Poco a poco diminuendo

As Printed on a Score

Printed below the staff as poco a poco dim. or dim. poco a poco, often followed by dashes across several bars. It describes a slow fade that ends at the next printed dynamic or at a word such as morendo.

Abbreviations: poco a poco dim., dim. poco a poco

How Composers Use It

The patient diminuendo: the sound recedes over a long span rather than dropping. It suits the aftermath of a climax and the long closes of slow movements. Players tend to get soft too early, so give the fade enough bars, mark where it should arrive, and let the texture help — removing instruments one by one can do much of the work.

Example

Mahler, Symphony No. 5, fourth movement (Adagietto), second violins, m. 96: “poco a poco dim.”, a bar after the ff and “viel Bogen wechseln” of the movement’s high point.

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