FR sec articulation common Support my free tools
dry, direct and restrained in resonance; write sec in full
How is sec played?
Produce a dry result with controlled resonance and a clean release. According to instrument and context, this can involve a curt release, reduced pedal, damping or a shorter staccato-like touch, but sec does not impose one proportional duration, a universal no-pedal rule or an identical attack on every instrument. A dry chord or final note may be stopped promptly rather than allowed to bloom; the opposite sound is sustained or ringing, not necessarily legato as an articulation. Dynamic level remains separate.
How does sec sound?
A short, abrupt sound that stops at once with no resonant tail.
In context
French sec means dry. OnMusic describes dry, sparse or staccato-like usage, while BBC and Pearson educational sources translate the complete word and show that its practical result is contextual. The baseline link to shortened, separated sound remains a frequent realisation rather than a universal definition, and no abbreviation is needed for the already short word.
Equivalent terms
- IT secco
- DE trocken
- EN dry