Guide

Genre guides and genre vocabulary

Genre is the single most load-bearing word in a style line, so it pays to be precise about it. Work through the vocabulary lessons, then use the individual genre guides for the conventions, instruments and style lines that each family expects.

Learn the vocabulary

Five lessons that make genre words usable rather than decorative.

Recognising genres by ear

Train yourself to name what you hear before you try to describe it.

Matching a genre to a sound

Pick the genre word that lands closest to the record playing in your head.

Recalling genre names on demand

Build a short mental shortlist you can reach for without looking anything up.

Combining two genres

Blend styles on purpose instead of leaving the model to guess at a mixture.

Genre review challenge

A mixed drill that checks whether the genre vocabulary actually stuck.

Song-first families

Pop

The default hook-first template, and how to make it sound like a decision.

Chamber pop

Pop songwriting dressed in strings, winds and arranged detail.

Mandopop

Mandarin-language pop conventions, ballad shapes and vocal expectations.

R&B & soul

Groove, harmony and vocal treatment for slow-burn and modern R&B alike.

Folk & acoustic

Wood, strings and room sound, with arrangements that stay out of the singer's way.

Hip-hop & rap

Beat character, flow language and the difference a bass choice makes.

Band, club and score families

Rock & metal

Guitar tone, drum weight and the range between garage and stadium.

Post-rock

Long builds, few words, and dynamics doing the storytelling.

Electronic & EDM

Club-facing production language: synth choices, drops, four-on-the-floor grooves.

Jazz & blues

Swing, shuffle and the vocabulary for players rather than programmes.

Classical & cinematic

Orchestral writing and score-style cues for trailers, themes and underscore.

Neo-classical piano

Small, close-recorded piano pieces with modern minimal phrasing.

Experimental & ambient

Texture-first music where the drum kit is optional and space is the subject.

World & regional

Regional instruments and rhythms described with enough care to be useful.

Go wider

Genre families overview

How the families relate, and where the borders between them are blurry.

All reference lists

Every term list on the site in one index, grouped by topic.

Style library

Filter ready-made style lines by category and mood when you want a starting point.

FAQ

Should I name a sub-genre or a broad genre?

Name the broad genre when you want reliability and the sub-genre when you want character. A sub-genre carries more assumptions with it, which helps if they are the assumptions you wanted.

How many genres can I stack?

Two, in almost every case. Say which one leads and which one flavours it, otherwise the model averages them into something bland.

What if the genre I want has no common name?

Describe it instead — instruments, rhythm feel, era and production finish will get you there without the label.

Do regional genre names work?

Often, but pair them with a couple of concrete cues such as a lead instrument or a rhythm so the term has support if it is not recognised.