Term for instrumental music where the singer has been replaced by instrument

Question

Is there a term for instrumental music where the song is typically sung vocally, but the singer's part has been replaced by an instrument?

I want to tell my Google Home to play instrumental music of this kind, but instead it typically plays pieces that are exclusively instrumental (not intended to be sung).

Musak? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzak Or elevator music? — , Dec 01 '18 at 18:54
@b3ko : Well, if so, it is going to be very hard for my voice-operated Google Home to hear the distinction between "Muzak" and "Music". — , Dec 01 '18 at 19:03
I was able to find some stuff in spotify by searching "instrumental pop covers". — , Dec 01 '18 at 20:36
Thank you. I'm also giving this question a try at english.stackexchange.com. — , Dec 02 '18 at 07:30
The reverse (where a singer sings words or scat to emulate a previous instrumental solo) is called vocalese... — , Dec 03 '18 at 00:57
Try "Instrumental version" of a "song name/genre/chorus name" or "song with lead melody" — , Dec 03 '18 at 05:35

score 3 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 18 '20 at 08:33

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The very short and simple answer to this question - Instrumentalize

instrumentalize: Verb - (third-person singular simple present instrumentalizes, present participle instrumentalizing, simple past and past participle instrumentalized)
(music) To transcribe for instrumental execution a piece of music written for the human voice

For your Google Home issue, I suppose you can attempt to tell it to play whatever song "instrumentalized".... But, I'm guessing ymmv...

edited Jun 18 '20 at 08:33

Community

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answered Dec 12 '18 at 20:33

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I've been a musician for most of my 67 years and had to look up the word 'Instrumentalize' to check it existed. I doubt there's much point in asking Google to look for it. – Laurence Dec 13 '18 at 00:26

Laurence · Answer 2 · 2019-02-23T15:49:58.603

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This sort of thing might be named as the song title plus (Instrumental) or (Instrumental version). But I'm afraid this will be little use in a Google search.

Tracks where the vocal is omitted but NOT replaced by an instrument will be tagged 'Karaoke'. There's plenty of them!

edited Feb 23 '19 at 15:49

answered Dec 13 '18 at 00:29

Laurence

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score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 13 '18 at 04:31

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I think the best way to do this is "instrumental cover of 'x'" where x is the song name. Alternatively, "(instrument name) cover of 'x'".

answered Dec 13 '18 at 04:31

user45266

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Can you give an example? – Sep 15 '19 at 14:00

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 05 '23 at 18:08

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Quiet, instrumental covers of popular music, where the lead vocal is replaced with an instrument, were popularized by the "Muzak" company, which sold it as background music for stores and restaurants. Although it's a registered trademark, it is often used informally as a generic term for the genre.

"Instrumental cover" would be a non-copyrighted term that would also cover a wider range of styles. Due to its usage as background music, Muzak covers were all translated into the "easy listening" "soft rock" genre, no matter what genre the original song was recorded in.

answered Sep 05 '23 at 18:08

Chris Sunami

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The Google Home is a voice activated music player, and "Muzak" probably sounds too much like "Music" for the Google Home to distinguish what I'm meaning. "Instrument cover" may work though. – Lonnie Best Sep 06 '23 at 15:31
I recently read a book by Arthur "Babe" Cranfield, who was a World Pool Champion (in 1964 I think). Coincidentally, I discovered that his day job was running the "Muzak" company. – Lonnie Best Sep 06 '23 at 16:25

score 1 · Answer 5 · edited Feb 24 '19 at 22:41

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.Song Title + Orchestra Version 123456

edited Feb 24 '19 at 22:41

Lonnie Best

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answered Feb 23 '19 at 18:31

Albrecht Hügli

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score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Sep 07 '23 at 21:00

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Most answers here seem to suggest, that this is a new process and therefore needs a newish sounding term.

I disagree, since this is just a special case of transcription or arrangement. In fact, Franz Liszt (1811-1886) transcribed quite a few Lieder (songs) from Franz Schubert, by incorporating the singers material into the piano score, so in this case creating a transcription for piano. Note, that the replacing instrument is mentioned here for precision.

answered Sep 07 '23 at 21:00

guidot

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I could see a case for "arrangement" but surely the transcription is the written score, not the performance. – Chris Sunami Sep 07 '23 at 21:02

Term for instrumental music where the singer has been replaced by instrument

6 Answers6