IT sforzando articulation core term Support my free tools
Music symbols
- Abbreviation
- sf, sfz
How is sforzando played?
Give the marked event a decisive burst of force so it stands out from the prevailing dynamic, then continue the surrounding level unless another direction changes it. The marking is local rather than a sustained loudness and can be especially striking off the beat, although it is not confined to syncopated positions. Treccani, Dorico and MusicXML identify sfz with sforzando, while historical dictionaries also share sf and sfz with sforzato. Do not expand sfz as subito forzando: authoritative notation sources treat it as a force-dynamic form, and any separate subito instruction must be written or established by the score.
How does sforzando sound?
A sharp, momentary spike of loudness that punches out of the texture, then immediately recedes.
In context
Treccani, the historical Grove dictionary and Essential Dictionary of Music Notation directly establish sf for sforzando; Treccani, Grove, Musicca, Dorico and MusicXML establish sfz. Essential reserves fz for forzando/forzato, and sffz adds intensity rather than merely abbreviating the bare headword. Sforzando belongs to the same accent family as sforzato and fortepiano but does not itself prescribe a post-attack piano level. Its broad Classical and Romantic use does not make it the property of one composer.