Meanings
- derogatoryuncountableBaroque classical music that is characterized by motoric rhythm and the dense masses of notes.
Bach's style is baroque, characterised by lots of notes, simple motoric rhythms, and steady shifts of underlying harmony — it was derided by some as 'sewing-machine music'.
2014, Michael Wenkart, The 50 most influential people in history, page 1952 more examples
I once had difficulty with my choir's interpretation of a Bach cantata until I described the fugue they were performing as “sewing machine music” and asked them to “chatter” as they sang.
1977, Lewis Gordon, Choral Director's Complete Handbook, page 113Tempo and phrasing were utterly predictable in performance, and musicians dismissed even first-class Baroque compositions as “sewing-machine music.” Undesirable precision isn't limited to bad performances of Baroque music.
2011, Pedro de Alcantara, Integrated Practice: Coordination, Rhythm, & Sound, page 80
Origin
Attributed to Arnold Bax.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
sewing-machine music. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sewing-machine%20music
“sewing-machine music.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sewing-machine%20music. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sewing-machine music,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sewing-machine%20music.
Source: sewing-machine music on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.