Mezzopiano

In musical terminology, mezzopiano or mezzo piano is a dynamic level lower than mezzoforte and higher than piano. It is typically abbreviated to mp on most sheet music. Mezzo piano comes from the Italian: mezzo = half/middle, piano = slowly/softly.

In marching percussion, mezzo piano may refer to the hight from which the percussionist is directed to strike the instrument. In this context, mp typically refers to a hight of between 3 and 6 inches off of the drum, keyboard, or auxiliary percussion.