Learn English – What do you call all the pieces of a song minus the lyrics

musicsingle-word-requeststerminology

I think there must be a good word for this, but can't think of what it might be.

Harmony and Melody are pieces of it, beat seems simplistic, Instrumentation seems too scientific and dull.

Any Ideas?

Best Answer

Instrumentals — TFD
plural noun of instrumental

It's very commonly used to refer to music (minus the lyrics)

noun Music
A composition for one or more instruments, usually without vocal accompaniment.

"the opening tune is an instrumental"

adjective Music
Performed on or written for an instrument.

"They played instrumental music at the wedding."
"an instrumental version of a song"

Or called backing tracks, karaoke, etc.

For further reading, here's a quote from a highly-upvoted and accepted answer to a similar question on ELL:

Instrumental can mean two things:

  1. a "karaoke" version with the vocals removed; or

  2. a song which was written without vocals in the first place.

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