View source for Dynamics (music)

{{Short description|Volume of a sound or note}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{redirect-multi|2|Fortissimo|Pianissimo}}
{{Image frame|content=<score>
    \relative c' {
        \set Score.currentBarNumber = #37
        \key f \major
        \time 6/8

        f4.\pp f8( g a)
        bes4( g8) bes( a g)
        \override DynamicLineSpanner.staff-padding = #2
        f(\< f'4)\sf f8(\> e d)\!
        d4.( c8)
    }
</score>|width=430|caption=The beginning of the principal [[theme (music)|theme]] to the third movement of [[Berlioz]]'s ''[[Symphonie fantastique]]'' showing examples of ''pianissimo'' ({{serif|'''''pp'''''}}) and hairpins.|max-width=}}

In music, the '''dynamics''' of a piece are the variation in [[loudness]] between [[note (music)|notes]] or [[phrase (music)|phrases]]. Dynamics are indicated by specific [[musical notation]], often in some detail. However, dynamics markings require interpretation by the performer depending on the musical context:  a specific marking may correspond to a different volume between pieces or even sections of one piece. The execution of dynamics also extends beyond loudness to include changes in [[timbre]] and sometimes [[tempo rubato]].

==Purpose and interpretation==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2023}}
Dynamics are one of the [[musical expression|expressive elements of music]]. Used effectively, dynamics help musicians sustain variety and interest in a musical performance, and communicate a particular emotional state or feeling.

Dynamic markings are always relative.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thiemel|first1=Matthias|title=Dynamics|url=http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/08458|website=Grove Music Online (subscriber-only access)|publisher=Oxford University Press|access-date=7 July 2017|ref=Grove Dynamics}}</ref> {{serif|'''''p'''''}} (''piano'' - "soft") never indicates a precise level of [[loudness]]; it merely indicates that music in a passage so marked should be considerably quieter than {{serif|'''''f'''''}} (''forte'' - "loud"). There are many factors affecting the interpretation of a dynamic marking. For instance, the middle of a [[phrase (music theory)|musical phrase]] will normally be played louder than the beginning or end, to ensure the phrase is properly shaped, even where a passage is marked {{serif|'''''p'''''}} throughout. Similarly, in [[polyphony|multi-part music]], some [[part (music)|voices]] will naturally be played louder than others, for instance, to emphasize the melody and the bass line, even if a whole passage is marked at one dynamic level. Some instruments are naturally louder than others – for instance, a [[tuba]] playing ''mezzo-piano'' will likely be louder than a guitar playing ''forte'', while a high-pitched instrument like the [[piccolo]] playing in its upper [[Register (music)|register]] can sound loud even when its actual decibel level is lower than that of other instruments.

==Dynamic markings==
{{see also|Glossary of musical terminology}}
{| {{Table|class=floatright}}
|+ Scale of dynamic markings<ref>[[Gardner Read|Read, Gardner]] (1969/1979). ''Music Notation: A Manual of Modern Practice'', p.250. 2nd edition. Crescendo Publishing, part of Taplinger Publishing. {{ISBN|0-8008-5453-5}}.</ref>
! Name !! Letters !! Level
|- 
| {{right|''fortississimo''}}
| {{serif|'''''fff'''''}}
|very very loud
|- 
| {{right|''fortissimo''}}
| {{serif|'''''ff'''''}}
|very loud
|- 
| {{right|''forte''}}
| {{serif|'''''f'''''}}
|loud
|-
| {{right|''mezzo-forte''}}
| {{serif|'''''mf'''''}}
|moderately loud
|-
| {{right|''mezzo-piano''}}
| {{serif|'''''mp'''''}}
|moderately quiet
|-
| {{right|''piano''}}
| {{serif|'''''p'''''}}
|quiet
|-
| {{right|''pianissimo''}}
| {{serif|'''''pp'''''}}
|very quiet
|-
| {{right|''pianississimo''}}
| {{serif|'''''ppp'''''}}
|very very quiet
|}

