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Here it is 2016 and this issue still is unresolved. IMO a song involves vocalization (maybe not articulate, but at least a human voice). An instrumental is music that does not involve a human or human-like voice. With today's digital technology, I suppose it could be blurred, but when I play a guitar without singing, I don't call it a song. I call it an instrumental. --71.10.153.53 (talk) 03:30, 9 September 2016 (UTC)Reply[reply]
A song does not need vocals. A song is broadly speaking, colloquially speaking, any piece of music. Music in general, broadly speaking, is the process of using instruments (including voice) to make sounds that sound good. So the difference is merely that songs tend tend to be in a short format, but that can be extended longer in instrumental songs. --Skywalker8 (talk) 13:58, 25 August 2020 (UTC)Skywalker8 2020Reply[reply]
A lot of laypeople call all music "songs." Someone might hear the beginning of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and say "This song sounds familiar." People who study and perform music generally know better, and do not make this mistake. Not all music consists of songs; a symphony is certainly not a song, and neither is a concerto, a drum cadence, a bugle call, etc. A song is just one of the many forms of musical composition. Generally songs are sung. I can think of some possible exceptions. A song is arguably still a song if the singer is replaced by an instrument but the overall form of the song stays the same. And electronic popular music without lyric is sometimes referred to as "songs" though I think that there "track" is used about as often. If you are looking for a generic term that works for any piece of music, use "piece." Or for recorded music you could use "track." Baller McGee (talk) 19:22, 10 June 2021 (UTC)Reply[reply]
@Kabelo Lesooana: no, lyrics should not be added to articles. See WP:NOTLYRICS for our policy on that. You can add them to Wikisource if the songs are in the public domain or are freely licensed, although most songs aren't. Woodroar (talk) 18:09, 27 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]
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A discussion is taking place to address the redirect 歌. The discussion will occur at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2021 October 14#歌 until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. signed, Rosguill talk 18:31, 14 October 2021 (UTC)