Forte
Loud. Basic level of the loud side, notated as f.
What it means
Forte means “strong, powerful” and designates the basic level of the loud side of the dynamic scale. It is notated as f. Its counterpart is piano (p) on the quiet side; between them lie mezzopiano and mezzoforte, above them fortissimo and fortississimo.
Like all dynamic markings, forte is relative. What is loud in a solo piece for flute would hardly be audible in an orchestral tutti. The marking designates a level within the piece and the scoring, not a measurable value. Accordingly its execution depends on which other levels occur.
Forte also means not only volume but a tonal quality: full, sustaining, with a core — not pressed or hard.
In the notation
The sign f stands below the staff, in vocal parts above the text, and applies from the note under which it stands until the next marking. In combinations it appears as mf (mezzoforte), ff (fortissimo), fp (fortepiano), or sf and sfz (sforzando) — the latter, however, concern a single note and not the basic volume. With the addition subito it demands a sudden change.
Musical use
As one of the oldest notated dynamic markings, forte appears as early as the early seventeenth century, often in direct alternation with piano — a juxtaposition that belongs to the terraced dynamics of the Baroque. In the Viennese Classical period it marks tutti sections and climaxes; in the Romantic period it is one level among several on a greatly extended scale.
Forte has stood in scores since the seventeenth century. How loud forte is depends on scoring, room, and period.
Performance practice
Seek the volume through sound, not through expenditure of force: a pressed tone sounds louder than it is and loses carrying power. Check in the ensemble how your forte relates to the others; in an accompanying function it is a different one than in the melody. Keep reserve for fortissimo if it comes later. And take care that the tempo does not speed up with the volume.