More subtle degrees of loudness or softness are indicated by:
mp, standing for mezzo-piano, meaning "moderately soft".
mƒ, standing for mezzo-forte, meaning "moderately strong".
Beyond f and p, there are also
pp, standing for "pianissimo", and meaning "very soft",
ƒƒ, standing for "fortissimo", and meaning "very strong",
al niente: to nothing; fade to silence. Sometimes written as "n"
calando: becoming smaller
calmando: become calm
crescendo: becoming stronger
dal niente: from nothing; out of silence
decrescendo or diminuendo: becoming softer
fortepiano: loud and accented and then immediately soft
fortissimo piano: very loud and then immediately soft
in rilievo: in relief (French en dehors: outwards); indicates that a particular instrument or part is to play louder than the others so as to stand out over the ensemble. In the circle of Arnold Schoenberg, this expression had been replaced by the letter "H" (for German, "Hauptstimme"), with an added horizontal line at the letter's top, pointing to the right, the end of this passage to be marked by the symbol " ┐ ".
perdendo or perdendosi: losing volume, fading into nothing, dying away
mezzoforte piano: moderately strong and then immediately soft
morendo: dying away (may also indicate a tempo change)
marcato: stressed, pronounced
pianoforte: soft and then immediately strong
sforzando piano: with marked and sudden emphasis, then immediately soft
sotto voce: in an undertone (whispered or unvoiced)[6]