Seul

As Printed on a Score

Printed over a part where one player, or a named group, plays alone — Seul, 1 seul; seule, seuls agreeing with the noun — and cancelled by Tous. In vocal music it can mark a soloist against the chorus.

Also spelled: seule, seuls

How Composers Use It

Seul is the French solo: in a string section it means one player while the rest wait; in wind parts it confirms that the line is exposed. Give the soloist’s dynamic relative to the texture, and always mark Tous where the section returns. Where some but not all play, be explicit — les 1ers pupitres, la moitié — rather than leaving seul ambiguous.

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