mjbphotos
Moderator
I think this was asked in another thread. Some arguments going on in a FB songwriter group with a (primarily) lyric writer saying that unless you have a verse/chorus/etc structure, it's not a 'song'.
Are instrumentals 'songs'?
- Thread starter mjbphotos
- Start date
After checking a few dictionary sites, and in the context of this forum, a song is a piece of music that is intended to be sung. An instrumental could be a song if an instrument simulates the part intended to be sung. I didn't find any definition that refers to any particular structure.
J
J
Lol. For real.
PTravel
Senior Senior Member
What he said.
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
That's silly.
XploZiveToyz
All American Un-American
Ask Beethoven or Bach.
gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
I like wiki's definition:
Song - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Song - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
mjbphotos
Moderator
Is that really any sillier than this place and some of the idiocy seen here on a regular basis? It's a place where our songwriter group can post questions, link to songs we're working on, announce meetings, etc.
Looked to me like everyone so far agrees that an instrumental is a song. Where's the division?
Yes, because it's facebook.
dainbramage
New member
If I, in an otherwise normal conversation, referred to an instrumental and said something like "you know, that song San Pedro by......" and the other person went "ab-ab-ab! Did you say song?!".. I would probably just leave the room. No good-byes, nothing, just turn around, walk, and never interact with this person ever again. Especially not on facebook.
I guess what I'm saying is that IMO it doesn't matter. It's just semantics.
I guess what I'm saying is that IMO it doesn't matter. It's just semantics.
mjbphotos
Moderator
Go back and read the page 1 replies again, Gecko and jcm's answered disagree.
I didn't read them that way at all.
The first sentence in gecko's wiki link "In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing or by musical instruments"
I don't know what side of the fence gecko falls on, nor do I care, but the link he used says that an instrumental is a song.
Nothing really surprises me with goofy internet people and their silly opinions, but I am a little surprised that anyone involved with any kind of music wouldn't agree that an instrumental is a song. Everything that western music is derived from is instrumental. Are those ancient classical compositions not songs?
XploZiveToyz
All American Un-American
Greg has written instrumental "songs", and I've written instrumental "songs", so that means that instrumental "songs" are indeed "songs"! LOL! Why does this question interest you?
That's wikipedia for you. Anything that can be written and edited by the masses can't be good.
gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
I use the terms interchangeably as well.
It hasn't been a topic of profound philosophical concern to me.