Sforzato

What it means

Sforzato means 'strongly accented' and denotes a single note or chord that should be played noticeably louder and more sharply accented than its immediate surroundings, regardless of the prevailing dynamic level.

The term is practically synonymous with sforzando; both forms are used side by side in practice without any established difference in meaning.

In the notation

Sforzato is usually notated as the abbreviation sfz or sf above the note or chord in question, less often written out in full.

Musical use

Composers often place sforzato accents deliberately against the expected metrical stress, for instance on what would otherwise be a weak beat, to create surprise, emphasis, or a sudden dramatic turn — a device used particularly tellingly by Haydn and Beethoven.

Unlike a general crescendo or forte marking, sforzato always affects only the one marked note or chord, while the surrounding dynamics remain unchanged once the accent has died away.

Sforzato should be distinguished from the accent mark (>), which calls for a similar but usually milder emphasis, and from fortepiano (fp), which strikes the accented note loudly but immediately lets it fall quiet again, rather than simply placing a single accent.

Performance practice

Place a sforzato accent clearly and suddenly, without preparing it with a crescendo run-up, or its surprising effect is lost. Return immediately to the original dynamic level after the accent, rather than permanently raising the volume.