The two basic dynamic indications in music are:
* {{serif|'''''p'''''}} or ''piano'', meaning "soft or quiet"<ref name="harvard">{{cite book |first=Don Michael |last=Randel |author-link=Don Michael Randel |publisher=Harvard University Press Reference Library |location=Cambridge, MA, US |year=2003 |title=The Harvard Dictionary of Music |edition=4th}}</ref><ref name="vtp">{{cite web | title=Piano | work=Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary | url=http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textp/Piano.html | access-date=19 March 2012 | archive-date=22 October 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022131734/http://www.music.vt.edu/MUSICDICTIONARY/textp/Piano.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* {{serif|'''''f'''''}} or ''forte'', meaning "loud or strong"<ref name="harvard" /><ref name="vtf">{{cite web | title=Forte | work=Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary | url=http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textf/Forte.html | access-date=19 March 2012 | archive-date=20 October 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020105236/http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textf/Forte.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>

More subtle degrees of loudness or softness are indicated by:
* {{serif|'''''mp'''''}}, standing for ''mezzo-piano'', meaning "moderately quiet"
* {{serif|'''''mf'''''}}, standing for ''mezzo-forte'', meaning "moderately loud"<ref name="vtd">{{cite web | title=Dynamics | work=Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary | url=http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textd/Dynamics.html | access-date=19 March 2012 | archive-date=7 April 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407060444/http://www.music.vt.edu/MUSICDICTIONARY/textd/Dynamics.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* ''{{serif|più '''p'''}}'', standing for ''più piano'' and meaning "quieter" 
* ''{{serif|più '''f'''}}'', standing for ''più forte'' and meaning "louder" 

Use of up to three consecutive {{serif|'''''f'''''}}s or {{serif|'''''p'''''}}s is also common:
* {{serif|'''''pp'''''}}, standing for ''pianissimo'' and meaning "very quiet"
* {{serif|'''''ff'''''}}, standing for ''fortissimo'' and meaning "very loud"
* {{serif|'''''ppp'''''}} ("triple ''piano''"), standing for ''pianississimo'' or ''piano pianissimo'' and meaning "very very quiet"
* {{serif|'''''fff'''''}} ("triple ''forte''"), standing for ''fortississimo'' or ''forte fortissimo'' and meaning "very very loud"<ref name="vtd" />
There are additional special markings that are not very common:
* {{serif|'''''sfz'''''}} or {{serif|'''''sf'''''}}, standing for ''sforzando'' and meaning "suddenly very loud", which only applies to a given beat
* {{serif|'''''rfz'''''}} or {{serif|'''''rf'''''}}, standing for ''rinforzando'' and meaning "reinforced", which refers to a sudden increase in volume that only applies to a given phrase
* {{serif|'''''n'''''}} or {{serif|'''''ø'''''}}, standing for ''niente'' and meaning "nothing", which refers to silence; generally used in combination with other markings for special effect

===Changes===<!-- This section is linked from [[Piano Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)]] -->
{{anchor|Abrupt changes|Gradual changes}}
{{redirect-multi|2|Crescendo|Diminuendo}}

Three Italian words are used to show gradual changes in volume:

* '''''crescendo''''' (abbreviated ''cresc.'') translates as "increasing" (literally "growing")
* '''''decrescendo''''' (abbreviated to ''decresc.'') translates as "decreasing"
* '''''diminuendo''''' (abbreviated ''dim.'') translates as "diminishing"

Dynamic changes can be indicated by angled symbols. A crescendo symbol consists of two lines that open to the right ([[File:Music-crescendo.svg|15x15px]]); a decrescendo symbol starts open on the left and closes toward the right ([[File:Music-diminuendo.svg|15x15px]]). These symbols are sometimes referred to as [[hairpin]]s or wedges.<ref>[[Michael Kennedy (music critic)|Kennedy, Michael]] and Bourne, Joyce: ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music'' (1996), entry "Hairpins".</ref>   The following notation indicates music starting moderately strong, then becoming gradually stronger and then gradually quieter:

{{Block indent|<score lang="lilypond">
    \relative c'' {
        \time 4/4
        \override DynamicLineSpanner.staff-padding = #2.5
        a4._\mf\< gis16 a\! c4.\> b8\! a4
    }
</score>}}

Hairpins are typically positioned below the [[staff (music)|staff]] (or between the two staves in a [[grand staff]]), though they may appear above, especially in vocal music or when a single performer plays multiple melody lines. They denote dynamic changes over a short duration (up to a few [[bar (music)|bars]]), whereas ''cresc.'', ''decresc.'', and ''dim.'' signify more gradual changes. Word directions can be extended with dashes to indicate the temporal span of the change, which can extend across multiple pages. The term ''morendo'' ("dying") may also denote a gradual reduction in both dynamics and tempo.

