SATB - Short form of Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
Scalic - Another word for conjunct.
Scherzando - Play in a joking or playful manner.
Scherzo - A lively movement (usually the third) of a concerto or symphony.
Scotch Snap - A rhythm used, often but not exclusively, in Scottish dances. It’s a semiquaver followed by a dotted quaver.
Semitone - On a piano, any two notes that are immediately next to each other. On a guitar, one fret.
Septet - A group of seven players, or a piece in seven parts.
Sequence - A repeated musical phrase. The pitch (starting note) is raised or lowered each time the phrase is repeated.
Sextet - A group of six players, or a piece in six parts.
Sforzando - A sudden, strongly accented note. Abbreviated to sfz.
Sharp (#) - A symbol that tells you to raise the pitch of a note by a semitone.
Simple Time - A time signature with two, three, or four basic beats.
Slur - A long curved line that joins two or more notes of different pitches. It indicates the music should be played legato.
Sonata - A pipe of music written in three or four movements for soloist or duet.
Sonata Form - A piece of music with a specific structure: Exposition, Development, Recapitulation. Can sometimes also have an introduction before the exposition.
Soprano - The highest female singing voice.
Sospirando - Play/sing in a sighing manner.
Staccato - Play the notes in a short and detached manner. (Don’t say “stabby”)
String Quartet - A group consisting of two violins, a viola and a cello.
String Trio - A group consisting of a violin, a viola and a cello.
Strophic Form - Structure of a song (or piece of music) where the music is the same in every verse (but the lyrics change). A hymn is a good example of this.
Subject - The main idea of a piece of music.
Tempo - The speed of a piece of music.
Tenor - The highest (adult) male voice.
Tenuto (-) - Play the note for its full length. Play the note slightly longer. Play the note with a slight accent.
Ternary Form - A piece in three sections.
Tessitura - The range of a singer’s voice.
Texture - How the parts of music are woven together.
Theme - A musical idea.
Through Composed - Structure of a song where the music for each verse is different.
Tie - A curved note that joins two (or more) notes of the same pitch (on the same line or in the same space) to make a longer sounding note.
Tierce de Picarde - A term used to describe a piece of music that is written in a minor key but finishes with a major version of the chord. For example, a piece written in D minor would finish with a D major chord.
Timbre - The tonal colour of an instrument. The type of sound it makes.
Tonal - Music written in a specific key.
Tone - Two semitones. Two frets on a guitar. Two notes on a piano with exactly one note in-between them.
Tonic - The first note of a scale.
Treble - A high male voice sung by a boy…uses the soprano range.
Tremolo - A trembling effect similar to vibrato. On a stringed instrument it is achieved by move the bow backwards and forwards very quickly.
Trio - A piece for three players or singers. The second part of a Minuet and Trio
Trionfale - Triumphantly.
Triplet - Three notes played in the space of two.
Tritone - An interval of three tones.
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