accrescendo

Accrescendo is a musical dynamic marking signaling a gradual increase in loudness over a passage. The term is of Italian origin, from accrescere meaning to increase or grow, and in practice it conveys the same idea as the more common crescendo. In modern notation, crescendo is the standard instruction, typically shown by a hairpin opening to the right or by the word crescendo. Accrescendo may appear in some scores as an alternative spelling or textual instruction, but it is far less common today and is often regarded as archaic or stylistic.

In use, accrescendo directs performers to raise volume gradually through the indicated passage, potentially to a specified peak dynamic such as forte or fortissimo. It can apply to a single instrument or to the entire ensemble, depending on the context. The magnitude and span of the growth are usually implied by the surrounding musical texture, phrasing, and subsequent dynamic markings.

Historically, accrescendo appears in some 17th–19th-century sources and in certain editions or translations, where editors or composers chose the literal wording over the standard Italian term. In contemporary practice, composers typically prefer crescendo, with accrescendo appearing only in historic scores or in educational materials to illustrate the concept of increasing dynamics.

See also: crescendo, diminuendo, decrescendo, dynamics.