Ossia
An alternative passage offered as an easier or different version
Category
performance
Pronunciation
ohs-SEE-ah
Origin
Italian
Length
215 words · 2 min read
About Ossia
Ossia (meaning "or" or "alternatively") marks a small-staff alternative to the main musical text, typically offering a simplified version of a technically demanding passage or presenting the composer's alternative reading. It appears most frequently in virtuosic piano and vocal music, where the main text may contain passages that are beyond some performers' capabilities.
More performance terms
Solo
View all performanceterms →A passage for a single performer, with or without accompaniment.
OrnamentA decorative note or group of notes added to a melody.
Mano destraPlay with the right hand, used primarily in keyboard music
TacetSilent — an instruction that a performer or section does not play during a movement or passage
BowingThe technique of drawing a bow across the strings of an instrument to produce sustained sound.
Synonyms
Related
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →