The propagation of horizontally polarized shear waves through a periodically layered elastic medium is analyzed. The dispersion equation is obtained by using Floquet’s theory and is shown to define a surface in frequency-wave number space. The important features of the surface are the passing and stopping bands, where harmonic waves are propagated or attenuated, respectively. Other features of the spectrum, such as uncoupling at the ends of the Brillouin zones, conical points, and asymptotic values at short wavelengths, are also examined.