| Dynamics (music) |
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RELATIVE LOUDNESS October 6, 1920]] The two basic dynamic indications in music are:
More subtle degrees of loudness or softness are indicated by:
Beyond ''f'' and '''''p''''', there is also
To indicate even more extreme degrees of intensity, more ''p''s or '''''f'''''s are added as required. '''''fff''''' and '''''ppp''''' are found in Sheet Music quite frequently. Though these are simply more extreme degrees of "''fortissimo''" and "''pianissimo''," they are often referred to by the Neologism s "''fortiss'''iss'''imo''" and "''pianiss'''iss'''imo''." '''''fff''''' is prounced as "fortissimento" and '''''ppp''''' is pronounced as "pianissimento". More than three '''''f'''''s or ''p''s is unusual, but are found occasionally. The Norman Dello Joio Suite for Piano ends with a crescendo to a '''''ffff''''', and Tchaikovsky indicated '''''pppppp''''' and '''''ffff''''' in passages of his Pathétique Symphony . Shostakovich even went as far as using '''''fffff''''' in his Fourth Symphony . It should be noted that dynamic indications are relative, not absolute. ''mp'' does not indicate an exact level of volume, it merely indicates that music in a passage so marked should be a little louder than '''''p''''' and a little quieter than '''''mf'''''. For some Music Notation Program s, there might be default MIDI key velocity values associated with these indications, but the better programs allow users to change these as needed. Sudden changes ''Sforzando'' (or ''forzando''), indicates a strong, sudden accent and is abbreviated as sf, '''sfz''' or '''fz'''. The notation '''fp''' (or '''sfp''') indicates a ''sforzando'' followed immediately by ''piano''. One particularly noteworthy use of this dynamic is in Joseph Haydn 's Surprise Symphony . ''Rinforzando'' (literally "reinforcing") indicates that several notes, or a short phrase, are to be emphasized. Gradual changes In addition, there are words used to indicate gradual changes in volume. The two most common are ''crescendo'', sometimes abbreviated to ''cresc'', meaning "get gradually louder"; and ''decrescendo'' or ''diminuendo'', sometimes abbreviated to '''''decresc''''' and '''''dim''''' respectively, meaning "get gradually softer". Signs called "hairpins" are also used to stand for these words. These are made up of two lines which connect at one end and get gradually further apart. If the lines are joined at the left, then the indication is to get louder; if they join at the right, the indication is to get softer. The following notation indicates music starting moderately loud, then becoming gradually louder and then gradually quieter: : Hairpins are usually written below the Staff , but are sometimes found above, especially in music for Singer s. They tend to be used for dynamic changes over a relatively short period of time, while ''cresc'' and '''''dim''''' are generally used for dynamic changes over a longer range. For long stretches, dashes are used in some scores instead of repeating cresc. or dim. WORDS INDICATING CHANGES OF DYNAMICS
HISTORY The Renaissance Composer Giovanni Gabrieli was one of the first to indicate dynamics in Music Notation , but dynamics were used sparingly by composers until the late 18th Century . Bach used the terms ''piano'', ''più piano'', and ''pianissimo'' (written out as words), and in some cases it may be that ''ppp'' was considered to mean ''pianissimo'' in this period. SEE ALSO |