Reading Music · Chapter 11 of 12

Dynamics, Tempo and Articulation

The notes say what to play. These marks say how: loud or soft, fast or slow, smooth or crisp.

Most of these marks are Italian words or short forms of them; Italian has been the usual language for musical directions for centuries. You only need a handful to read most music.

Dynamics: loud and soft

Dynamics are written below the staff (between the staves in piano music), in bold italic letters:

Sign	Italian	Meaning
pp	pianissimo	very soft
p	piano	soft
mp	mezzo piano	medium soft
mf	mezzo forte	medium loud
f	forte	loud
ff	fortissimo	very loud

The piano’s full name, pianoforte, means “soft-loud,” because it could play both, depending on how you press the keys.

The same notes, first p, then f. Press Hear it.

Gradual changes are written as words or as long, thin wedges called hairpins. Crescendo (cresc., or a wedge opening to the right) means get louder little by little. Diminuendo or decrescendo (dim., decresc., or a wedge closing to the right) means get softer.

Starting soft, a crescendo grows until it reaches f.

Tempo: fast and slow

A word above the first bar sets the speed. These are the most common, from slow to fast. The beats per minute are only rough guides; musicians and editions differ.

Word	Meaning	Roughly (beats per minute)
Largo	broad, very slow	40–60
Adagio	slow, at ease	66–76
Andante	at a walking pace	76–108
Moderato	moderate	108–120
Allegro	quick and bright	120–156
Presto	very fast	168–200

Many pieces also print a metronome mark such as ♩ = 100: one hundred quarter-note beats per minute. The metronome shows the tempo word for any speed you choose.

Adagio: slow.

Allegro: quick and bright.

Changes of speed: ritardando (rit.) or rallentando (rall.) means gradually slower; accelerando (accel.) gradually faster; a tempo means go back to the speed you had before. A fermata (a curve with a dot under it) over a note means hold it longer than its written value, for as long as feels right.

Slow down through the first bar (rit.), then hold the last note (the fermata).

Articulation: how each note is played

Legato

Smooth and connected, each note flowing into the next. A curved line over or under different notes, a slur, asks for legato.

Staccato

A dot above or below the note: make it short and detached, with a little silence after it.

Accent

A sideways wedge >: play that note with more weight, louder than the notes around it.

Tenuto

A short line: hold the note for its full value, often leaning on it slightly.

Legato, under a slur.

Staccato: the same notes, short and crisp.

Accents on beat 1 of each bar.

Tenuto: full length, slightly leaned on.

Remember

Dynamics: pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff; cresc. louder, dim. softer.
Tempo words set the speed: Largo, Adagio, Andante, Moderato, Allegro, Presto. rit. slows, a tempo returns.
Legato (slur) smooth; staccato (dot) short; accent (>) stronger; tenuto (line) full length; fermata: hold.