Piano (dynamics)

The quiet level

Piano means “soft”. In the series of dynamic levels it lies between pianissimo (pp, very soft) and mezzopiano (mp, moderately soft). The levels are points of reference: piano in a string quartet is something different from piano in a large orchestra. What matters is the relationship to one another. A quiet beginning draws attention, because we have to make an effort to listen. The marking has left traces in the name of the piano: “pianoforte” literally means “soft-loud”, because, unlike the harpsichord, it could be played both softly and loudly.

Piano

• Armes Waisenkind Robert Schumann, op. 68 No. 6 · piano · 1 page

  The piece begins with “p” under the upbeat, headed “Lent”, in 2/4.

• Altfranzösisches Lied Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, op. 39 No. 16, from: Album for the Young · piano · 1 page

  “Moderato assai”, with “p” under the upbeat, in 2/4 with two flats.

• Prélude e-Moll Frédéric Chopin, op. 28 No. 4 · piano · 1 page

  The beginning is marked “p” with the instruction “espressivo”. Towards the end there is “pp”.

Piano and the room

An effective forte needs a preceding piano from which it stands out. If you always play at the same volume, you give away the most expressive building block. In a resonant church a piano carries further, in a dry small room the same effect needs more force. A subito piano, a sudden drop into the quiet, can be more astonishing than any loud fortissimo, because it breaks the expectation.

Common mistakes

• Confusing piano with slow: Dynamics and tempo are different building blocks.
• Reading piano as a fixed level: It applies in relation to the others.
• Never getting louder: Without contrast the piano stays ineffective.