At the start of the show, three contestants faced a game board consisting of 16 squares.
Behind each square was a clue associated with a word to be sung in a song by the show's four regular singers: Peggy Connelly, Katie Gran, Bob Mario, and Don Minter.
The first player to buzz in with the correct word after it was sung won cash and the opportunity to select the next clue.
The player with the highest cash score at the end of the day won the game and the right to compete on the next show.
[1] Words and Music aired each weekday afternoon on NBC from 1:30 to 2:00 PM, where it was beaten in the ratings by ABC's Let's Make a Deal and the CBS soap opera As the World Turns.