Vocabulary is a listening tool, not an entry ticket. You can enjoy a track before knowing the names and label what you heard later.
- BPM, kick, snare, and hi-hat describe rhythm.
- Loop, sequence, and sample describe how material is organised.
- Break, build-up, and drop describe changes in energy.
Six words for time and material
BPM counts beats per minute. Kick often names a low central hit, snare a sharper hit, and hi-hat a short high metallic sound; their roles vary by style.
A loop repeats a segment. A sequence orders sounds or control values over time. A sample is recorded sound reused as material.
Six words for motion and space
A break removes or thins central rhythm, a build-up raises tension, and a drop releases it through a marked change. Not every track follows this grammar.
A filter shapes frequency ranges, reverb creates or simulates spatial reflection, and distortion intentionally roughens a signal. Production and listening contexts may use each word slightly differently.