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GLOSSARY OF MUSICAL TERMS:
S - T
Sans
Without.
Scale
Any set of musical notes ordered in pitch by defined intervals.
Scherzo
A joke, jest.
Schnell
Scintallente
Sparkling, brilliant.
Scorrendo
Fluent, flowing, gliding.
Second
The interval between two conjunct degrees.
Section
A short division of a composition.
Segno
A sign. Al segno, to the sign; dal segno, from the sign.
Segue
Follows.
Seguendo
Following.
Sehr
Very.
Semiquaver
A sixteenth note.
Semplice
In a simple, natural, unaffected style.
Semitone
A half tone.
Sempre
Always, continually; throughout.
Senza
Without.
Series
The ordering of pitch classes or other elements.
Sensibile
Audible; sensitive, as in able to be sensed.
Seventh chord
A chord composed of a root, third, fifth and seventh.
Severo
Strictly, with rigid observance of tempo and expression marks.
Sforzando
A direction to perform the tone of chord with special stress, or marked and sudden emphasis; usually written sfz.
Sfumato
Very lightly, like a vanishing smoke-wreath.
Silenzio
Silence.
Similar motion
In the same direction; parts progress in similar motion when both moves up or down simutaneously or, in piano music, when hands move either right or left together.
Simile
Similarly; a direction to perform the following bars or passages in the same way.
Simple
Not compound or complex; undeveloped, not varied.
Sixth
The interval containing six diatonic degrees.
Six chord
First inversion of a triad.
Slur
A curved line under or over two or more notes, signifying that they are to be played legato.
Smorzando
Dying away.
Sognando
Dreaming, dreamily.
Solenne
Solemn, solemnly, with solemnity, in a lofty style.
Sombre
Dark, veiled, obscure.
Sonata
An instrumental composition in three or four extended movements contrasted in theme, tempo and mood.
Sonoro
Sonorously, resoundingly, resonantly.
Sordamente
With a veiled, muffled tone.
Sostenuto
Sustained, prolonged.
Sotto
Below, under.
Soutenu
Held or sustained.
Stabile
Steady, firm.
Staccato
Detached, separated.
Staff, or Stave
The five parallel lines used in modern notation.
Stendando
Delaying, dragging.
Stesso
The same.
Stinguendo
Dyinf away.
Stravagante
Extravagant, fantastic.
Strepitoso
In a noisy, boisterous, impetuous style.
Stridente
Strident; rough, harsh.
Stringendo
Hastening, accelerating, usually suddenly and rapidlyn with a crescendo.
Study
An étude, a teaching piece.
Subito
Suddenly.
Submediant
The third scale tone below the tonic; the sixth degree.
Subtonic
The scale tone below the tonic.
Supertonic
The second degree of a diatonic scale.
Susurrante
In a whispering, murmurous tone.
Tacet
Silent.
Tempo
Rate of speed.
Tempo mark
A word or phrase indicating the rate of speed at a which a piece should be performed.
Tenero
Tenderly; delicatlely, softly.
Tenuto
Held; means generally that a tone so marked is to be sustained for its full time value.
Theme
The musical basis or bases upon which composition is built.
Third
The interval containing three successive degrees.
Tierce di Picardi
The major ending of a piece in a minor key.
Timbre
Tone colour or quality.
Tone
A steady periodic sound; a note.
Tranquillo
Tranquilly, quietly, calmly.
Semibreve
A whole note.
Tonic
The keynote of a scale.
Tosto
Swift, bold; soon.
Transposition
Notation or performance of a composition in a different key from the one in which it was originally written.
Triad
A three note chord composed of a given tone, the root, with its third and fifth.
Triplet
A group of three equal notes to be executed in the time of two of the same kind of notes in the established rhythm.
Triple time
Meter containing three units, as in 3/4 or 3/8.
Slentando
Gradually decreasing in tempo