Abdämpfen

As Printed on a Score

Printed in percussion, harp or piano parts at the note whose sound should be stopped — “abdämpfen”, “schnell abdämpfen”, or as a standing instruction, “immer abdämpfen”. It is the opposite of klingen lassen, which it cancels; a written note value alone does not stop a resonating instrument.

Also spelled: abdampfen

How Composers Use It

Timpani, cymbals, gongs, harp and bells ring far past the written value, so if you want silence in the next rest you must ask for it. Abdämpfen gives a clipped, dry end — useful for punctuating chords and clearing the air before a quiet passage. Immer abdämpfen asks for every stroke to be stopped, which tightens the rhythm but costs warmth.

Example

Mahler, Symphony No. 5, second movement, timpani, m. 532: “abdämpfen.” with “m.Holzschl.” (with wooden sticks), at f, two bars after an ff.

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