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Music vocabulary · Genres and Styles

Rock music

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, rock music means: A broad popular music tradition commonly built around electric guitars, bass, drums and a strong beat, with many different vocal and instrumental styles.

In Turkish: rock müzik

How it is used

Used in music history, reviews and band descriptions. Musicians often shorten it to rock in a clearly musical context; the full phrase makes the genre meaning explicit.

Example sentences

  1. The drummer moved from jazz to rock music and changed the weight of his backbeat.

    A change of style leads him to adjust how strongly he emphasizes the beat.

  2. The course compares early rock music with later styles that use heavier guitar sounds.

    The comparison treats rock as a varied tradition rather than one unchanging sound.

Common collocations

  • rock music history
  • play rock music
  • rock music festival
  • bandA group of musicians who play together, especially in pop, rock or jazz, or a group of wind and percussion players such as a marching band.
  • backbeatThe emphasis on beats two and four in common time, especially in rock, pop, and related dance music.
  • riffA short, catchy musical phrase that is repeated many times, often on guitar, bass or keyboard, and becomes the signature idea of a song.

More terms: Genres and Styles

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