Mezzo piano

Definition

Mezzo piano (or mp) stands for medium soft volume. Mezzo means 'half' so mezzo piano literally means half-soft.

This table shows how dynamics can be compared to the volume of the human voice.

Dynamics (volume)

Dynamic	Voice
pp	almost at a whisper
p	softer than speaking voice
mp	soft speaking voice
mf	loud speaking voice
f	louder than speaking voice
ff	almost shouting

Examples

Mezzo piano (mp) is the musical instruction to play medium soft

Related concepts

• Pianissimo (N5)
• Piano (N3)
• Mezzo forte (N4)
• Forte (N3)
• Fortissimo (N5)