What Does “forte” Mean in Music?

Forte is a dynamic in music that means a particular part of a song is meant to be played strongly and louder. The other basic dynamic is “piano,” which refers to playing music softly and quieter.

Two identical pieces of music can sound extremely different depending on the dynamics in each piece. Dynamics refer to how loud or soft notes or pieces of a song are played, as well as which style they are played with. Playing notes loudly or extending their length can add extra emphasis or power to the piece, while playing notes quietly or diminishing their length can remove emphasis from the section.