A mini-lesson on how to read a few piano music dynamics. 2 min read (252 words)

The information provided in this blog post is for educational purposes only. Please review our Disclaimer.

Dynamics are symbols seen in music pieces to indicate volume or intensity.

The symbols for dynamics are:

• ppp - Pianississimo: play extremely soft
• pp - Pianissimo: play very soft
• p - Piano: play soft, louder than pianissimo
• mp - Mezzo piano: play moderately soft, louder than piano
• mf - Mezzo forte: play moderately loud, softer than forte
• f - Forte: play loud
• ff - Fortissimo: play very loud
• fff - Fortississimo: play extremely loud
• sfz - Sforzando: play a note with sudden, strong emphasis
• fp - Fortepiano: play with a loud attack, then immediately become soft
• 𝆒 - Crescendo: gets louder in volume
• 𝆓 - Decrescendo: gets quieter in volume
• “n” or “ø” or “○” - Niente: means literally ‘nothing’, may be used at the start of crescendo to “start from nothing” or decrescendo to “fade into nothing”

Keep in mind that dynamics are relative and that the performer decides on what level of volume and intensity in a specific piece.