Senza vibrato

As Printed on a Score

Printed over a string, wind or vocal part (senza vib., non vib.) at the note or passage to be played with a pure, straight tone. It stays in force until vib., ordinario or molto vibrato restores the normal sound; modern scores sometimes draw an arrow from non vib. to molto vib. for a gradual change.

Abbreviations: senza vib., non vib.

Also spelled: non vibrato

How Composers Use It

A straight tone sounds cool, bare or archaic — useful for still, chorale-like chords, an eerie hush, or pure-tuned intervals where vibrato would blur the beats. Since most string players and singers vibrate by default, the instruction must be written and cancelled explicitly. It works best at soft dynamics; at full volume a vibrato-free tone tends to sound thin rather than strong.

Related Terms