Forza

As Printed on a Score

Rarely printed alone: it appears inside phrases — con forza, con tutta forza, più di forza, con gran forza — placed above or below the staff where the forceful passage begins. Its span is the passage it describes, ended by a softer direction or a new dynamic.

How Composers Use It

Forza names force as a manner of playing — weight, attack, commitment — rather than a level, which is why it is so often paired with a dynamic letter. Use the con forza family when loudness alone would sound merely big: the word asks for intent behind the sound. Watch for redundancy: ff con forza is fine; con tutta forza in every bar is shouting.

Example

Chopin, Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23, m. 180: “con forza”, followed by “ten.” in each of the next two bars.

Related Terms