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Dynamics & Expression

Sforzando (sfz)

Pronounced sfor-TSAHN-dohWritten as sfz

Definition

Sforzando, written sfz or sf, asks for a sudden, strong accent on a single note or chord. The note stands out from the music around it, and the music then returns to its previous level.

Sforzando means "forcing" or "straining". Written sfz or sf (and also called sforzato), it marks a single note or chord for a sudden, strong accent. After it, the music carries on at the dynamic it had before.

A four-bar treble-clef melody in A minor and 4/4 in quarter notes, marked piano. In bars 1, 2 and 3 the note on beat 2 is marked sf. The line ends on a half-note A.
An original four-bar line in A minor, marked p, with sf on the second beat of the first three bars. Each accented note jumps out; the notes around it stay soft.

Relative to its surroundings

A sforzando is measured against the music around it. In a p passage, sf might be about f for one note; in an ff passage it is a much bigger blow. What matters is the jolt: the note should stand out clearly from its neighbors.

The family of forced accents

  • sf, sfz: sforzando or sforzato, the standard forms.
  • sffz: a stronger sforzando.
  • fz: forzando, practically the same as sf.
  • sfp: sforzando followed at once by piano, close to fp.
  • rf, rfz: rinforzando, "reinforcing": a strengthening that often extends over several notes or a short phrase, though some composers use it on a single note or chord.

Sforzando versus the accent mark

An accent (>) asks for emphasis within the current dynamic. A sforzando is a dynamic event of its own, usually stronger and more sudden, and it often lands where you do not expect it. Beethoven in particular put sf on weak beats and off-beats to unsettle the meter, as the example does in a small way.

Playing sforzando

Prepare the accented note with the arm, let it drop with weight, then relax immediately so the next note returns to the surrounding level. The danger is a "sticky" sforzando that makes the notes after it louder too. Our Match the terms: level 4 sheet defines it as a sudden, strong accent on one note.

The Musical terms & signs chart lists sfz with the other dynamics.

Common questions

What is the difference between sf and sfz?

In practice, none: both mean sforzando, a sudden strong accent on one note. Some editions prefer one spelling, some the other.

Is a sforzando the same as an accent?

Not quite. An accent (>) emphasizes a note within the current dynamic. A sforzando is a sudden dynamic jolt, usually stronger, after which the music returns to its level.

Practice it: free worksheets