Senza

What it means

Senza is the Italian word for 'without.' It rarely stands alone in scores; its meaning almost always unfolds as part of a compound performance direction that calls for the absence or omission of something.

Well-known examples are senza sordino ('without mute') or senza tempo ('without a fixed tempo'), where senza specifies what should be dropped compared with the usual manner of playing.

Musical use

Composers use senza directions mainly where a previously established restriction or addition is to be lifted, for instance to call for the full, unmuted sound again after a muted passage, or to allow a free tempo after a strictly measured section.

The exact meaning always comes from the word senza accompanies, which is why senza itself carries no independent quality of sound or expression but functions grammatically within the Italian language of performance directions.

Senza should be distinguished from its opposite, con, which calls for the addition or presence of something, as in con sordino, the counterpart to senza sordino.

Performance practice

With any senza direction, pay close attention to exactly which element should be removed, and make sure you actually remove it before the relevant passage, for instance taking off the mute in good time. When an instrument change is required by a senza direction, allow enough time for it.