Q: Genres categorize music within overarching umbrellas; large amounts of music tied together via a common tone or structural approach, but usually both. Referring to genre is the easiest way you can describe music to someone. Genres may refer primarily to the sound, but they come with a lot of preconceptions, including lyrical content and artistic intention. If the song you're trying to describe fits what you know of the genre, the genre-tag will become that much more useful to you. In modern music, it is common for musical groups to draw from two or more genres to develop a unique character of their own. Calling a band 'eclectic' is a decent start if they're playing in many different genres. Try to keep your genre tags limited to one or two however; anything more and you'll just end up confusing whomever you're talking to. The Beatles, for instance, incorporate many styles, but they're best seen as pop. Led Zeppelin could be considered anything from progressive to blues or metal, but they're arguably best pegged as bluesy hard rock. For example, you might say: "Deathspell Omega's "Obombration" is an interesting song for the band. It has the atmosphere of orthodox black metal, but the instruments used are largely orchestral, making it sound like very dark classical music." The majority of songs you'll hear are quite clear in their topics. Many pop songs, for example, concern romantic encounters the singer has had. If the song's meaning isn't already apparent to you, do some research online to learn what the song is about. Many songs-- especially classics-- will have some info as to the story behind them. Using this story alongside your description will help to specify the character of the song. For example, you might say: "Pink Floyd's "Dogs" tells a story of dogs being aggressive in their nature, but it's also a cynical commentary on the 'dog eat dog' mentality in modern society. This cynical undertone has a big effect on the song's atmosphere." Formal notation is the way musicians describe the objective details of music accurately to their fellow players. It takes years to develop a masterful understanding of notation, but having a general idea as to the tools musicians use to communicate with one another will help out a lot. The 'key' of a song refers to the chords and set of notes it predominantly uses. A 'minor key', for instance, tends to sound inherently sad, while a 'major key' is often uplifting. Tempo refers to the speed of the music or the pace of the beat. Giving an outline of the particular people involved in the making of the music is most important in performance-based styles of music, like jazz. For popular forms of music, telling someone which singer(s) are involved will give them the best idea as to the sound of the song. Many of the best-known singers have very distinctive vocal qualities, and merely giving a name may give the person you're talking to a clearer idea what to expect in a song. For example: "Miles Davis In A Silent Way is a wonderful album, and I think a good part of it is owed to the fact that Chick Corea and John McLaughlin (among others) took part in it. If you listen close, you can hear their personalities mingling in with Davis' own."
A: Pinpoint the genre. Look into the lyrics. Educate yourself in formal notation. List the musicians involved.

Q: You will be making a mess as you refinish the coffee table. Work outside or somewhere like a garage if you can, or put down a drop sheet, tarp, or plastic sheet to catch the dust from sanding and protect the floor from spills. If you don't have a good work area or some kind of drop sheet to use, you could put down 2-3 overlapping layers of newspaper or even create a drop sheet by taping some plastic garbage bags together. Mix 2-3 drops of gentle soap, such as a mild liquid dish detergent, into a cup or bowl of water. Soak a clean cloth in the soap solution and wring out excess water until it's not dripping. Rub down the entire coffee table with the damp cloth to clean off dust and grime. It's important to clean off the surface very well so there are no grains of dirt that you might end up grinding into the wood as you sand. Attach a sheet of coarse-grit sandpaper, like 40- or 60-grit sandpaper, to a sanding block or electric sander. Start sanding, going with the grain of the wood, until you remove all the finish and expose all the bare wood. Wear a face mask and goggles whenever you're sanding to keep wood dust out of your mouth, nose, and eyes. If there are any hard-to-reach areas, such as engraved legs or sides of the coffee table, fold up a piece of sandpaper into a small square and sand those areas by hand. If your sandpaper stops removing the finish at any point, stop sanding and feel the sandpaper with your fingers. If it is smooth, it has worn out and you need to replace it with a fresh sheet. Use a tack cloth or other clean, soft cloth to wipe away all the dust from sanding. This will allow you to better see the exposed wood and continue with sanding and preparing the surface for a new finish. A tack cloth is a cloth specifically made for cleaning up wood dust. You can purchase one at a home improvement center, a woodworking supply shop, or online. If you don't have one, something like a microfiber cloth or an old cut-up T-shirt will work. You could also use a vacuum with a hose attachment to suck up the dust. If you notice any spots where there is still paint, varnish, or stain showing after you wipe away the dust, go back over them with the coarse-grit sandpaper until the wood is bare. Put a sheet of fine-grit sandpaper, like 120- or 240-grit sandpaper, on your sanding block or electric sander. Sand down the entire coffee table, going with the grain, until it is completely smooth. Stop sanding periodically and run a hand over the whole coffee table to feel for rough spots. Keep sanding and feeling the table until it feels like it has a uniform smoothness. Wipe off the loose dust with your tack cloth or other soft cloth. Dampen a rag with mineral spirits and wipe down the entire coffee table to clean it and prepare it for finishing. Wear a face mask when you apply mineral spirits so you don't inhale the fumes. If you are working inside, open up any doors and windows you can to ventilate the space. Mineral spirits are also known as mineral turps or mineral turpentine. The liquid is very similar to paint thinner, which you can use as a substitute if that's all you have.
A:
Pick an easy-to-clean area to work in or put down a drop sheet. Clean the surface of the table with a mild soap and water solution. Remove the finish by sanding the coffee table with a coarse-grit sandpaper. Wipe down the entire coffee table with a clean cloth to remove the wood dust. Smooth the bare wood surface by sanding it again with fine-grit sandpaper. Clean off the coffee table with mineral spirits to get rid of fine wood dust.