Più

As Printed on a Score

Printed before the word it increases — “più mosso”, “più f”, “più lento” — and always relative to what came before, so a reader must know the previous tempo or dynamic to interpret it. A tempo change with più holds until the next tempo word or “Tempo I”; a dynamic one until the next dynamic. “Sempre più” keeps the increase going.

Also spelled: piu

How Composers Use It

Più indicates a relative increase. Più mosso pushes the tempo forward. Più forte increases the volume. It is always relative to the current level, not an absolute marking.

Example

Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 (“Pathétique”), first movement, piccolo, m. 73: “Un poco più animato” follows “Un poco animando” six bars earlier — the tempo raised by stages, each word relative to the last.

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