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instrumentalist

instrumentalist

5 5.3
A person who plays a musical instrument, often as a job
  • noun
  • /ˌɪnstrəˈmɛntəlɪst/
translation icon : instrumentista
  • The instrumentalist played a beautiful melody on the violin during the concert.
  • instrumentalists and vocalists
  • instrumentalists and singers
  • instrumentalists and pianists

He corrects some instrumentalist, he cajoles them, he jokes, he is angry.

Examples

  • We chose songs in which the piano part reinforced the vocalist or instrumentalist, as opposed to being more independent.

    Academic text (2013)
  • In the experiment, twenty-four college instrumentalists learned simple melodies by ear such that they could perform them accurately.

    Academic text (2012)
  • He's a multi instrumentalist, just musical genius who does all kinds of different music.

  • I'm the greatest solo instrumentalist on the guitar you'll ever hear.

  • When this performance fluency is reached, young instrumentalists are then ready to learn the written language of music.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Assumptions: A class of beginning instrumentalists who have been reading notation for half a semester.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The software is designed as a practice monitor for singers or instrumentalists and offers immediate feedback on performances.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Very early in the semester, arrange a "get acquainted" type of lesson for every instrumentalist or choir member.

    Academic text (1993)
  • In his survey, he asked for specific descriptions of typical pitch and rhythm errors made by instrumentalists.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Beginners through intermediate instrumentalists can also be assessed through a variety of worksheets and homework assignments.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

musician
vsinstrumentalist
644 1.8

A person who plays or writes music for others

is narrower, meaning a professional who plays instruments rather than all musical roles
player
vsinstrumentalist
219 2.2

A person who performs music on an instrument for a living

shares identical meaning but differs only in wording
drummer
vsinstrumentalist
171 1.1

A person who plays drums in a band

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
guitarist
vsinstrumentalist
85 2.9

A person who plays the guitar in concerts or as a job

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
pianist
vsinstrumentalist
84 2.6

A person who plays the piano, often as a job or with great skill

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
violinist
vsinstrumentalist
41 3.7

A person who plays the violin, often professionally

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
guitar player
vsinstrumentalist
38 1.3

A person who plays the guitar in songs or bands

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
piano player
vsinstrumentalist
22 2.3

A person who plays the piano

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
jazz musician
vsinstrumentalist
22 2.3

A person who plays or writes jazz music

is not limited to one musical style and covers any instrument performer
cellist
vsinstrumentalist
18 3.5

A person who plays the cello, a large string instrument

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
fiddler
vsinstrumentalist
16 4.3

A person who plays the violin often in folk music

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
saxophonist
vsinstrumentalist
12 4.4

A person who plays the saxophone, often as a professional musician

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
organist
vsinstrumentalist
9 3.7

A person who plays the organ in church or concerts

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
trumpeter
vsinstrumentalist
9 3.0

A musician who plays the trumpet or cornet

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
percussionist
vsinstrumentalist
8 4.4

A musician who plays instruments you hit, like drums or cymbals

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
piper
vsinstrumentalist
8 7.0

A person who plays the bagpipes at ceremonies and public events

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
keyboardist
vsinstrumentalist
6 3.8

A musician who plays piano or other instruments with keys

includes all instrument performers, not only those on keyboards
harpist
vsinstrumentalist
5 5.5

A person who plays the harp, often as a job or serious hobby

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
accompanist
vsinstrumentalist
5 6.2

A person who plays music to support a singer or other performer

performs broadly, not limited to supporting other performers
flutist
vsinstrumentalist
  • US
4 3.2

A person who plays the flute, often as a professional

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
clarinetist
vsinstrumentalist
3 4.9

A musician who plays the clarinet

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
accordionist
vsinstrumentalist
3 7.0

A person who plays the accordion

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
flute player
vsinstrumentalist
2 2.0

A person who plays the flute as a job or for fun

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
harper
vsinstrumentalist
1 7.8

A person who plays a large instrument with many strings that you pluck

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
harpsichordist
vsinstrumentalist
1 9.6

A person who plays the harpsichord as a professional musician

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
cornetist
vsinstrumentalist
1 7.7

A musician who plays the cornet, often in a brass band

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
timpanist
vsinstrumentalist
1 9.5

A person who plays large tuned drums in an orchestra

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
mandolinist
vsinstrumentalist
1 6.9

A person who plays the mandolin in concerts or bands

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
recorder player
vsinstrumentalist
1 4.6

A person who performs music on a small wooden wind instrument like a flute

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
band player
vsinstrumentalist
1 2.5

A person who plays an instrument in a band, for example a military band

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
recitalist
vsinstrumentalist
1 8.6

A musician who gives solo concerts, often playing piano

performs in many contexts, not only solo formal recitals
saxist
vsinstrumentalist
7.9

A person who plays the saxophone

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
altoist
vsinstrumentalist
  • Jargon
9.0

A musician who plays the alto sax

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
reedman
vsinstrumentalist
8.0

A musician who plays instruments like the clarinet or saxophone

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
concertinist
vsinstrumentalist
9.9

A person who plays a small instrument like a tiny accordion with buttons

is the general professional who plays any musical instrument
accompanyist
vsinstrumentalist
8.8

A musician who plays music to support a singer or other player

performs broadly, not limited to supporting other performers
executant
vsinstrumentalist
  • Specialized
8.8

A person who performs music or other art skillfully

focuses specifically on playing musical instruments professionally

How Skilled

virtuoso
12 8.0
instrumentalist
5 5.3
amateur
122 2.8
student
1.0
beginner
81 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

instrumentalist = instrumental (transparent) = instrument + al + ist

The agentive suffix '-ist' is regularly added to the adjective 'instrumental' to denote a person who performs the related activity, a transparent derivation for learners.

Etymology

Instrumentalist comes from instrument, which originally meant a 'tool' or 'thing made to do a job', and the ending -alist, as in pianist or artist, means a person who does something. So an instrumentalist is a person who uses a musical instrument, a tool for making music.