Sempre vs Subito

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Sempre	Subito
Definition	Always; continuously throughout the passage.	Suddenly; an immediate change without transition.
Category	modifier	modifier
Pronunciation	SEM-preh	SOO-bih-toh
Origin	Italian	Italian
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	always continuously throughout	suddenly immediately abruptly
Antonyms	subito suddenly	gradualmente poco a poco
Usage	The instruction sempre pianissimo over the 32-bar passage demands unwavering restraint from the entire string section.	The subito piano after the fortissimo climax is devastating — as if the ground has fallen away beneath the music.

Definition: Always; continuously throughout the passage.
Category: modifier
Pronunciation: SEM-preh
Origin: Italian
Synonyms: always continuously throughout
Antonyms: subito suddenly
Usage: The instruction sempre pianissimo over the 32-bar passage demands unwavering restraint from the entire string section.

Definition: Suddenly; an immediate change without transition.
Category: modifier
Pronunciation: SOO-bih-toh
Origin: Italian
Synonyms: suddenly immediately abruptly
Antonyms: gradualmente poco a poco
Usage: The subito piano after the fortissimo climax is devastating — as if the ground has fallen away beneath the music.