For pronounced dynamic shifts, ''cresc. molto'' and ''dim. molto'' are commonly used, with ''molto'' meaning "much". Conversely, ''poco cresc.'' and ''poco dim.'' indicate gentler changes, with "poco" translating to ''a little'', or alternatively ''poco a poco'' meaning "little by little".

Sudden dynamic changes are often indicated by prefixing or suffixing ''subito'' (meaning "suddenly") to the new dynamic notation. ''Subito piano'' (abbreviated as ''{{serif|sub. '''p'''}}'' or {{serif|'''p''' sub.}}) ("suddenly soft") implies a quick, almost abrupt reduction in volume to around the {{serif|'''''p'''''}} range, often employed to subvert listener expectations, signaling a more intimate expression. Likewise, ''subito'' can mark sudden increases in volume, as in ''{{serif|sub. '''f'''}}'' or {{serif|'''f''' sub.}}) ("suddenly loud").

{{anchor|Sudden_changes_and_accented_notes}}
[[Accent (music)|Accented notes]] are generally marked with an ''accent'' sign '''>''' placed above or below the note, emphasizing the [[Attack (music)|attack]] relative to the prevailing dynamics. A sharper and briefer emphasis is denoted with a ''marcato'' mark '''^''' above the note. If a specific emphasis is required, variations of ''forzando''/''forzato'', or ''fortepiano'' can be used.

''forzando''/''forzato'' signifies a forceful accent, abbreviated as {{serif|'''''fz'''''}}. To enhance the effect, ''subito'' often precedes it as {{serif|'''''sfz'''''}} (''subito forzato/forzando'', ''sforzando''/''sforzato''). The interpretation and execution of these markings are at the performer's discretion, with ''forzato/forzando'' typically seen as a variation of ''marcato'' and ''subito forzando/forzato'' as a ''marcato'' with added ''tenuto''.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Gerou |first1=Tom |first2=Linda |last2= Lusk |title= Essential Dictionary of Music Notation: The Most Practical and Concise Source for Music Notation |year=1996 |publisher=Alfred Music Publishing |location= Van Nuys, CA |isbn= 978-0882847306 |pages=37–38 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=6PELtxxrz_QC&q=sf+sfz+fz&pg=PA38}}</ref>

The [[fortepiano (musical dynamic)|fortepiano]] notation {{serif|'''''fp'''''}} denotes a ''forte'' followed immediately by ''piano''. Contrastingly, {{serif|'''''pf'''''}} abbreviates ''poco forte'', translating to "a little loud", but according to Brahms, implies ''a forte character with a piano sound'', although rarely used due to potential confusion with ''pianoforte''.<ref>[http://www.jeffreysolow.com/Writings/AnEnigmaticMarkingExplainedVcS.doc An Enigmatic Marking Explained], by Jeffrey Solow, ''Violoncello Society Newsletter'', Spring 2000</ref>

[[Messa di voce]] is a singing technique and musical ornament on a single pitch while executing a crescendo and diminuendo.

===Extreme dynamic markings===
{{Image frame
|content = <score sound="1"> {
#(set-global-staff-size 14)
\new StaffGroup
\with {
    \omit SystemStartBracket
    \override StaffGrouper.staffgroup-staff-spacing.basic-distance = #15
  } <<
\new PianoStaff <<
\new Staff \with { \magnifyStaff #3/4 } <<
\relative c'' { \time 4/4 \clef treble \key cis \minor \tempo "Tempo I" \tempo 4 = 50 \set Staff.extraNatural = ##f r8\fff _\markup {\left-align \italic m.d.} <cis e gis cis>-> <e gis b e>->_\markup { \italic pesante} <dis fisis ais dis>-> r <d fis bis d>-> r <bis dis fis bis>-> r <cis e gis cis>->_\markup {\dynamic sffff} <e gis b e>-> <dis fisis ais dis>-> r <d fis bis d>-> r <bis dis fis bis>->}
>>
\new Staff \with { \magnifyStaff #3/4 } <<
\relative c { \time 4/4 \clef treble \key cis \minor <cis e gis cis>2-> <a' a'>4-> <gis gis'>-> <cis, e gis cis>2-> <a' a'>4-> <gis gis'>->}
>>
>>

