tutti

Tutti is a musical term of Italian origin meaning “all.” In musical notation, it instructs the performers to play together as a full ensemble, as opposed to a solo or small-group passage. The marking indicates a return to the full group after a section that has featured one or more soloists or divided parts, or it may designate that the entire ensemble should begin or continue to play from a given point.

In scores, tutti can apply to any section of the orchestra or choir, depending on the context. It commonly follows a passage marked soli, indicating that the soloists or a subset should give way to the full ensemble. The exact scope of a tutti marking—whether it involves the entire ensemble or a particular group—depends on the composer’s intention and the score’s layout.

Historically, tutti has been a standard instruction in Western classical music since the Baroque era and remains common in Classical, Romantic, and modern notation. While the term is Italian, it is used internationally in editions of orchestral and choral works, often appearing in capitalized or standard lowercase form depending on the edition. The opposite instruction is soli, which directs a soloist or small group to perform, with tutti signaling the reentry of the full ensemble.