form tunes or motifs, and harmonic content that provides tonal support and color.

Music constructed via multiple, concurrent sonic layers (instrumental, synthesized, or vocal) within rhythmic frameworks, creating textural depth.


Musical Drone

A continuous or sustained note, chord, or texture serving as a harmonic, rhythmic, or prominent sonic foundation, present in various forms across all clips.

Extended Sound Duration

Prevalence of notes or sonic events characterized by long sustain or slow decay, contributing to a continuous and evolving soundscape.

Atmospheric Sound Beds

Layers of sustained sound creating an ambient, textural, or harmonic background, often establishing mood or space.

Consistent use of drones or sounds with extended duration, creating continuous textural or harmonic beds across diverse musical styles and sound sources.


Acoustic Plucked Strings

Clear timbres of acoustic plucked string instruments (e.g., ukulele, acoustic guitar).

Electric Guitar and Bass

Prominent electric guitar and/or electric bass guitar defining melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic elements.

Synthesized or Processed Bowed String Timbre

Deep, resonant, sustained sounds resembling bowed strings (e.g., cello, double bass), electronically generated or heavily processed.

String-like Synthesizer Pads

Sustained, atmospheric synthesizer pads providing harmonic or textural layers analogous to orchestral string sections.

Melodic Synthesizer Leads as String Analogues

Electronically generated synthesizer melodies fulfilling primary melodic roles, functionally analogous to lead string instruments.

Presence of acoustic, electric, or synthesized elements exhibiting timbral, textural, or functional characteristics of string instruments.

Pervasive String Instrument Sonorities and Analogues


Bagpipe Drone

Continuous harmonic sound from bagpipe drone pipes, underpinning melodies and rhythmic passages.

Synthesized Sustained Texture

Electronically generated long sounds, such as pads or resonant bell-like tones, forming a continuous harmonic or atmospheric layer.

Orchestral Sustained Harmonies

Sustained notes or chords from orchestral sections (e.g., strings, brass, choir) creating a continuous, rich harmonic foundation.

Ubiquitous presence of sustained harmonic elements or drones, manifested through diverse instrumental means, providing a continuous tonal or atmospheric underpinning.


Sustained String Harmonies/Textures

Prominent use of string instruments (acoustic or synthesized) to create sustained harmonic foundations or rich textural layers.

Melodic String Voice

String instruments (acoustic or synthesized with string-like qualities) play significant melodic roles, either as the main theme or as important counter-melodic lines.

Music consistently featuring acoustic string instruments or synthesized sounds emulating or resembling string timbres (e.g., pads, leads).


Electric Guitar Lead

Electric guitar playing prominent melodic lines or riffs, often defining the main musical idea.

Acoustic Guitar Melody

Acoustic guitar as the primary melodic instrument, often fingerpicked or playing clear melodic content.

Synthesizer Lead

Synthesizer playing a distinct melodic line or a prominent, focused sound.

Wind Instrument Lead

A solo wind instrument, such as a flute or saxophone, carrying the primary melody.

Orchestral Ensemble Melody

Melodic lines carried by an orchestral ensemble, typically featuring strings and/or woodwinds.

Pedal Steel Guitar Melody

Melodic phrases played by a pedal steel guitar, characterized by slides and vibrato.

Consistent presence of a distinct instrumental voice or section carrying the primary melody.


Synthesizer-Generated Textures

Creation of sonic character and environments using electronically synthesized sounds, including pads, leads, and effects.

Noise and Atonal Sound as Texture

Utilization of non-pitched, dissonant, or traditionally 'unmusical' sounds as primary textural or atmospheric elements.

Focus on Acoustic Timbre

Highlighting the natural, characteristic sound qualities of acoustic instruments or real-world sound events.

Layered Rhythmic Textures

Construction of complex or driving soundscapes through the superposition of multiple rhythmic and percussive elements.

Primary musical focus on diverse sound qualities and their interplay; timbre and texture prioritized over conventional melody or harmony.


Prominent Reverberation

Significant and audible reverberation applied to instruments and/or the overall mix, creating a sense of space, depth, or specific acoustic character.

Layered Arrangements

Music features multiple distinct instrumental or sonic parts playing simultaneously, creating a full and often complex texture rather than sparse arrangements.

Stereo Sound Design

Effective utilization of the stereo field for instrument placement and enhancing the perceived spaciousness of the music.

Consistent and prominent application of reverberation within layered, stereo-mixed arrangements, creating a spatially rich sonic character across all pieces.