\new PianoStaff <<
\new Staff \with { \magnifyStaff #3/4 } <<
\relative c { \time 4/4 \clef bass \key cis \minor \set Staff.extraNatural = ##f r8\fff _\markup {\left-align \italic m.s.} <e gis cis e>-> <gis b e gis>->_\markup { \italic pesante} <fisis ais dis fisis>-> r <fis bis d fis>-> r <dis fis bis dis>-> r <e gis cis e>->_\markup {\dynamic sffff} <gis b e gis>-> <fisis ais dis fisis>-> r <fis bis d fis>-> r <dis fis bis dis>->}
>>
\new Staff \with { \magnifyStaff #3/4 } <<
\relative c,, { \time 4/4 \clef bass \key cis \minor <cis e gis cis>2->\sustainOn <a' a'>4-> \sustainOff \sustainOn <gis gis'>->\sustainOn <cis, e gis cis>2-> \sustainOn <a' a'>4->\sustainOff \sustainOn <gis gis'>->\sustainOn}
>>
>>
>>
} </score>
|caption = 
Two measures of [[Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff|Sergei Rachmaninoff]]'s [[Prelude in C-sharp minor (Rachmaninoff)|Prelude in C{{music|sharp}} minor]] showing dynamic markings {{serif|'''''sffff'''''}}. The top two staves are both played by the right hand, the bottom two by the left.
|width = 375
}}

While the typical range of dynamic markings is from {{serif|'''''ppp'''''}} to {{serif|'''''fff'''''}}, some pieces use additional markings of further emphasis. Extreme dynamic markings imply either a very large dynamic range or very small differences of loudness within a normal range. This kind of usage is most common in orchestral works from the late 1800s onward. Generally, these markings are supported by the [[orchestration]] of the work, with heavy ''forte'' passages brought to life by having many loud instruments like brass and percussion playing at once.

