una corda

[ oo-nuh kawr-duh; Italian oo-nah kawr-dah ]

adverb

1. with the soft pedal depressed (a musical direction in piano playing).

una corda

/ ˈuːnə ˈkɔːdə /

adjective

1. music (of the piano) to be played with the soft pedal depressed

Word History and Origins

Origin of una corda¹

1840–50; < Italian: literally, one string, since depressing the soft pedal shifts the hammers so as to strike only two (originally one) of the strings provided for each note

Word History and Origins

Origin of una corda¹

Italian, literally: one string; the pedal moves the mechanism so that only one string of the three tuned to each note is struck by the hammer

Example Sentences

The closing measures, una corda and dolcissimo, afford a reminiscence of the haunting appeal of the chief melody.

From Project Gutenberg

A beautiful contrast may be made by playing the section in F major with the "una corda" pedal throughout.

From Project Gutenberg