Il più piano possibile

As Printed on a Score

Printed as words below the staff, usually with pp or ppp, at the quiet moment it governs; also shortened to più piano possibile. It stands until the next dynamic, typically at a close or a vanishing point.

Also spelled: il piu piano possibile, più piano possibile

How Composers Use It

Asks for the softest sound the instrument can still make, which is a matter of control as much as volume: strings use little bow, winds risk the note failing to speak. Write it where that risk is part of the effect — a final chord, a sound on the edge of silence — and give the player time and a comfortable register. For a gradual disappearance, al niente or morendo describe the process better.

Related Terms