Instrumental Focus

Music without vocals; instruments carry all melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic content.

High Repetition / Looping

Prominent use of recurring short musical phrases, motifs, or sections, often creating a cyclical or loop-like feel.

Synthesizer Presence

Electronic synthesizers are featured in most pieces, providing melodic, harmonic, bass, or textural content.

Defined Rhythmic Pulse

Most tracks exhibit a discernible underlying beat or rhythmic drive, though tempo and intensity vary.

Instrumental music characterized by concise, cyclically repeating patterns or loops.


Pervasive Bass Element

All pieces feature a clearly discernible instrumental or synthesized element in the bass frequency range, providing harmonic grounding and often contributing to the rhythmic structure.

Consistent Rhythmic Pulse

Each track maintains a perceptible and organized rhythmic flow, whether through explicit percussion, basslines, or the movement of harmonic and melodic elements.

Primarily Instrumental Character

The musical expression is predominantly conveyed through instrumentation, with an absence of discernible lead vocal melodies in the provided snippets.

Universal presence of a distinct bass-register sound element providing harmonic and rhythmic support across stylistically diverse instrumental music.


Pitched Sound Generation

Sounds primarily produced by sources creating definite musical pitches (notes).

Harmonic Structures

Use of simultaneous or sequentially implied multiple pitches forming chords or harmonic textures.

Melodic Lines and Contours

Sequences of pitches forming tunes, leading parts, or discernible pitched contours.

Fundamental reliance on definite musical pitches, organized into melodic, harmonic, or textural elements.


Synthesized Timbres

Sounds primarily generated by electronic synthesizers, forming melodic, harmonic, and textural layers.

Programmed Rhythmic Elements

Rhythmic structures built with sequenced patterns, drum machines, or synthesized percussive sounds.

Instrumental Focus

Music centered on electronic instrumental layers, without prominent vocal melodies.

Consistent use of synthesized timbres, programmed rhythmic elements, and an instrumental focus.


Orchestral String Sections

Ensembles of bowed string instruments (violins, violas, cellos, double basses) creating melodic, harmonic, or textural layers.

Synthesizer Pads

Sustained, often atmospheric, synthesized sounds with slow attack/release, forming harmonic or textural beds.

Sustained Plucked/Struck Harmonies

Resonant chords or notes from guitars (acoustic/electric) or keyboards (piano) that ring out, providing harmonic layers.

Consistent presence of enduring harmonic layers or resonant sonic environments created by various instrumental sources.


Synth Pads

Electronically generated, sustained, atmospheric sounds, often forming harmonic backdrops.

Acoustic Sustained Harmonies

Long, held notes or chords played by acoustic instruments (e.g., strings, accordion, drone instruments) creating a continuous harmonic texture.

Ambient Soundscapes

Music characterized by spacious, evolving textures and an emphasis on atmosphere and mood, often using sustained sounds.

Arpeggiated Textures

Musical textures created by playing the notes of a chord in sequence rather than simultaneously, often creating a shimmering or rhythmic harmonic effect.

Consistent use of long, held notes or chords creating textural beds, whether from acoustic, electronic, or drone sources.


Bass Foundation

Presence of a distinct low-frequency musical line or sustained tone, typically from bass guitar or synthesizer, anchoring the harmony.

Common Time Meter

Predominant use of a four-beat metrical structure (4/4 time), providing a familiar and steady rhythmic framework.

Multi-Layered Texture

Music constructed from several simultaneous melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic parts, creating a full soundscape.

Multi-layered compositions consistently featuring a foundational bass element and structured in a common time (4/4) meter.


Percussive Pulse

Clear rhythmic drive provided by drums, drum machines, or vocal percussion.

Bass Foundation

Low-frequency instrumental or vocal lines providing harmonic and rhythmic underpinning.

Universal presence of distinct percussive elements establishing rhythm and foundational low-frequency bass components.


Articulated Bass Part

Presence of clearly defined musical notes or a sustained pitched drone in the low-frequency spectrum, forming a distinct musical layer.

Bass as Harmonic Anchor

The low-frequency element consistently provides a harmonic foundation, often by playing chord roots, pedal tones, or establishing a tonal center.

Bass Role in Temporal Organization

The bass element contributes to the music's sense of pulse, rhythm, or pacing, either through rhythmic patterns or the duration of sustained foundational tones.

Each musical piece prominently features a distinct part or sustained tones in the bass register, serving a foundational harmonic and temporal role.

