In
music,
segue is a direction to the performer. It means
continue (the next section) without a pause. The term
attacca is used synonymously. For written music, it implies a transition from one
section to the next without any break. In
improvisation, it is often used for transitions created as a part of the performance, leading from one section to another. In recorded music, a segue sometimes means a seamless change between one song and another, sometimes achieved through
beatmatching, especially on
dance and
disco recordings. However, as noted by composer
John Williams in the liner notes for his
Star Wars soundtrack album, a series of musical ideas can be juxtaposed with no transitions whatsoever. Arrangements that involve or create the effect of a classical musical
suite, may be used in many pieces or
progressive rock recordings, but by definition, a segue does not involve a bridging transition--it is an abrupt change of musical idea. With breakless joins of the elements in his albums
Frank Zappa made extensive use of the segue technique. This was first used in 1966 on Zappa's
Freak Out!, and a year later on the
Beatles' ''
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. In live performance, a segue can occur during a
jam session, where the improvisation of the end of one song progresses into a new song. Segues can even occur between groups of musicians during live performance. For example, as one band finishes its set, members of the following act replace members of the first band one by one, until a complete band swap occurs. In some Brazilian musical styles, where it is called "emendar" ("to splice"), in particular in
Samba and
Forró Pé de Serra, it is very commonly used in live performances, creating sets that usually last around 20 minutes but can sometimes take more than an hour, switching seamlessly between different songs. The larger rhythm groups of bands, with up to ten percussionists in Samba for example, facilitate the switching of one song to another, as the percussionists keep the rhythm or beat going while the pitch instruments prepare the harmonical transition to the next song, often with just one pitch instrument leading this transition. In
Forró trios, where the only pitch instrument (apart from the voice) is the accordion (which plays together with two percussionists), the accordionist usually "puxa" ("pulls") the next song as soon as the previous has finished. ==Broadcast media==