• Concert Etiquette
• Music Vocabulary
• Concert Reviews
• Helpful Links

The purpose of this guide is to give information about the proper etiquette when attending a concert or recital, a list of musical terminology, and some tips for writing a really great review.

Be the Best Audience Member 

Below are a number of suggestions that can help you to be a successful concert or recital attendee. But the bottom line is this: don't do anything at a concert or recital that you wouldn't want an audience to do if you were the one on stage.

General Guidelines:

• Be respectful: Be respectful of the performer(s) and the audience.

• Be on time: Plan to be in your seat about 10 minutes before the concert is scheduled to begin.

• Be quiet: Silence your phone. Avoid talking, humming, and tapping your feet or fingers once the concert has begun.

• Don't take pics: Do not take pictures during the concert, the flash can be really disruptive to the performer(s).

• Stay in your seat: Do not get up in the middle of the performance, it is distracting to the audience and disruptive to the performer(s). If you must get up during a performance, try to wait until intermission or in between pieces of music.

Show Appreciation:

• Applaud at the right time: It can be very disruptive when an audience claps in between movements of a piece of music. Once you get a program, make sure to note how many movements there are in each piece of music, so you can be sure to only applaud at the end.  If you are unsure, wait until you hear other people clapping.

• At the end of the concert: It is appropriate to clap long and loud at the end of the concert.

Food/Drink/Smoke:

• Don't eat: Most concert halls have a no food/no drink policy. Be respectful of the venue and do not bring in food or drinks.

• Cough drops: If you know that you are going to need cough drops during the concert, unwrap them ahead of time and put them in a container that won't make noise when you open it.

• Smoking/Vaping: Most concert halls/auditoriums adhere to the same policies as other indoor public spaces, so there is no smoking or vaping allowed.

Appropriate Attire:

• Dress up: While dress for concerts is much less formal than it used to be, error on the side of caution and dress up. At most performances, the audience will be in anything from business-casual to semi-formal attire.

• Not sure?: If you are concerned about what to wear, you can check the concert hall/auditorium website or call the box office and ask if they have a dress code. You can also ask a friend or professor who has already attended an event at the venue.

For More Information:

The following sites have more detailed information about concert etiquette.

• University of Georgia 

• Utah Symphony 

• Pacific Symphony 

How do I say that?

Sometimes it is hard to know the best way to describe a performance in an essay, especially if you have not attended a lot of concerts or are unfamiliar with music terminology. Below are several music terms that can help you better describe the performance that you attended.

Basics

• Concert or Recital or Performance: The event you are attending.
• Conductor or Director: The person leading the performers in the performance.
• Ensemble: A group of performers.
• Composition or Piece or Work: A song or a group of songs.
• Movement: A song that is a section from a longer piece of music.
• Composer: Musician who wrote the song.
• Arranger: Musician who re-wrote an existing song or work.
• Arrangement: An existing song or work that is re-written.

Tune:

• Melody: The succession of notes or voices arranged into a musical phrase. A song's melody is often the most memorable and recognizable part.
• Harmony: Multiple notes or voices played simultaneously to produce a new sound.

Dynamics: How Loud and/or Soft

• Piano: Soft.
• Mezzo Piano: Medium soft.
• Mezzo Forte: Medium loud.
• Forte: Loud.
• Crescendo: Gradually growing louder.
• Decrescendo: Gradually growing softer.

Tempo: The Speed of the Music

• Largo: Slowly.
• Andante: Walking speed.
• Moderato: At a moderate speed.
• Allegro: Fast, quick, and bright.
• Presto: Very, very fast.

For More Information:

The following sites have more detailed information about music terms.

• West Music 

• Icon Collective 

• Pacific Symphony 

Definition of a Concert Review

A concert review describes a concert's overall structure - including its music, musicians, venue, time and location. It also attempts to place the concert in a larger context by comparing it to other concerts. For your readers to grasp the atmosphere and quality of the concert, you should try to capture the entire scene in your review and also include your own evaluation.

At the concert

• Read the prompt closely: A concert review for a university class is different than one you would find from a magazine or website. Be sure you understand the instructions.
• Take notes: Note what is happening on stage and the responses of the audience. Make notes about the performance and the performers. Include your thoughts and feelings about each song in the performance.
• Get a list of songs/compositions: You'll want to be able to write about the individual songs and call them by name - having a list of the songs performed will make this much easier.

After the concert: write a review

• Introduction: Your introduction should include the title, venue, and date of the concert, and names of musicians/ensembles/conductors. 
• Description: The main body of the review should include brief discussions of each piece played during the performance. Do not quote the program notes, write your own observations. The descriptions should include: the title of each piece, the name of the composer and/or musician, basic and brief information about the composer and/or piece, and your reactions.
• Evaluation: Based on your notes, mention what made attending the concert worthwhile. What about the experience was new or different for you? Augment your writing with relevant facts such as the history of the ensemble or the effect the venue had on the performance. Honestly discuss your enjoyment of the concert and how the audience responded.
• Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize your overall impression of the event. 

For More Information:

The following sites have more detailed information about writing a concert review.

• Duke University Writing Studio 

• University of Nevada Writing & Speaking Center 

• A Research Guide: How to Write an Interesting Concert Review?

Examples of Reviews

• Classical / Opera
• Jazz 
• Rock / Popular

Library Resources

• Oxford History of Western Music: This encyclopedia has information about the most performed compositions and their composers.
• Grove Dictionary of American Music: This encyclopedia has information about American composers and their works.
• Naxos Music Library and Naxos Jazz: These are streaming collections of music that will allow you to listen to various recordings of music and compare it to the live versions that you encountered at a concert. Please be sure to log out of Naxos when you are finished.
• Books about Music History: We have a large collection of books about different composers, genres of music, etc...
• Research Help: If you need help finding information to include in your review, fill out this form to make an appointment with one of our librarians.