The_Complete_Idiot%27s_Guide_To_Music_Theory

82
Part 2: Rhythms
To abruptly change the volume level at a specific point, insert a new dynamic
marking. It’s okay to indicate dramatic changes in volume; you can go from pp
in one measure to ff in the next, if you want.
To gradually change the volume of a song, you have to use what we call crescendo
and decrescendo marks. The crescendo mark (which looks like a giant hairpin,
closed at the left and widening to the right) indicates that you gradually increase
the volume from your current level to the new level indicated at the end of the
crescendo. The decrescendo mark (which looks like a hairpin open at the left
and closed at the right) indicates that you gradually decrease the volume from
your current level to the new level indicated at the end of the decrescendo.
Crescendos and decrescendos indicate gradual increases or decreases in volume.
Tip
The way you can
remember whether
the marking means
to get louder or
softer is that the wider the
“mouth” of the hairpin, the
louder the music. When
the mouth is at the left and
then narrows, that means
you start loud and get
softer. When the mouth is
at the right, that means you
start soft and get louder.
Note
Technically, the marcato is
not an accent. The formal
definition means to play
the note “well marked,” or
distinct from the surrounding
notes. In practice,
however, this translates
into a loud, long accent.
Crescendos and decrescendos can be relatively short (just a beat or two) or
extend over multiple measures. Obviously, the longer the crescendo or
decrescendo, the more gradual is the change in volume.
Play It Harder
If you want a specific note to be played louder than the other notes around it,
you’ll want to place an accent mark (>) over that note. When a note is accented,
you simply play it louder than a normal note.
To indicate that a note is to be played very loud (or hit very hard, if you’re writing
a percussion part), you place a marcato (ˆ ) over the note. This means you
play or hit that extra hard—with a good solid punch!
You can use three other markings to indicate a sudden accent. These markings,
like all Italian notation, are placed under the note in question, as detailed in the
following table.
Italian Accent Markings
Marking Means …
fz Sudden accent (forzando)
sf Forced (sforzando)
sfz Even more forced (sforzando)