Soft

What it means

Leise is the German equivalent of piano and calls for a low volume. Like all German performance markings, the word is not fixed to a particular level; it designates the direction and leaves the exact gradation to the context.

It often appears with additions — “very soft,” “ever softer,” “barely audible” — that determine the degree more closely. In German-language editions it sometimes replaces the letter signs entirely; more often, however, it stands alongside them and adds a statement about expression.

Bear in mind that leise does not mean colourless. A soft note should still carry and keep its tonal quality; where the tone only becomes thin, the goal is missed.

In the notation

The word stands below the staff, for vocal parts above the text, at the point from which it applies, and remains in effect until a new marking. Where an edition marks throughout in German, the placement results from the relation to the other markings of the same work.

Musical use

Soft sections create closeness and attention: the listener must turn toward them. In song and choral literature the marking often stands over passages of restrained character in the text, in instrumental music over calm middle sections and over endings that fade away. In connection with a preceding loud section, the effect arises from the contrast, not from the absolute value.

Leise corresponds to piano and is often used in German Romantic scores instead of the Italian marking. It describes the volume but says nothing about the tone colour; soft can sound tender, mysterious, or oppressed, depending on the context.

Performance practice

Keep the tone supported: playing softly means less energy, not less control. Watch the intonation, which suffers first when playing quietly, and for wind players the response. Check within the ensemble the relationship to the other voices — a soft melody must still be audible over a soft accompaniment. And keep reserve toward the bottom, in case even softer levels follow later.