Consistent Low-Frequency Musical Element


Pitched Instrumental Lead

A non-vocal pitched instrument consistently carries the primary melodic or harmonic material.

Sustained/Resonant Timbre

Predominant instrumental sounds are characterized by being held, ringing out, or possessing natural resonance.

Exclusively Instrumental

Musical excerpts feature only instruments, without any sung vocal elements.

Pitched, non-vocal instruments leading with sustained or resonant melodic/harmonic content.


Rapid Electronic Arpeggiation

Fast, rhythmically precise, synthesized note sequences outlining chords, typical in electronic music.

Expressive Keyboard Arpeggiation

Piano or keyboard instruments playing broken chords with melodic and expressive character, often in solo or ballad contexts.

Plucked String Broken Chords

Acoustic or electric plucked strings (e.g., guitar, ukulele) articulating chords by playing notes sequentially, such as via strumming or fingerpicking.

Melodic Basslines Outlining Chords

Bass parts moving melodically, playing individual notes of the harmony in sequence, forming broken chord patterns that define the harmonic progression.

Slow Harmonic Unfolding

Gradual revelation of chord tones within sustained instrumental textures, creating an effect of slowly arpeggiated or evolving harmony.

Ubiquitous use of arpeggiation and broken chords, articulating harmony sequentially across diverse styles and instruments.


Arpeggiated Patterns

Sequential playing of chord notes, forming core melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic content.

Guitar Arpeggios

Electric or acoustic guitars prominently featuring arpeggiated melodies or chord progressions, often with varied timbres (clean, distorted).

Synthesizer Arpeggios

Electronic synthesizers creating arpeggiated sequences, frequently with distinct timbres like bell-like sounds or atmospheric pads.

Keyboard Arpeggios

Piano or other keyboard instruments playing broken chords or arpeggiated figures, contributing to melodic and harmonic structure.

Genre Diversity in Arpeggios

Arpeggiated techniques applied across varied musical genres including rock, electronic, ambient, and metal.

Dominant and widespread use of arpeggiated musical figures across diverse instruments and genres.


Dominant Melodic Element

Centrality of a clear, identifiable melodic line or motif as a primary musical feature.

Organized Rhythmic Framework

Presence of a structured approach to rhythm, with evident pulse, meter, or patterned timing.

Pitched Sound Generation

Utilization of sound sources (instrumental, synthesized, or vocal) that produce clearly discernible musical pitches.

Consistent presence of discernible melody across diverse musical styles.


Piano Sonority

Prominent use of piano for melody and harmony, characterized by its hammered-string timbre.

Guitar-driven Music

Central role of electric or acoustic guitars, employing techniques like picking, strumming, or lead lines.

Folk/World Plucked Strings

Distinctive timbres of traditional plucked string instruments from diverse cultures (e.g., lutes, zithers).

Solo/Folk Bowed Strings

Melodic expression through bowed string instruments typical of various folk traditions, often with unique ornamentation.

Orchestral String Ensemble

Collective sound of orchestral string family instruments (violins, violas, cellos, basses), using techniques like bowing and pizzicato.

Consistent presence of diverse string instruments—plucked, struck, or bowed—across varied musical contexts and genres.


Bowed String Sustain

Long, sustained notes and textures from bowed string instruments like violins, cellos, and orchestral string sections.

Synthesizer Pad & Lead Textures

Electronically generated sustained sounds, often atmospheric or melodic, from synthesizers.

Sustained Electric String Instrument Tones

Prolonged notes or chords from electric guitars and bass guitars, often enhanced by effects like distortion or specific playing techniques.

Pseudo-Sustain via Rapid Articulation

Continuous sound impression from rapid note repetition on instruments with quick decay, such as fast banjo picking or tremolo.

Keyboard Instrument Sustain

Sustained notes or chords from keyboard instruments like the piano, often utilizing mechanisms such as the sustain pedal or held keys.

Musical textures characterized by prominent use of instruments or techniques that prolong sound, creating continuous melodic lines, harmonic beds, or lengthy sonic environments.


Guitar Chord Figuration

Guitar chords articulated via sequential note patterns like strumming, fingerpicking, or arpeggios.

Synthesizer Arpeggiation

Synthesizers playing chord notes in distinct rhythmic, ordered sequences.

Melodic Outlining of Harmony

Lead melodies, vocal or instrumental, that clearly trace and emphasize notes from the underlying chord progressions, presenting harmony sequentially.

Evolving Sustained Harmonies

Sustained harmonic textures, often from synthesizers, that unfold or change smoothly over time, implying sequential harmonic development rather than static blocks.

