Fortepiano
Fortepiano, abbreviated fp, means: the note is struck strongly (forte) and played on immediately afterwards softly (piano). It marks a sudden drop in dynamics.
- Abbreviation
- fp
- Meaning
- strike strongly, play on softly at once
- Effect
- sudden drop in dynamics
- Piano
- full touch, soft continuation
- Strings
- accent with immediate release of bow pressure
The sudden drop
On the page Dynamics the sudden changes are listed beside the gradual ones. A subito piano, a sudden drop into the quiet, can be more astonishing than any loud fortissimo, precisely because it breaks the expectation. The accent (sforzato) lifts a single note out with force. The fortepiano combines both: it begins strongly and falls away at once.
| Sign | Meaning | Kind of change |
|---|---|---|
| crescendo | gradually louder | gradual |
| decrescendo | gradually softer | gradual |
| fp | strong, at once soft | sudden |
| Accent, sforzato | a single note with force | sudden |
The Notation symbols page describes the execution: on the piano there is a full touch, then the soft continuation, with strings an accent with immediate release of bow pressure. The name “pianoforte” goes back to a related property: the early piano was so called because, unlike the harpsichord, it could be played both soft and loud.
In the score
Orchestra
-
Sinfonie Nr. 9 e-Moll Antonín Dvořák, 2nd movement: Largo · score · 18 pages
On PDF page 9 “fp” appears in the first violin and in the second violin, likewise in the viola, plus fz, ff, mf and hairpins. Four sharps in the key signature.
Common mistakes
- Playing fortepiano as crescendo-decrescendo: The change is sudden, not gradual.
- Taking the touch too weak: The contrast depends on the full first note.
- Equating fp with an accent: The accent lifts a note without getting softer afterwards.
Continue on Maikstrings
Related terms
FortePianissimoPiano (dynamics)SubitoAccentCrescendoDynamicsSforzato
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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