Sempre forte

As Printed on a Score

Printed below the staff, as words or as sempre f, at the head of a passage or as a reminder within it. It keeps the forte in force against any tendency to relax and lasts until a new dynamic or dim. replaces it.

Abbreviations: sempre f

How Composers Use It

Use it where players might naturally drop back — a long passage of repeated figures, a descending line, an accompaniment that must not be swallowed by the melody. If one part must stay loud while others soften, put sempre f in that part alone rather than relying on the general dynamic, and mark clearly where the level may finally relax.

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