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Being able to listen to and understand new music is one of the best parts about learning a new language. You’re introduced to a whole new facet of the culture when you’re able to enjoy a good song and discuss it with your friends.

If you haven’t yet been introduced to the wonders of Jovanotti, Giorgia or Lunapop (my personal favorite), you can click here to check out a list of some of Cher’s favorite songs.

After you’ve picked out a favorite, you’re going to want to be able to talk about it with your Italian amici. You may want to ask them what kind of music they like or who their favorite artist is.

Here are 10 phrases you can use to talk about music in Italian.

– Che tipo di musica ti piace? – What kind of music do you like?
– Mi piace la musica ______ – I like ______ music.
          + Mi piace la musica rock. – I like rock music.
          + Mi piace la musica pop. – I like pop music.
          + Mi piace la musica classica. – I like classical music.
          + Mi piace la musica techno. – I like techno music.
– Chi è il tuo cantante preferito? – Who is your favorite singer?
         + Il mio cantante preferito è… – My favorite singer is…
– Qual è la tua canzone preferita? – What is your favorite song?
          + La mia canzone preferita è… – My favorite song is…
– Chi canta questa canzone? – Who sings this song?
– Questa canzone è così orecchiabile! – This song is so catchy!
– Non riesco a togliermi questa canzone dalla testa. – I can’t get this song out of my head.
– Che genere di musica ascolti? – What kind of music do you listen to?
– Qual è il genere di musica che preferisci? – Which is your favorite genre of music?

If you play an instrument or are in a band, you can say:

– Suono (oppure Mi piace suonare) … – I play (or I like to play)…
          + La chitarra – the guitar
          + La batteria – the drums
          + Il violino – the violin
          + Il piano – the piano
          + Sono in un gruppo/una band. – I’m in a band.
          + Il mio gruppo si chiama – My band is called _______.

Here is some vocabulary that will also help you to talk about music.

– Il ritmo – the beat
– Il suono – the sound
– Alto – loud (used in reference to music)
– Basso – low (e.g. low volume)
– Tranquillo – quiet
– Canzone – song
– Brano – track
– Colonna sonora – soundtrack
– Spartito – score
– L’artista/la cantante – singer
– L’album – album

And of course, here’s a music-themed Italian proverbs, because proverbs are always fun to learn.

Cambiano i suonatori, ma la musica è sempre quella. – The melody changes, but the song remains the same. (Literally, the musicians change, but the music remains the same).

Tell us about your favorite song, artist or album in the comments below!

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