Pianississimo

The soft end

The dynamic ladder runs from ppp to fff. The ppp is its soft end. It asks for still less sound than pp and is used for passages that should be just audible, such as the start of a piece out of silence or an ending that rings out. Here too the levels are relative. The ppp is the softest level the piece uses, not a fixed level.

The name

The sign ppp is often read “pianississimo”. This word form is considered linguistically imprecise, because “pianissimo” is already the superlative of “piano”. The more exact reading is “piano pianissimo”. The counterpart at the loud end is fff, “forte fortissimo”.

Performance

A ppp is technically demanding. On the piano it asks for a very soft, controlled touch, on strings and winds for calm breath and bow. The tone must carry even if it is barely audible. Especially at very soft levels sound quality counts: a tone that is too weak and unsure does not seem “soft” but “powerless”.

Common mistakes

• Getting soft too early: Then there is no distance left for the ppp.
• Letting the tone drop out: A ppp stays playable and musical.
• Understanding ppp as a fixed loudness: It holds in relation to the other levels.