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Hoots : Are anti-accents used for the piano? According to wikipedia, anti-accents: accents that tell you to play a note softer than the surrounding notes, which are indicated by a breve (slightly softer), parentheses (significantly - freshhoot.com

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Are anti-accents used for the piano?
According to wikipedia, anti-accents: accents that tell you to play a note softer than the surrounding notes, which are indicated by a breve (slightly softer), parentheses (significantly softer) and brackets (much softer),
are used in percussion music. But if you compose a piano piece, are you allowed to use these anti-accents? Are they just rare for piano pieces? Or are you not allowed to use them?


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There are anti-accents in piano-pieces by Schönberg and Kurtag. E.g.:

Schönberg - Klavierstücke op.23, #5 , Walzer, bar 68
Kurtag - Jatekok


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I've never seen them in piano music. Although I can't remember where (was it Prokofiev who liked to do it?), I have seen an "sp" written on a particular beat, to mean "subito piano." Perhaps you can use that. You could examine Beethoven's habit of writing "sf" over various notes for the opposite effect; I suspect that most pianists' familiarity with his music would make your intent pretty obvious.


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Anti-accents (or 'ghost notes') are not commonly used in piano music. So, of course you're 'allowed' to use them, but it would be sensible to add an explanatory note.


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