Tacet
Silent — an instruction that a performer or section does not play during a movement or passage
Category
performance
Pronunciation
TAH-chet
Origin
Latin
Length
84 words · 1 min read
About Tacet
Tacet means a performer has nothing to play for an extended period, typically an entire movement. It appears in orchestral parts where certain instruments are not needed.
More performance terms
Una corda
View all performanceterms →Depress the left pedal on a piano to soften the tone
Mano sinistraPlay with the left hand, used primarily in keyboard music
A dueFor two — two instruments or sections playing the same part together in unison
TuttiAll together; the entire ensemble plays.
PhrasingThe way a performer shapes a musical sentence by controlling dynamics, timing, and articulation to convey its structure.
v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →