Cédez

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff, often in lower case, sometimes with a dashed line or followed by // for a short break, and graded as cédez un peu or cédez légèrement. Its effect is local: the next bar or two commonly bring Au mouvement, En mesure or a tempo to restore the pace.

Also spelled: cedez

How Composers Use It

Cédez is gentler than ritardando — it implies yielding rather than braking. Use it in French-style compositions for moments where the tempo should relax gracefully, as if the music is taking a breath.

Example

Throughout Debussy's piano music — "cédez un peu" (yield a little) appears at phrase endings, creating the characteristic Debussyan ebb and flow.

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