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-- Whats the difference between a 'track' and 'song'?

Whats the difference between a 'track' and 'song'?

I usually use the term 'song' for rock music, and 'track' for dance music.

Are the 2 terms interchangable, or are they different in meaning?

a song is a track, but not every track is a song.

well, technically a song would need singing in it, but I just say tracks for all edm anyhoo

Interchangable imo, but if you have to out them apart, then song means tracks with song dominating over the melodies.

Song

a short musical composition with words

i don't like the term 'song'. i always say track, or tune.

technically a song would have to have lyrics

I think it depends on your personal definition, at least around here. Ive always thought a track was a segment of a song in it's organization. Like you have a drum track, the you lay your bass track over it, then your....you get the point.

Ive used track to mean song as a whole though, so I guess its just up to you. If people know what you mean, who cares what word you use

I call them "jams"

:P

My friend (this huge punk rocker), was like, "who the fuck is Ferry Corsten, sounds like a fag", so he put the CD in, and skipped to that track Punk, and he was like "damn this is a fuckin jam."

So from then on, I've called everything jams.

*shrugs*

A song is something you play.

A track is something you run.

quote:

Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On A song is something you play. A track is something you run.

fuck exercise.

quote:

Originally posted by josh4 So whats a score? If a song can be a track but a track might not be a song can a track be a score?

From Dictionary.com

1. The notation of a musical work.
2. The written form of a composition for orchestral or vocal parts.
3. The music written for a film or a play.



A song without vocals is a track.

A musical composition lacking in vocals is also known as a Piece.

I think track is just a more general term that came about for talking about a musical composition when CD players started getting fairly popular.

This is the nomenclature I use:

instrumentals + lyrics = song
instrumentals only = piece
song OR piece = musical composition

tracks refer to audio clips and can be a song or not a song...

for example, track 12 on my cd doesn't necessarily mean it is a song.. it could be an audio track, or just some recording of a guy talking

a song, is a track that has some sort of musical structure

a score is the instructions on how to play the song, whether be sheet music or MIDI

I'm more confused now than when I started.

So a song must have words, and a track has none?

quote:

Originally posted by josh4 Well then I think a track can be a piece, but what's an instrument? No, seriously. Can a turntable be considered an instrument?

No, because a turntable cant generate consistant sounds. It requires a third and forth party to do much of anything. Third party, I think is the person putting the fourth party, record, on the deck. A instrument only require the instrument and someone to play it.

quote:

Originally posted by t�bias I'm more confused now than when I started. So a song must have words, and a track has none?

Yes a song must have words, a track is just a piece of audio, I believe the term only came about after the digital era.

I believe a turntable can be ocnsidered an instrument, if used as one. If you use a turntable to scratch, beatjuggle, etc... then yes, I consider the turntable an instrument. If you use the turntable to simply play music, then no, I don't consider it an instrument. It all depends on how it's being used. A flute being played as a flute would be an instrument, whereas a flute being swung to smack someone upside the head is no longer an instrument, but a blunt weapon.

imo,

a track --> a "musical composition" referred to a cd. i.e. - that track on that cd was awesome. what number was that track?

a song --> a "musicial composition" referred to any particular song heard anywhere, like the radio, from the car, etc.. i.e. man! that song is dope! who done this track?

a choon --> a slang term representing a "musical composition" when the tunes you hear make you want to do the "charlie brown" naked in the middle of a busy intersection, while yelling out "choooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnn!". no examples will be provided.

cheese --> i will not explain that one, since if you go to the "Musical Discussion" room, you will see that word everywhere. sometimes, it is taken out of context, but everyone knows what it means.

quote:

Originally posted by itsTrueSonic imo, a track --> a "musical composition" referred to a cd. i.e. - that track on that cd was awesome. what number was that track? a song --> a "musicial composition" referred to any particular song heard anywhere, like the radio, from the car, etc.. i.e. man! that song is dope! who done this track? a choon --> a slang term representing a "musical composition" when the tunes you hear make you want to do the "charlie brown" naked in the middle of a busy intersection, while yelling out "choooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnn!". no examples will be provided. cheese --> i will not explain that one, since if you go to the "Musical Discussion" room, you will see that word everywhere. sometimes, it is taken out of context, but everyone knows what it means.

Err....you can't use the word in your definitions when you're defining the word. Plus you should define "musical composition."

As for cheese, all symphonic music dating from and before the classical period is pure cheese.

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