Piatti

As Printed on a Score

Labels the cymbal line (Piatti; Piat. later), on a single line and often sharing a staff with the bass drum. A clashed pair is the default; piatto sospeso, or a single piatto, means a suspended cymbal struck with a stick or beater. Lasciar vibrare (l.v.) or a tie into silence lets the sound ring, and secco or a damping sign stops it.

Abbreviations: Piat.

Also spelled: Piatto

How Composers Use It

A crash of clashed cymbals marks a climax like nothing else, so use it sparingly — the more often it sounds, the less it means. A suspended cymbal rolled with soft sticks gives a shimmer that can grow from nothing into a full crescendo, and a stroke with a hard stick gives a brighter, more pointed sound. Say which kind you want and how long it should ring, and remember the player needs time to move between a pair and a suspended cymbal.

Example

Dvořák, Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”), fourth movement, cymbal part, m. 64: “Piatti Solo” beside mf — the cymbals’ only stroke in the whole symphony.

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