Sourdine

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the part as sourdine or avec sourdine(s), and removed by sans sourdine, ôtez les sourdines or enlevez la sourdine. In French piano music the same word means the soft pedal, so enlevez la sourdine there asks the pianist to release it.

Abbreviations: sourd.

Also spelled: Sourdines

How Composers Use It

French composers write "avec sourdine" (with mute) and "sans sourdine" or "ôtez les sourdines" (remove mutes). The effect is the same as con sordino.

Example

Lili Boulanger, D’un matin de printemps (orchestral version), first horn, m. 52: the bare word “sourdine” as the muting cue, two bars after an f.

Related Terms