Senza misura

As Printed on a Score

Printed above an unmeasured passage — often written without barlines, or with dotted ones — such as a cadenza, a recitative or an improvisatory flourish. It lasts until strict time is reinstated by a tempo, a battuta, misurato or a new time signature.

How Composers Use It

Senza misura suspends the metre altogether: the performer paces the passage by ear, as in a cadenza or free recitative. Notate it so the freedom is clear — omit barlines or use dashed ones, show grouping with beams and spacing, and mark the point of return unmistakably. In ensemble music, show who leads and where the others re-enter.

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