music - musical

◊ 'music'

Music is the sound that people make when they sing or play instruments. Music is an uncount noun. You use the singular form of a verb after it.

Loewe's music is pure and entrancing.

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You do not call a musical composition a `music'. You call it a piece of music.

The only pieces of music he knew were the songs in the school's songbook.

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◊ 'musical' used as an adjective

Musical is used as an adjective or a noun. You use it as an adjective to describe things which are connected with the playing or studying of music.

...musical instruments.

...a musical career.

...one of London's most important musical events.

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Someone who is musical has a natural ability and interest in music.

He came from a musical family.

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However, a student who studies music is called a music student, not a `musical student'. Someone who teaches music is a music teacher, not a `musical teacher'. Here is a list of nouns in front of which you use music, not `musical':

critic, department, festival, lesson, library, room, shop, student, teacher

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◊ 'musical' used as a noun

A musical is a play or film that uses singing and sometimes dancing as part of the story.

She appeared in the musical `Oklahoma'.

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