DE scharf articulation common Support my free tools
sharp, biting or cutting in character; write scharf in full
How is scharf played?
Give the indicated sound or gesture an incisive edge. Depending on the words and notation around it, scharf can sharpen an attack, accent, tone colour, cutoff or rhythmic profile; louder dynamics may intensify the effect but are not inherent in the word. It is not a tempo instruction and does not prescribe one articulation symbol or instrumental technique. In organ context the same word can name a high-pitched mixture stop, so distinguish registration from expressive prose.
How does scharf sound?
An incisive, cutting sound — pointed and aggressive, never rounded.
In context
German scharf means sharp, biting or cutting and appears in full in scores such as Karg-Elert’s Patina. Compound directions show that its target is contextual rather than fixed. The organ-stop sense is separate, and no textual contraction met the independent-source threshold.
Equivalent terms
- IT secco
- IT marcato
- FR sec
- FR marqué
- EN sharp
- DA skarpt