Full

What it means

Voll is a German performance marking and calls for a full, round tone without restraint. What is meant is a sound that unfolds its whole substance: carrying, warm, with a rich overtone spectrum.

The marking concerns above all the sound quality and not primarily the loudness. A full tone can also stand at a moderate volume; what is decisive is that it does not seem thin or pressed.

Voll differs from kräftig (forceful) through its emphasis on fullness rather than energy. It differs from largamente, which calls for broad playing, in that it concerns the sound, not the timing. Italian equivalents are pieno or con pienezza.

In the notation

The word stands above the staff at the beginning of the relevant section and holds until a new marking. In organ music, “volles Werk” (full organ) designates playing with all or most of the stops — a related but technically defined meaning.

Musical use

The instruction is used with themes that are to be played out broadly and singingly, at climaxes, at the return of a melody in full scoring, and in sections in which a voice must carry especially strongly. In orchestral and chamber music it often stands over middle voices that would otherwise recede.

In organ music, voll also stands for the full organ. It often stands as “mit vollem Ton” or “voll” and calls for the sound to be savoured to the full. With string players this means much bow and pressure, with singers an open voice. Pianists use arm weight and pedal for this. The sound should be rich, round, and carrying, never pressed.

Performance practice

Look for fullness in resonance and tone production, not in pressure. With string players this means much bow with even weight, with wind players an open, supported airflow, with singers a free resonating space. Keep the tone full over its whole duration and do not let it drop off after the attack. And take care that fullness does not tip over into heaviness.