As a direction in
sheet music, indicates that the performer or conductor has one of a variety of types of discretion with respect to a given passage: • to play the passage in
free time rather than in strict or "
metronomic"
tempo (a practice known as
rubato when not expressly indicated by the composer); • to improvise a melodic line fitting the general structure prescribed by the passage's written notes or chords; • to omit an instrument part, such as a nonessential
accompaniment, for the duration of the passage; or • in the phrase "repeat ", to play the passage a non-arbitrary number of times (
cf. vamp). Note that the direction (see above) has a more restricted meaning, generally referring to only the first two types of discretion.
Baroque music, especially, has a written or implied , with most composers intimating the freedom the performer and conductor have. For post-Baroque classical music and jazz, see
cadenza. In
hip-hop, ad-libs are commonly used to accent certain words in a bar. One of the most famous examples of American record producer
DJ Khaled, who is known to shout phrases such as "We the best music!" or "Another one!" in his songs. The ad-libs of a producer can also act as
producer tags for the producers themselves, which is again seen in DJ Khaled's records. It should be noted, however, that the role of ad-libs is not limited to the producer, and rappers using their own ad-libs is just as if not more prevalent. ==Other performing arts==