Music glossary

Sarrusophone
A metal wind instrument played with a double reed.

Saxophone
A keyed brass reed instrument in several sized and registers, used especially in jazz and dance music.

Scotch snap
A rhythmic figure consisting of a short note on the beat followed by a longer one held until the next beat. Found in Scottish music but also in other folk music.

Sempre
It.: "always". Ex. sempre staccato: "always staccato" (play all notes staccato).

Septet
A group of seven performers which may consist of instrumentalists or singers.

Serial music
Also known as twelve-tone music, twelve-note music and dodecaphonic music.

Serpent
A bass cornet, named for its curved "snakelike" form. The serpent was first introduced in the 1590s.

Sforzato (or sforzando)
Play the note or the chord loudly and forcefully.

Shanty
Also called "sea shanty". A sailors' work song with solo verses and chorus matching certain rhythmical movements.

Shuffle
Dancing rhythm related to swing and boogie.

Sight reading
Playing unknown music directly from the score.

Sixth
The interval between two notes separated by five steps of the diatonic scale.

Sostenuto
It.: "sustained". Used in tempo markings such as andante sostenuto.

Spiritual
Religious songs developed by the Afro-American communities in the USA.

Strepitoso
It.:"noisy".

String quartet
An ensemble consisting of two violins, a viola and a cello.

Strumming
Playing method on stringed instruments (esp. the guitar) where two or more notes are hit almost simultaneously with one finger or with a pick.

Studio
A musical piece designed for improving technical or musical skills.

Subito
It.: "suddenly".

Suite
A composition made from several more or less independent shorter pieces.

Swing
Jazzy dance music with an easy flowing rhythm.

Sympathetic strings
Extra strings added to certain string instruments. The sympathetic strings are not to be played upon, but to resonate to the playing strings, adding extra tone.

Symphony
An elaborated composition usually for full orchestra, and in several movements with one or more in sonata form.