Subito
Subito (Italian “suddenly, at once”) asks for a new loudness to begin without transition. If it comes before a dynamic mark, for example “subito piano”, the loudness changes abruptly instead of gradually.
- Meaning
- suddenly, at once
- Used with
- dynamic marks, e.g. subito p, subito f
- Counterpart
- crescendo and diminuendo (gradual)
- Related
- sforzando
Without transition
Normally the loudness changes gradually: a crescendo gets louder little by little, a diminuendo softer. Subito (Italian for “suddenly”) switches off this gliding. The new loudness takes effect immediately, with the note at which the word appears. Most often you meet “subito piano” (short “sub. p” or “p sub.”) and “subito forte”. The word usually appears before or under the dynamic mark and concerns only the change; the new loudness then holds until a new mark appears.
Crescendo, then subito piano
The crescendo leads to the f on the high C. The change back to p in the last bar happens without transition: it is the contrast that works.
Subito forte after a soft passage, bass clef
The change is also possible the other way round: after four soft quarters the G in the second bar enters loudly at once.
Effect
The sudden change is a means of surprise. After a long swelling a subito piano seems like a pause for breath; after a calm passage a subito forte brings energy into play. At the same time subito structures: it sets a caesura and divides the music into sections of different loudness.
Subito, sforzando and terraced dynamics
A sforzando is a single note suddenly stressed strongly, after which the previous loudness holds again. With subito, by contrast, the loudness changes for all following notes until a new mark appears. If you keep to levels without transitions, one speaks of terraced dynamics: there the loudnesses stand side by side like terraces, and subito is the step from one terrace to the other.
Common mistakes
- Preparing the change: If you get softer before the subito, you take the surprise out of the change.
- Blurring the change: Subito means without transition, not “soon”.
- Relating the subito to one note only: The new loudness holds for the following section.
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Related terms
CrescendoDiminuendoDecrescendoSforzandoPiano (dynamics)ForteDynamicsTerraced dynamics
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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