Subito forte

As Printed on a Score

Printed below the staff as subito f, sub. f or f subito, at the exact note of the change. It holds until the next dynamic. The preceding passage is usually soft, often with no cresc., so the jump is immediate rather than prepared.

Abbreviations: subito f, sub. f, f subito

How Composers Use It

A sudden forte startles only if nothing anticipates it: keep the preceding bars genuinely soft and avoid a crescendo leading in. Placing it on a weak beat or after a rest heightens the shock. Distinguish it from sf, which accents one note and falls back: subito f changes the level and keeps it.

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