Diminuendo

As Printed on a Score

Printed below the staff as dim. or dimin., often with dashes or spread syllables (di - mi - nu - en - do), or drawn as a closing hairpin. It runs until the next dynamic; combined with a tempo word (dim. e rit., rall. e dim.) both changes cover the same span. Qualifiers such as poco a poco, sempre and più set its rate.

Abbreviations: dim., dimin., dim, dimin

Also spelled: di - mi - nu - en - do

How Composers Use It

Diminuendo and decrescendo are interchangeable. Some composers prefer diminuendo for longer, more gradual reductions in volume, but this distinction is not consistently observed. Use whichever reads more naturally.

Example

Mahler's Symphony No. 9, final movement — the extended diminuendo of the last pages, marked "ersterbend" (dying away), is one of music's most moving endings.

Related Terms