Segue: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue (the next section) without a pause. It comes from the Italian 'it follows'.

For written music it therefore 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 area to another.

For example, in live performance the Grateful Dead would often splice together several songs, as part of their jamming style. A striking example occurs on the Live Dead album, with the transition from St. Stephen to The Eleven requiring a seamless change of time signature.

In recorded music a segue is a seamless transition between one song and another, as for instance between the songs "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "With a Little Help from My Friends" on The Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.