Harmony and melody primarily built from notes articulated in sequence (e.g., arpeggios, strumming, melodic chord outlines, evolving pads), rather than static, simultaneous block chords.

Sequential Harmonic and Melodic Articulation


Pervasive Rhythmic Ostinato

A foundational and persistently repeated short rhythmic pattern or loop is evident in each musical example, often provided by percussion, bass, or rhythmic instrumental parts.

Recurring Melodic/Textural Motifs

Brief melodic ideas, basslines, harmonic progressions, or distinct sound textures consistently repeat, contributing to a cyclical and pattern-based character.

The core musical characteristic is the construction from, and emphasis on, immediate and continuous repetition of brief rhythmic, melodic, or textural patterns/loops.

Fundamental Repetition of Short Patterns


Distorted Electric Guitar

Electric guitar sound processed with overdrive, fuzz, or distortion effects, creating a thick, saturated, or aggressive tone.

Clean Electric Guitar

Electric guitar played without significant distortion, often featuring clarity and brightness, sometimes with effects like delay, chorus, or light reverb.

Synthesizer Pads

Sustained, often lush, electronically generated sounds providing harmonic support or atmospheric texture.

Drum Kit Rhythms

Rhythmic patterns typically performed on an acoustic or electronic drum kit, featuring elements like kick, snare, hi-hats, and cymbals.

Melodic/Rhythmic Bass

Audible low-frequency instrumental lines, played on electric or upright bass, providing harmonic foundation and rhythmic drive.

Consistent application of reverberation, adding spatial depth and character to diverse sound sources.


Synthesized Rhythmic Drive

Grooves built from electronic drum patterns and synthesized basslines or rhythmic motifs.

Atmospheric Synthesizer Textures

Evolving soundscapes, drones, and ambient pads created with synthesizers.

Melodic Acoustic Instrumentation

Prominent melodic lines performed on traditional acoustic instruments like guitar or piano.

Bright Percussive Synthesizer Melodies

Use of distinct, often bright or percussive synthesized timbres for lead melodic content.

Musical expression conveyed primarily through instruments, without prominent lyrical song structures.


Rhythmic Ostinati

Prominent use of short, persistently repeated rhythmic patterns, often providing a driving pulse or groove.

Melodic Riffs and Motifs

Recurrence of short, distinctive melodic phrases or figures that are central to the piece's identity.

Cyclical Textures and Harmonies

Broader sense of repetition through cycling harmonic progressions or evolving, layered textures that create a recurring atmospheric feel.

Musical compositions where repeated patterns, motifs, or sections are central to the structure and character.


Electric Guitar Lead & Riffing

Electric guitars frequently drive musical segments with prominent riffs, lead melodies, or solos.

Distorted Guitar Tones

Common use of distortion, overdrive, or fuzz effects on electric guitars, yielding heavy, aggressive, or saturated timbres.

Clean Guitar Textures

Inclusion of clean-toned electric or acoustic guitars for melodic lines, arpeggios, or harmonic support.

Rock-Oriented Guitar Performance

Guitar playing often exhibits characteristics of rock, metal, or punk genres, including power chords, specific scales, and energetic phrasing.

Varied Guitar Articulation

A broad spectrum of guitar techniques, such as fast picking, string bends, vibrato, strumming, and arpeggios, is showcased.

Consistent, central role of guitar; electric and acoustic forms; diverse playing styles (riffs, solos, clean, distorted) and tonal characteristics.


Driving Rhythmic Ostinati

Short, persistently repeated rhythmic and/or melodic patterns creating strong propulsion or groove.

Processed Atmospheric Textures

Immersive sonic environments from synthesized sounds, reverb, delay, and electronic manipulations, often evolving slowly.

Prominent Unpitched Percussion

Rhythmic foundation or focus from unpitched percussion instruments or percussive electronic sounds.

Prominent use of repeated patterns, phrases, rhythms, or sustained sonic textures.


Synthesizer Textures

Synthesizers providing pads, leads, or atmospheric layers, frequently treated with spatial effects.

Effected Electric Guitars

Electric guitars characterized by amplified tones and effects such as reverb, delay, or distortion.

Spacious Ambient Atmospheres

Expansive soundscapes built with sustained sounds (e.g., synth pads, drones) and prominent reverberation or delay.

Electronic Beat Production

Rhythmic drive from drum machines or synthesized percussion, often featuring integrated effects.

Consistent application of reverberation to instruments and mixes, creating depth, ambiance, or specific spatial characteristics.


Drum Machine Grooves

Rhythmic foundation from programmed electronic drums, typically featuring kick, snare/clap, and hi-hat patterns.

Acoustic Guitar Accompaniment

Strummed or fingerpicked acoustic guitar providing primary rhythmic and harmonic texture.

Synthesizer Elements

Use of electronic synthesizers for melodic lines, bass parts, or harmonic layers.

All musical segments feature a distinct, foundational beat or continuous rhythmic pattern.


Dedicated Bass Register Sonority

Each piece features clearly audible musical activity predominantly in the low-frequency register, forming a distinct sonic layer.

Bass Timbral Versatility

The low-frequency foundational role is executed using diverse timbres, including both plucked electric bass guitar and various synthesized bass sounds.

Bass Rhythmic and Harmonic Anchoring

Bass elements consistently anchor the music rhythmically, through grooves or pulses, and harmonically, by defining root notes or tonal centers.

Universal presence of a distinct bass instrument (electric or synthesized) providing foundational harmonic and rhythmic support across varied genres.


Prominent Melody

Distinct, easily perceivable melodic line as primary musical focus in each excerpt.

Tonal/Modal Framework

Musical structure based on recognizable scales, modes, and consonant harmonic progressions; general avoidance of atonality.

Dominant melodic lines presented within tonal or modal harmonic contexts.


Synthesizer Instrumentation

Melodic, harmonic, or textural elements from electronic synthesizers, typically keyboard-controlled.

Piano Instrumentation

Acoustic piano as a prominent keyboard instrument with struck strings.

Plucked/Bowed String Instrumentation

Guitars, harps, or orchestral strings generating sound from plucked or bowed physical strings.

Consistent presence of instruments with vibrating strings or keyboard-based interfaces.


Electronically Sourced or Modified Sound

Core sounds are either synthesized, electronically generated, or acoustic sounds significantly altered by processing.

Sustained Sonic Qualities

Prevalent use of sounds that are held, continuous, or feature extended decays, creating spacious or immersive effects.

Emphasis on Sonic Texture

The intrinsic quality and fabric of sound (timbre, density, layering) are primary expressive elements.

Audio characterized by electronically sourced/modified timbres, sustained sonic qualities, and a strong emphasis on texture.


Tonal/Modal Framework

Music organized around a central key or mode, establishing harmonic resolution and expectation.

Multi-Part Texture

Simultaneous sounding of multiple distinct musical lines or layers, instrumental or vocal.

Melodic Element

Presence of a primary, recognizable sequence of pitches forming a tune or lead instrumental line.

Harmonic Element

Use of concurrent pitches to create chords, counterpoint, or harmonic background.

Rhythmic Organization

Underlying pulse and structured rhythmic patterns providing a temporal framework.

Multiple distinct melodic, harmonic, rhythmic parts within tonal/modal framework.


Arpeggios

Chords played as a sequence of individual notes, often in a repetitive and flowing manner, on instruments like guitar or synthesizer.

Ostinatos and Repetitive Riffs

Short melodic or rhythmic phrases (e.g., riffs, basslines, percussive patterns) that are repeated persistently, forming key structural elements.

Synthesizer-Generated Patterns

Significant employment of synthesizers to create arpeggiated lines, sequenced melodies, basslines, or rhythmic textures.

Atmospheric Effects

Use of delay and reverb effects to create spaciousness, depth, or ethereal qualities in the sound.

Widespread use of arpeggios, ostinatos, riffs, or other programmed or played repetitive patterns as core components of the musical texture across diverse instrumentation.

Prevalence of Sequenced Musical Elements


Excited Resonant Bodies/Systems

Pitched sounds primarily generated by an initial excitation of a resonant body or system (e.g., striking a string, plucking a tine, activating an electronic oscillator), leading to characteristic timbres.

Dominant Tuned Pitched Elements

Music primarily constructed from elements possessing clearly defined and stable pitches, forming melodies, harmonies, or distinct tonal events.

Diverse Resonant Sound Sources

Employment of diverse sound generation methods—acoustic (strings, metal), electro-mechanical (tines), and electronic (oscillators)—all functioning as tuned resonant systems.

Pitched musical sounds originating from various types of tuned resonant elements, encompassing acoustic, electro-mechanical, and electronic sound production methods.


Synthesized Sound Palette

Prominent use of electronically generated timbres; pads, leads, basses, arpeggios.

Processed Rhythmic Drive

Rhythmic foundation from drum machines, sequenced percussion, or processed vocals (beatboxing).

