Quietly

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff or over the voice, sometimes in parentheses as a translation beside the original word (Leise in German editions) and sometimes with its scope stated — quietly, until the end. It lasts until a new dynamic or character marking, or for the span stated.

How Composers Use It

English expression words became common in British music of the early twentieth century — Delius and Warlock among others, Percy Grainger most insistently — as an alternative to Italian. Quietly means calm in manner as well as soft, so it says more than p alone. Supply the dynamic if the exact level matters, and choose quietly when you also want a settled, unhurried quality.

Example

Delius, Four Old English Lyrics, “It was a lover and his lass”, voice, m. 20: “Quietly”, after a “rall.” and mp in m. 19.

Related Terms