Tre corde is a musical term that refers to the technique of playing a piano with the soft pedal. The spelling of this term is pronounced as /treɪ kɔːd/, which consists of two syllables. The first syllable is pronounced as 'treh' with a long 'e' sound. The second syllable is pronounced as 'corde' with the 'o' sound being pronounced as 'aw'. The term originated from Italian, where 'tre' means 'three', and 'corde' means 'strings'. The term translates to 'three strings' in English, which refers to the fact that the soft pedal only allows three strings to be struck by the hammers.
Tre corde is an Italian musical term commonly used in classical piano literature. Literally translated, "tre corde" means "three strings" in English. It is a notation placed on sheet music to instruct the pianist to release the middle pedal, known as the una corda pedal or soft pedal, which causes the piano's hammers to strike only two out of the three strings per note. This results in a softer and more muted sound.
The tre corde marking is typically used as a contrast to the una corda marking, which instructs the pianist to engage the soft pedal. When the una corda pedal is engaged, the hammers strike only one out of the three strings, resulting in an even softer and delicate tone. The release of the tre corde pedal brings the piano back to its default state, where all three strings are struck by the hammers, producing a full and resonant sound.
The tre corde marking is often written above the staff with an arrow pointing upward, indicating the moment when the pianist should release the soft pedal. It is important for the pianist to carefully follow and interpret this marking in order to accurately depict the desired dynamics and tonal qualities intended by the composer.
The term "tre corde" is derived from Italian, where "tre" means "three" and "corde" means "strings".
In the context of music, "tre corde" is a notation used in piano music to instruct the pianist to release the soft pedal, which is often referred to as the "una corda" pedal. When the soft pedal is engaged, it shifts the position of the piano's hammers so that they strike only two of the three strings within each note's range. The instruction "tre corde" therefore indicates that the pianist should revert back to striking all three strings in each note, resulting in a fuller and louder sound.