Cue

How it is used

Used in rehearsal and live performance for entrances, cutoffs, lighting, or section changes. A cue may come from a conductor, another player, or a written mark.

Example sentences

1. Watch the conductor for your cue before the second verse, because the piano intro is two bars shorter tonight.

   Here cue means the exact signal for entering at the right moment after a changed introduction, not a general instruction.

2. The stage manager gave the brass section a visual cue when the singer skipped the spoken introduction.

   In this example, cue is a visual signal used to coordinate players quickly after an unexpected change on stage.

Common collocations

• take your cue
• visual cue
• cue point
• miss a cue

Related terms

• rehearsalA session in which musicians practise a piece or a show together before performing it for an audience.
• conductorThe person who leads an orchestra or choir, setting the tempo, showing entries and shaping the performance with hand movements or a baton.

More terms: Performance and Practice

• practice
• gig
• solo
• improvise
• soundcheck
• setlist
• stage fright
• encore
• accompaniment
• ad libitum
• arco
• articulation