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Soft. Abbreviated p.
Piano is the standard soft dynamic. In orchestration, piano does not mean every instrument plays at the same volume — balance the ensemble so that melody projects over accompaniment even at p. Strings can sustain p indefinitely; winds need more breath support.
Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik," second movement opening — piano strings creating intimate chamber texture.
Piano is one of 228 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary, where every definition is written around how composers actually use the word.
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