bebop

IPA/ˈbiːbɒp/
KK[bˈibˌɑp]IPA/ˈbiːbɑːp/

bebop — noun

1. a fast style of jazz in which musicians use difficult rhythms and long improvise

1.nounC1
Definition

a fast style of jazz in which musicians use difficult rhythms and long improvised solos

Example

Feng spent the evening listening to bebop records from the 1940s.

collocation: listening to bebop records

At the club, Eve heard a bebop drummer push the band faster.

Common collocations
  • bebop record
  • bebop solo
  • bebop drummer
  • play bebop
  • listen to bebop
Synonyms
  • bop

    shorter form, often used by jazz listeners and writers

  • modern jazz

    broader label that can include bebop and other later jazz styles

Grammar Patterns

listen to bebop

play bebop

bebop record

Usage Note

Usually uncountable and often follows verbs such as listen to, play, study, or love. It names the jazz style itself rather than one single song or performance.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Bebop, swing, hard bop, and cool jazz are all jazz styles, but they create very different listening experiences. Swing is usually built for dancing, with a strong steady beat and larger bands. Bebop is faster, denser, and more focused on small-group improvisation, so listeners often pay close attention to the solo lines and harmonic turns. Hard bop grew out of bebop, but it adds a heavier blues and gospel feeling. Cool jazz is usually more relaxed and spacious than bebop, with smoother lines and less rhythmic pressure. If a club set feels fast, angular, and solo-driven, bebop is the best label; if it feels easier to dance to, swing is probably a better fit.

bebop ↗swing ↗hard bopcool jazz

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • listen to bebop
  • play bebop
  • a bebop record

Prepositions

Etymology

English

The name bebop probably comes from playful nonsense syllables such as 'be-bop' or 'bop' used in jazz singing. Musicians and listeners later used it for the fast, complex jazz style that developed in the United States in the 1940s.