Ambient Textures

Spacious, evolving soundscapes; sustained pads, reverberation, delay effects.

String Instrument Sonority

Melodic or harmonic content from acoustic or electric string instruments.

Vocal Articulation

Human voice as sung melody, beatboxing, or sampled phrases.

Polished audio presentation; hallmarks of studio recording, mixing, and effects processing.


Synthesizer Layering

Use of synthesized sounds for melodies, harmonies, pads, or textural elements.

Electronic Drum Grooves

Rhythmic patterns created with drum machines or synthesized percussion sounds.

Motif Repetition

Musical ideas built around the recurrence of short melodic or rhythmic phrases.

Consistent, distinct low-frequency instrumental line; harmonic and rhythmic foundation.


Electronic Drum Machine Beat

Precisely timed, repetitive rhythmic patterns from synthesized percussion, defining grooves in electronic genres.

Synthesizer Arpeggiation

Repetitive, flowing sequences of synthesized notes, often outlining chords and creating rhythmic-melodic interest.

Persistent Hi-Hat Ostinato

Constant, repeating rhythmic figure on hi-hats (acoustic or electronic), driving pulse and marking beat subdivisions.

Rock Drum Grooves

Repetitive rhythmic foundations played on an acoustic drum kit, typical of rock styles, emphasizing kick, snare, and hi-hats.

Sustained Drone/Noise Element

Continuous, often textural sound, which can be pitched, unpitched noise, or a slowly evolving synthesizer pad.

Musical or sound elements characterized by either sustained, unbroken presence or by distinct, recurring rhythmic or melodic patterns.

Continuous or Repetitive Sonic Structures


Bass Register Harmonic and Rhythmic Anchor

Distinct low-frequency instrumental part establishing harmonic roots and rhythmic grounding. Manifests as electric/acoustic/synth bass, low strings, or an instrument's lower register, consistently anchoring the music.

Universal presence of a foundational bass-register instrumental line defining harmony and rhythm across diverse musical styles.


Synth Pad Foundations

Synthesized, sustained sounds forming harmonic beds and atmospheric environments.

Lush String Sustains

Orchestral strings playing long, held notes or chords, creating rich, continuous harmonic layers.

Ambient Washes

Spacious, evolving soundscapes from sustained tones, often enhanced by effects like reverb and delay, emphasizing atmosphere.

Ringing Harmonies

Harmonic textures created by instruments where individual notes of arpeggios or chords sustain and overlap, forming a continuous sound.

Prominent musical textures built from notes and chords held for extended durations, creating a continuous harmonic presence.


Melodic Lines

Clear or fragmented tunes formed by sequences of pitched notes.

Chordal Harmony

Presence of chords or implied harmonic progressions supporting melodies or forming the musical texture.

Synthesized Timbres

Use of electronically generated or processed sounds for melodic, harmonic, or textural elements.

Arpeggiated Patterns

Notes of chords played sequentially rather than simultaneously, often creating a flowing texture.

Discernible musical pitches forming melodies, harmonies, or tonally-oriented textures.


Synthesizer Timbres

Electronically generated non-percussive sounds forming melodic, harmonic, bass, or textural layers.

Electronic Rhythms

Percussive patterns and sounds created by drum machines or other electronic synthesis methods.

Electrified String Instruments

Sound of electric guitars or bass, characterized by electronic amplification and often signal processing like distortion.

Studio Production Effects

Audibly significant electronic audio processing (e.g., filters, reverb, delay, modulation) shaping the sonic landscape.

Music characterized by integral use of electronically generated or significantly manipulated sounds.


Electronic Instrumental

Instrumental music predominantly featuring synthesizers, drum machines, and electronically generated sounds.

Acoustic Ensemble Instrumental

Instrumental music primarily performed by acoustic instrument ensembles, such as orchestral strings, brass groups, or jazz combos.

Rock Band Instrumental

Instrumental music played by a rock band formation, typically including electric guitar, bass, and drums, without lead vocals.

Absence of sung lyrics or prominent vocal melodies; musical expression conveyed via instruments or instrumental textures.


Synthesizer Lead Instruments

Synthesizers performing primary melodic lines or prominent motifs.

Synthesizer Chordal/Pad Accompaniment

Synthesizers providing harmonic support via chords, pads, or atmospheric layers.

Synthesized Bass Sounds

Low-frequency musical lines and foundations created with synthesizer tones.

Pervasive use of synthesizers for melodic, harmonic, and bass components.