Decrescendo

Decrescendo, abbreviated decresc. or shown with the wedge-shaped ‘hairpin’ symbol (>), instructs the performer to decrease the volume gradually over a span of music. It is the natural counterpart to crescendo — the two together are the basic vocabulary of dynamic shape.

Decrescendo and diminuendo are essentially synonymous in modern usage. Some traditions treat decrescendo as the technical term and diminuendo as the more poetic — but in practice the markings are interchangeable. Both indicate a gradual softening.

The duration and rate of a decrescendo, like a crescendo, must be planned. A decrescendo at the end of a phrase shapes its arrival; one across a whole section can carry the music from triumphant tutti to intimate close. The starting and ending dynamics are often specified — for instance, f under the start and pp at the end.

Italian, gerund of decrescere (‘to decrease’), from Latin decrescere, de- + crescere (‘to grow’).

Plan the curve. Identify the starting and ending dynamics. Avoid arriving at the soft end too early — the descent should fill the space available to it.