Pianissimo
Pronunciation: pee-ah-NEE-see-moe
What is Pianissimo?
Pianissimo is a direction in music that indicates to play or sing “very softly.” It is an Italian word that means “very soft,” and is indicated as a musical notation with the letters “pp.“
Key Takeaways
- Pianissimo is a musical direction that means to play “very softly,” compared to the overall volume of the song.
- Pianissimo is a form of dynamic, which means the variation in loudness of a musical composition.
- Pianissimo is indicated on a musical scale with the letters “pp.“
Understanding Pianissimo
Pianissimo is a form of musical dynamic, which is a variation in loudness between notes. While there is no exact or standard loudness or softness sound to pianissimo, it simply means to play very softly in relevance to the rest of the musical piece.
Pianissimo is mostly used as a directive in playing the piano, but can also be used to notate a vocal part or playing other instruments.
Related Terms
Dynamics Dynamics is the term that conveys the variation in loudness between notes or phrases in musical composition. more
Decrescendo Decrescendo is a type of dynamic change in a musical composition. more
Fortissimo Fortissimo is a type of musical dynamic that means “very loud.” more
Flautando Flautando is a directive in music reserved for string instruments such a the violin, viola, and cello. more
Piano Piano is a musical dynamic that indicates a direction on the loudness of a note. more