Dolcemente

As Printed on a Score

Printed beside the dynamic in a part, much as dolce is; as the adverb form it reads naturally inside a longer instruction. It holds for the passage until a new character direction.

How Composers Use It

Dolcemente means the same as dolce — sweetly, softly — but as an adverb it describes the manner of playing rather than the music’s character. Performers treat the two identically, and dolce is far more common and quicker to read. Prefer dolce in parts; reserve dolcemente for sentence-like directions or for variety in a long string of instructions, and add a dynamic, since neither form sets a level.

Related Terms