Any music passage can have greater effectiveness thanks to applied dynamics.
When you play forte, you increase the volume of a note or a passage.
Conversely, when you play piano, you decrease that volume.
Forte means loud and piano means quiet in Italian.
Here is an example of dynamics from Fiorco's Allegro for violin and piano.
The forte symbol at the beginning of this passage tells you to play the notes from the first note forte or loud until the diminuendo hairpin appears. The diminuendo hairpin tells you to play the passage gradually quieter.
The piano symbol tells you to play piano or quiet starting from the E note until the next dynamic mezzo forte appears.
The mezzo forte symbol tells you to play that note and subsequent notes until the next symbol at a medium volume.
Here are all the basic dynamics you can find in music.
Pianissimo, very quiet, may have two or more P's.
Piano, quiet.
Mezzo piano, a little louder than piano.
Mezzo forte, a little softer than forte.
Forte, loud.
Fortissimo, very loud, may have two or more F's.
Forte piano, play forte then suddenly piano.
Sforzando or sforzato, play a sudden accent.
Sforzato, similar to sforzato but a little less forceful.
Rinforzando or rinforzato, similar to sforzato but louder.
Crescendo hairpin, increase the volume gradually until the end of the hairpin.
Diminuendo hairpin, decrease the volume gradually until the end of the hairpin.
Different dynamics can also be expressed by using words.
Here's a list of the most common Italian words used to express different dynamics in music.
Crescendo, increase the volume gradually until the next marked dynamic.
Diminuendo or decrescendo, decrease the volume gradually until the next marked dynamic.
Calando, decrease the volume and the emphasis gradually until the next marked dynamic.
Perdendosi, losing volume, fading into nothing or dying away.
Dynamics in music refer to the varying levels of volume and intensity within a musical composition. Dynamics make music “alive.” Applied dynamics can increase the effectiveness of any music passage. When you play forte ( f ), you increase the volume of a note or a passage. Conversely, when you play piano ( p ), you decrease that volume. Forte means "loud" and piano means "quiet" in Italian.
Here is an example using dynamics from a violin piece:
Here are the basic dynamics you can find in music:
Different dynamics can also be expressed by using words. Here is a list of the most common Italian words used to express different dynamics in music:
crescendo: increase the volume gradually until the next marked dynamic.
diminuendo or decrescendo: decrease the volume gradually until the next marked dynamic.
calando: decrease the volume and the emphasis gradually until the next marked dynamic.
perdendosi: losing volume, fading into nothing, dying away.
marcato: stressed, pronounced.
sotto voce: soft, whispering.
pesante: heavy, loud, deep.
leggero or leggiero: light, soft.
Practice test
Answer the questions below to verify your knowledge of what has been explained above:
Improve your piano playing with our video lessons. Presented by top-notch music teachers, our structured video lessons, you'll gain the skills and confidence needed to play with precision and artistry.
