Composers often include signs that control
the volume of which the player executes a
certain part of the music or the whole piece.
These volume indications are called "Dynamics".
Traditionally, we use Italian words handed
down to us from centuries of classical composers
based in Italy to show how loudly or softly
to play a passage.
The most basic dynamic indications include:
"piano", meaning soft.
Yes!
This is the same word as the instrument.
And part of the reason the piano got its name
was that it could play loudly AND softly.
Something most earlier keyboard instruments
couldn't do!
Piano dynamic indications are shown in most
scores with an italicized bold "p".
"Forte" means loud or strong.
It comes from the same latin root as the English
word for "force" or "forceful".
It would be shown in scores with an italicized
bold "f".
For in between dynamics, we can add an "m"
for Mezzo or Middle before the "f" or "p"
to indicate mezzo forte...
Or mezzo piano.
And you can even make a piano or forte more
extreme by piling on the p's en f's.
So, two p's like this will indicate "pianissimo"
or whispery soft.
And if you want something very very loud,
you can write "fortissimo", or two f's.
