David Byrne discusses acoustic culture as a concept in which sound is perceived as encompassing and multidirectional, contrasting with the focused and directional nature of visual culture. In acoustic culture, sound is all-encompassing and creates a sense of community and shared experience. Byrne uses this term to explore how the perception and appreciation of music have evolved in different cultural contexts.

This term refers to the symphony of sounds created by living organisms in an environment. In the book, biophony is used to illustrate the natural musicality present in the world and how it influences human music creation and appreciation.

Byrne explains the diatonic scale as a fundamental musical scale in Western music comprising seven notes, with the eighth note being the same as the first but an octave higher. This concept is crucial in understanding the evolution of musical scales and how they have shaped musical compositions in various cultures and historical periods. While diatonic scales are common and recognizable, many other types of scales exist. For example, octatonic scales contain eight notes instead of seven and are common in jazz music.