noun
skiffle
SKIF-ul/ˈskɪfəl/
Folk-influenced music played with simple or improvised instruments.
The band plays skiffle with guitars, a washboard, and homemade percussion.
Etymology
Skiffle earlier named American jazz played on improvised instruments. Its later British musical sense retains that emphasis on simple or homemade instruments, but the origin of the name itself is uncertain.
In context
skiffle was dying out rock and roll was coming in and we'd started to do a bit more rock and roll
More examples
- She keeps time on a washboard while her friends play skiffle.
- Their skiffle songs blend folk melodies with lively rhythms.
- You need little equipment to start playing skiffle.
Similar words
- folk music
- Includes traditional styles without requiring simple or improvised instruments.
- jug-band music
- Specifically features a jug blown like a bass instrument.