Mezzoforte

The lower step of the loud half

The building block Dynamics lists six basic levels: pianissimo, piano, mezzo piano, mezzoforte, forte and fortissimo. Mezzoforte comes fourth, so exactly between moderately soft and loud. The page stresses that the levels are reference points rather than exact measurements; what counts is the contrast, not the absolute level.

The word “mezzo” means “half”: mezzoforte is thus half a forte. The gap to mezzo piano is small. That is exactly why it is worth practising: anyone who can tell the two levels apart has a finely graded dynamic range.

A starting point for development

Carcassi's Study No. 10 makes the role of the middle level clear: it begins mf, builds through a crescendo to f and returns to mf in the repeated section. A middle level leaves room above and below, as the building block Dynamics demands: anyone who always plays at the same volume gives away the most expressive building block of all.

Two examples from the sheet music archive

Guitar

• Etüde Nr. 10 Matteo Carcassi, op. 60 No. 10 · guitar · Allegretto, 3/8, two sharps

  The piece begins with mf in bar 1. From bar 8 there is a “cresc.”, and in bar 11 f follows. After the repeat sign, in bar 17, mf appears again. The course mf – cresc. – f – mf shows where the middle level is both starting point and point of return.

Piano

• Sonata facile, 2. Satz: Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, K. 545 · piano · 3/4 time, one sharp

  In bar 11 the right hand has mf while the left hand has mp at the same time. In the next bar the right hand drops to mp and the left to p. The melody thus lies one level above the accompaniment each time.

In Mozart it is striking that the levels do not apply to the whole piece but are marked differently for each hand. The right hand carries the melody and lies one dynamic level above the left.