tutti

American  

[too-tee, toot-tee] / ˈtu ti, ˈtut ti /

adjective

1. all; all the voices or instruments together.

2. intended for or performed by all (or most of ) the voices or instruments together, as a passage or movement in concert music (opposed to solo).

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noun

tuttis plural

1. a tutti passage or movement.

2. the tonal product or effect of a tutti performance.

tutti British  

/ ˈtʊtɪ /

adjective

1. music to be performed by the whole orchestra, choir, etc Compare soli

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tuttis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tutti

1715–25; < Italian, plural of tutto all

Explanation

The musical instruction tutti means "all together." It's used when all the performers in an orchestra, choir, or ensemble should play the marked passage simultaneously. Tutti is Italian for "all." It usually comes up in a piece of music after a passage where just one or a few of the voices or instruments have been playing, while the others were silent. Then, where it says tutti, the whole choir or orchestra begins singing or playing, so all the different parts are heard in full harmony. This usually means the music is louder, too. It can create a very effective contrast!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tutti tuttis

But repeating his new mantra about the church as a place of welcome, he said “tutti, tutti, tutti” must be allowed in: Everyone, everyone, everyone.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 4, 2023

But the climaxes, satisfying and riotous as they may be, are not the final destination; even after the climactic-seeming tutti riffs in “The Shedding of Landscapes” comes a restive percussive section.

From New York Times ● Apr. 16, 2023

For example, the masculine form "tutti" is routinely used for "everyone", rather than the feminine "tutte".

From Reuters ● Mar. 20, 2023

Langrée’s palms tensed into claws as Ravel’s final five bars reared up, its bombastic tutti collapsing into the arms of an audience that roared its approval.

From Washington Post ● May 20, 2022

Planché’s “Dictionary of Dress,” and Ferrario’s “Costumi antichi e moderni di tutti i Popoli,” are great works on dress and costume, and both are splendidly illustrated and worthy of study.

From Needlework As Art by Alford, Marianne Margaret Compton Cust, Viscountess

Orchestral tuttis had clarity and body from top to bottom.

From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2024

It consisted of a few strings, with a few wind instruments to increase the volume of the tuttis.

From Haydn by Runciman, John F.

They were bent upon a surfeit of music; tuttis, finales, choruses must be performed.

From Hyperion by Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth