Loud and quiet
Loud and quiet
Dynamics tell you how loud to play. They are Italian too, written as letters under the music. Piano (p) means quiet. Forte (f) means loud.
From pp to ff
Learn these by heart
| Sign | Italian | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pp | pianissimo | very quiet |
| p | piano | quiet |
| mp | mezzo piano | moderately quiet |
| mf | mezzo forte | moderately loud |
| f | forte | loud |
| ff | fortissimo | very loud |
From quietest to loudest: pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff. Mezzo means moderately.
Quick check
Which of these two is louder?
Getting louder, getting quieter
Crescendo (cresc.) means gradually getting louder. Diminuendo (dim.) and decrescendo (decresc.) mean gradually getting quieter. They can be drawn as hairpins under the music. Opening out is a crescendo, closing up a diminuendo.
Quick check
A hairpin under the music opens out. What does it mean?
Remember
- Quietest to loudest: pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff.
- cresc.: gradually louder. dim. and decresc.: gradually quieter.
- A hairpin opens to get louder and closes to get quieter.
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