S

Sackbut

Precursor of the Trombone. Used from the end of the 15. Very similar to the modern instrument although the latter has bell with a greater flare. A famous example of music for sackbuts was composed in 1661 by Matthew Locke and called "Music for His Majesty's Sackbuts and Cornetts.

Setting

Refers to linking lines of poetry or prose to music.

Scale

Literally "ladder". A series of single notes progressing up or down stepwise.

Scat

A method of singing, usually improvised, where the performer invents tunes using nonsense language. Often heard in jazz e.g. Do-be-do-wah etc.

Score

A complete notated 'picture' of the parts of a piece of music, often called the Full Score. Where the music is orchestral or choral/opera, it is usually the conductor who has the Full Score, whereas each musician has their own 'Part'.

Semibreve

A whole note, double the valve of a minimum and half the valve of the breve. In music which has 4 beats in a bar the semibreve last for a whole bar or 4 beats.

Sequence

A more or less exact repetition of a passage of music at a higher or lower level of pitch. If it is the melody it is a melodic sequence but if it is a sequence of chords it is a harmonic sequence.

Sharp

Raises the pitch of a note by one semitone or half-note. Notated sign looks like this #.

Shape

Refers to the contour of a melody or tune.

Short

Refers to the duration of a sound.

Silence

No musical sound at all, although there is still a feeling of the music moving on and not having finished, e.g. the well-known slow movement of Haydn’s 'Clock' Symphony (No. 101).

Solo

Alone. A vocal or instrumental piece or section of music performed by one performer (although a soloist may well be accompanied by anything from another instrument to a full orchestra!).

Song Without Words

A term 'coined' by Mendelssohn to describe his piano pieces which have song-like melodies which are accompanied. They were in 6 books and published between 1832 and 1842.

Sound

Sound is produced when something moves rapidly up and down or from side to side. These regular movements are called vibrations. They cause a series of regions of high and low pressures to travel away from the source of the sound. This is called a sound-wave. Sound can also travel through liquids and solids as well as gases like air.

Sound Collage

Term taken from the art world. As in art where pieces of paper, fabric, wood, etc. are adhered to a flat surface, in music the term represents the assembling of several or ideas, which can be of a disparate nature, together into a resultant whole which can have unexpected effects.

Sound effect

The act of creating a copy of a sound through other means, e.g. a gun-shot by a strike on the snare drum or the sea by rolling pellets inside a tambour. Sound effects are not in themselves music until they are ordered within a larger context.

Sound Picture

The recreation of a visual image n' sound e.g. the Sea as in Debussy's La Mer or one of the Planets from Holst's work of the same name.

Soundscape

The art of putting sounds together to create often an expansive piece along the lines of a landscape.

Sound story

Adding (usually) sound effects to a story which is usually then performed by being read with sound effects at the appropriate time.

Speed

Alternative word for tempo.

Spiritual

A type of religious folk song or hymn developed by black (and white) Americans in the 18 and 19. They are characterised by strong syncopation and simple tunes. Gospel music developed from this genre.

Staccato

Detached. Notes should be played short with resulting gaps in between.

Steady Beat

An exactly repeating pulse. A feel for the 'beat' of a piece allows us to move 'in time' with it e.g. walking or marching. Some music does not have a regular beat (see no-beat).

Step

Usually called 'interval' i.e. the distance between one note and another. A step usually means from one note to the very next in pitch terms.

Stepwise

Moving from one note to the very next, either liberally the 'next door' note or the next note in the scale.

Strand

Line of music within any particular texture.

Street cry

Short phrases of music used especially in Victoria Times but also earlier by street vendors in order to draw attention to their wares. The phrases are usually short, memorable and use the name of the product often. A good contemporary example can be found in the film of 'Oliver' leading into the musical number "Who will buy".

Strong beat

Usually the first beat of a bar of music e.g. in 4/4 beat number one is the strong or down beat.

Structure

Also known as form. The basic elements of musical composition which define a given piece's structure are repetition, variation and contrast. Recognised structures include Binary (AB); Ternary (ABA); Rondo (ABACA etc.); Fugue; Sonata form etc.

Style

Refers with styles of music such as jazz/folk/rock/heavy metal etc.

Suite

A collection of short pieces that combine to form an effective overall composition. The Baroque suite was a set of (stylised) dances. The suite was particularly important in the 17 and 18. Nearly all movements were in simple Binary form.

Symbols

Alternative term for notations of all types.

Symphonic Rock

Genre where rock music is given a 'symphonic' treatment and usually played by a full symphony orchestra.

Symphony