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Dynamics, articulation and texture

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Lesson notes

Dynamics

  • Dynamics concern relative loudness: pp pianissimo, p piano, mp mezzo piano, mf mezzo forte, f forte and ff fortissimo. Their exact realised levels depend on instrument, ensemble, balance and context; they are not fixed decibel settings.
  • Crescendo gradually increases loudness; diminuendo or decrescendo gradually reduces it. Sforzando (sfz) gives strong local emphasis. These can interact with texture or tempo but do not mean the same thing as adding parts or changing the beat rate.

Relative dynamic levels

Relative dynamic levelsMarkingConventional meaningppPianissimo: very quietpPiano: quietmpMezzo piano: moderately quietmfMezzo forte: moderately loudfForte: loudffFortissimo: very loud

Articulation

  • Legato connects notes smoothly; staccato separates them. An accent emphasises an event. Tenuto commonly asks for a note’s full value or sustained emphasis as appropriate to the style. Pizzicato normally asks bowed-string players to pluck.
  • A slur guides connected articulation or phrasing, with instrument-specific performance conventions. A tie joins consecutive notes of the same sounding pitch into one sustained duration. Similar curved lines therefore need interpretation from their actual musical role.

Connection, separation and sustained duration

Connection, separation and sustained durationTermMusical roleLegatoSmooth connectionStaccatoDetached notesAccent / sfzEmphasis in contextSlurConnected articulation or phrasingTieSame pitch sustained across written values

Texture

  • Monophony uses one melodic line without independent harmonic accompaniment; multiple performers can double it in unison or octaves. Homophony includes melody with supporting harmony and chordal movement. Polyphony combines relatively independent melodic lines; counterpoint concerns how such lines combine.
  • Strict unison uses the same sounding pitches and rhythm. Octave doubling uses corresponding notes in different octaves. Identify these relationships in the actual passage rather than assigning a texture only from the player count, and note changes within a work.

Describe relationships among lines

Describe relationships among linesRelationshipWhat to identifyMonophonicOne line, possibly doubledHomophonicSupported melody or chordal motionPolyphonicIndependent melodic lines togetherStrict unisonSame sounding pitches and rhythmOctave doublingRelated notes in different octaves

Describing texture

  • Sparse or thin describes relatively little simultaneous material or activity; dense or thick describes a greater concentration. Layer count, spacing and rhythmic activity can contribute, but one number alone does not settle the comparison.
  • Density and dynamic level are different dimensions. A passage with many quietly played layers may be dense and quiet; a loud unaccompanied line may be sparse. State both separately before interpreting an expressive effect.

Density does not determine loudness

Density does not determine loudnessWritten situationDensityDynamicsSeveral soft overlapping linesComparatively denseQuietOne forceful unaccompanied lineComparatively sparseLoudSeveral quiet chordal layersMay be denseQuiet

Timbre

  • Timbre is tone quality or sound colour, described in context with words such as bright, mellow or warm. An instrument can produce different tone colours through register, technique, articulation, dynamics and recording conditions. No sound example is supplied to prove that one listed instrument is warmest.
  • A crescendo, detached articulation or reduced texture can support different effects in different music. Connect the actual sound changes to harmony, rhythm, style and setting rather than asserting crescendo always means excitement or sparse always means sadness. The fictional expressive plan is a written model, not an analysis of an unavailable recording.

Fictional expressive plan: describe, then interpret

Fictional expressive plan: describe, then interpretPassageObserved planPossible contributionOpeningQuiet supported melodyExpose the main lineBuildCrescendo and added linesIncrease energy in contextReturnReduced layers and softer levelCreate space for the melody

Slides

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Practice questions

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  1. 1.What are dynamics?

    Easy
    • Ahow loud or quiet the music is
    • Bhow fast it is
    • Chow high it is
    • Dhow long it is

  2. 2.What does p mean?

    Easy
    • Aloud
    • Bfast
    • Cslow
    • Dquiet

  3. 3.What does f mean?

    Easy
    • Afast
    • Bslow
    • Cloud
    • Dquiet

  4. 4.What does pp mean?

    Easy
    • Aloud
    • Bvery quiet
    • Cvery loud
    • Dquiet

  5. 5.What does crescendo mean?

    Easy
    • Agradually getting louder
    • Bgradually getting quieter
    • Cgetting faster
    • Dgetting slower

  6. 6.What does diminuendo mean?

    Easy
    • Agradually getting louder
    • Bgetting faster
    • Cgetting slower
    • Dgradually getting quieter

  7. 7.What does mf mean?

    Easy
    • Avery loud
    • Bvery quiet
    • Cmoderately loud
    • Dmoderately quiet

  8. 8.What does mp mean?

    Easy
    • Avery quiet
    • Bmoderately quiet
    • Cmoderately loud
    • Dvery loud

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