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Dynamics

Pianissimo (pp)

Play very softly, with control and a clear tone.

See it in the score

pp at the opening of Beach's Ah, Love, But a Day

The very soft level establishes an intimate starting colour before later contrasts.

Open measure 1 in the piece
pp at the opening of Beach's Ah, Love, But a Day From Ah, Love, but a Day!, Op. 44 No. 2 (piano part) by Amy Beach, source measure 1.

Passage playback follows the literal encoded notes, rhythm, tempo, and written directions in this excerpt. It is a study aid, not a model of a pianist's touch, phrasing, ornament realization, or pedal technique.

In a sentence

Play very softly, with control and a clear tone.

Pianissimo means very soft. It establishes a level that continues until another dynamic changes it, so the mark belongs to a span of music rather than to one isolated note.

The two p letters make pp softer than p. The exact colour depends on the piano and room, but the relationship to the surrounding levels should remain unmistakable.