adverb / adjective
piano
At a soft volume in musical performance.
The musician plays the passage piano.
Etymology
Italian piano means soft or gentle in this musical use. The instruction asks performers to produce a quiet sound.
More examples
- The score marks the opening piano.
- She repeated the phrase at a piano dynamic.
- They practiced the piano section before the louder ending.
Forms
piano
Similar words
- softly
- The ordinary volume instruction.
- quietly
- At little volume, without the technical musical label.