Un

As Printed on a Score

Appears inside phrases before the word it counts or qualifies (“un poco”, “un poco più mosso”, “una corda”, “un poco maestoso”); una is the feminine (una corda), and uno stands before s + consonant or z. It has no scope of its own; the phrase lasts as its main word would.

Also spelled: una, uno

How Composers Use It

Un mostly appears in un poco, which softens a direction to “a little”: un poco più mosso is a smaller step than più mosso. In una corda it means literally “one string”, the piano’s soft pedal, cancelled by tre corde. Un poco and poco are often used interchangeably, though some players read un poco as slightly more (“a little”) than poco (“little”); if the amount matters, add a metronome mark.

Example

Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, first movement, flute, m. 1: “Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso”.

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