Clubs said to embrace hard type of music (6)
I believe the answer is:
choral
'type of music' is the definition.
'clubs said to embrace hard' is the wordplay.
'clubs' becomes 'c' (abbreviation used in card games such as bridge).
'said' becomes 'oral' (I've seen this before).
'to embrace' indicates putting letters inside.
'hard' becomes 'h' (abbreviation used in pencil classifications).
'c'+'oral'='coral'
'coral' going around 'h' is 'CHORAL'.
(Other definitions for choral that I've seen before include "Of a singing group" , "Pertaining to a group of singers" , "harmonious society" , "Written to be performed by a choir" , "Sung psalm" .)