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Music research

Dynamics and Accents in Music

In Music, Dynamics refer to the Volume of a Note or Sound, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a Piece which has been given, either Stylistic, which is Staccato, Legato Etc, or Functional (Velocity).

There are two basic Dynamic indications in Music which are:

P which stands for Piano, meaning soft.

F which stands for Forte, meaning loud or strong, it also can mean deep.

More subtle degrees of loudness or softness are indicated by:

MP standing for Mezzo- Piano which means moderately soft,

MF standing for Mezzo- Forte, which means moderately loud

Beyond F and P also there is,

FF, which means very loud, and stands for Fortissimo,

PP, which means very soft, and stands for Pianissimo

Words/phrases indicating changes of dynamics

(In Italian unless otherwise indicated)

• al niente: to nothing; fade to silence
• calando: becoming smaller
• crescendo: becoming louder
• da niente: from nothing; out of silence
• decrescendo or diminuendo: becoming softer
• in rilievo: in relief (French en dehors: outwards); indicates that a particular instrument or part is to play louder than the others so as to stand out over the ensemble. In the circle of Arnold Schoenborg, this expression had been replaced by the letter "H" (for German, "Hauptstimme"), with an added horizontal line at the letter's top, pointing to the right, the end of this passage to be marked by the symbol " ┐ ".
• perdendo or perdendosi: losing volume, fading into nothing, dying away
• morendo: dying away (may also indicate a tempo change)
• marcato: stressed, pronounced

• sotto voce: soft, subtle

In Music, Articulation refers to the direction or performance technique which affects the transition or continuity on single note or between multiple notes or sounds.

There are many different kinds of articulation, each having a different effect on how the note is played. Some articulation marks include the slur, phrase mark, staccato, staccatissimo, accent, sforzando, rinforzando, and legato. Each articulation is represented by a different symbol placed above or below the note (depending on its position on the staff).

Woodwind and brass instruments generally articulate by tonguing, the use of the tongue to break the airflow into the instrument. Stringed instruments use different bowing techniques to achieve different articulations.

When staccato marks are combined with a slur, the result is portato, also known as articulated legato. Tenuto markings under a slur are called (for bowed strings) hook bows. This name is also less commonly applied to staccato or martellato (martelé) markings.