A cappella means singing without any musical instruments, using only human voices. The term comes from Italian words meaning “in chapel style,” because long ago, church choirs often sang without instruments accompanying them.

When a group sings a cappella, the singers create all the sounds themselves: the melody, the harmony, and even the rhythm. Some groups make sounds with their mouths that imitate drums, bass guitars, or other instruments, a technique called beatboxing or vocal percussion. Your school choir might perform an a cappella arrangement of a popular song, where different voice parts blend together to create the full musical effect without any piano or guitar.

The phrase shows up in everyday conversation too. If someone asks whether your performance will have a band, you might say, “No, we're doing it a cappella.” Notice that while the singing happens without instruments, it's not the same as singing alone: a cappella usually describes group performances where voices work together, though a solo performance without accompaniment can also be called a cappella.