* In [[Gustav Holst|Holst]]'s ''[[The Planets]]'', {{serif|'''''ffff'''''}} occurs twice in "Mars" and once in "Uranus", often punctuated by organ.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/The_Planets,_Op.32_(Holst,_Gustav)#IMSLP05396|title=The Planets|last=Holst|first=Gustav|publisher=Goodwin & Tabb|year=1921|location=London|pages=29, 42, 159|access-date=11 February 2023}}</ref>
* In [[Igor Stravinsky|Stravinsky]]'s [[The Firebird|''The Firebird Suite'']], {{serif|'''''ffff'''''}} is marked for the [[String section|strings]] and [[Woodwind section|woodwinds]] at the end of the Finale.
* [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky]] marks a bassoon solo {{serif|'''''pppppp'''''}} (6 {{serif|'''''p'''''}}s) in his [[Symphony No. 6 (Tchaikovsky)|''Pathétique'' Symphony]]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.6,_Op.74_(Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr)#IMSLP504312|title=Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies in Full Score|last=Tchaikovsky|first=Peter Ilyitch|publisher=Dover Publications|year=1979|isbn=048623861X|location=New York|page=First movement, just before Allegro vivo|no-pp=y|oclc=6414366}}</ref> and uses {{serif|'''''ffff'''''}} in passages of his ''[[1812 Overture]]''<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/1812_Overture,_Op.49_(Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr)#IMSLP01078|title=P.I. Tchaikovsky: Complete Collected Works, Vol. 25|editor-last=Nikolayev|editor-first=Aleksandr|pages=79|access-date=11 February 2023}}</ref> and his [[Symphony No. 5 (Tchaikovsky)|Fifth Symphony]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.5,_Op.64_(Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr)#IMSLP504184|title=Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies in Full Score|last=Tchaikovsky|first=Peter Ilyich|date=1979|publisher=Dover Publications|isbn=048623861X|location=New York|pages=18, 65 [on PDF]|oclc=6414366}}</ref><ref>See imslp- p.88, Andante non tanto.</ref>
* The baritone passage "''Era la notte''" from [[Verdi]]'s opera ''[[Otello (Verdi)|Otello]]'' uses {{serif|'''''pppp'''''}}, though the same spot is marked {{serif|'''''ppp'''''}} in the full score.<ref>(1965). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=GfIEAAAAMAAJ&q=pensato+webern The Musical Times]'', Vol. 106. Novello.</ref>
* [[Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff|Sergei Rachmaninoff]] uses {{serif|'''''sffff'''''}} in his [[Prelude in C-sharp minor (Rachmaninoff)|Prelude in C{{music|sharp}}, Op. 3 No. 2]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Morceaux_de_fantaisie,_Op.3_(Rachmaninoff,_Sergei)#IMSLP273032|title=Album Book I. Op. 3, Nos. 1–5|last=Rachmaninoff|first=Sergei|publisher=Augener|year=1911|editor-last=Thümer|editor-first=Otto Gustav|location=London|pages=5|access-date=11 February 2023}}</ref>
* [[Gustav Mahler]], in the third movement of his [[Symphony No. 7 (Mahler)|Seventh Symphony]], gives the celli and basses a marking of {{serif|'''''fffff'''''}} (5 {{serif|'''''f'''''}}s), along with a footnote directing '[[Bartok pizzicato|pluck so hard that the strings hit the wood]]'.{{efn|So stark anreißen, daß die Saiten an das Holz anschlagen.}}<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.7_(Mahler,_Gustav)#IMSLP138638|title=Symphonie No. 7|last=Mahler|first=Gustav|publisher=Eulenburg|year=1909|location=Leipzig|pages=229|access-date=11 February 2023}}</ref>
* On the other extreme, [[Carl Nielsen]], in the second movement of his [[Symphony No. 5 (Nielsen)|Fifth Symphony]], marked a passage for woodwinds a diminuendo to {{serif|'''''ppppp'''''}} (5 {{serif|'''''p'''''}}s).<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.5%2C_Op.50_(Nielsen%2C_Carl)#IMSLP92727|title=Vaerker, Series II, No.5|last=Nielsen|first=Carl|editor-last=Fjeldsøe|editor-first=Michael|pages=128|access-date=11 February 2023}}</ref>΄
* [[Brian Ferneyhough]], in his ''[[Lemma-Icon-Epigram]]'', uses {{serif|'''''ffffff'''''}} (6 {{serif|'''''f'''''}}s).<ref name=":17">{{Cite book|title=Lemma-Icon-Epigram|first=Brian|last=Ferneyhough|publisher=[[Edition Peters]] 7233|year=1982|location=London}}</ref>
* [[Giuseppe Verdi]], in Scene 5 (Act II from his opera [[Otello]]), uses {{serif|'''''ppppppp'''''}} (7 {{serif|'''''p'''''}}s).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://homes.luddy.indiana.edu/donbyrd/CMNExtremes.htm | title=Extremes of Conventional Music Notation }}</ref>
* [[György Ligeti]] uses extreme dynamics in his music: the [[Cello Concerto (Ligeti)|Cello Concerto]] begins with a passage marked {{serif|'''''pppppppp'''''}} (8 {{serif|'''''p'''''}}s),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/composition/cello-concerto-mc0002384607|title=György Ligeti – Cello Concerto|last= Kirzinger|first=Robert|website=allmusic|access-date=12 December 2018}}</ref> in his [[Études (Ligeti)|Piano Études]] Étude No. 9 (''Vertige'') ends with a diminuendo to {{serif|'''''pppppppp'''''}} (8 {{serif|'''''p'''''}}s),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI-TWpEgGTM| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/YI-TWpEgGTM| archive-date=2021-11-02 | url-status=live|title=György Ligeti – Études for Piano (Book 2), No. 9 [3/9]|website=YouTube| date=6 April 2015|access-date=26 April 2018|time=3:34}}{{cbignore}}</ref> while Étude No. 13 (''L'Escalier du Diable'') contains a passage marked {{serif|'''''ffffff'''''}} (6 {{serif|'''''f'''''}}s) that progresses to a {{serif|'''''ffffffff'''''}} (8 {{serif|'''''f'''''}}s)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6LmG9myHxA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/Q6LmG9myHxA| archive-date=2021-11-02 | url-status=live|title=György Ligeti – Études for Piano (Book 2), No. 13 [7/9]|website=YouTube| date=2 September 2015|access-date=26 April 2018|time=5:12–5:14}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and his opera ''[[Le Grand Macabre]]'' has {{serif|'''''ffffffffff'''''}} (10 {{serif|'''''f'''''}}s) with a stroke of the hammer.
<!--please don't add the Florentiner Marsch; while that Tumblr post is admittedly hilarious, the actual score does not actually have that many f's. Only two of them-->

==History==


''On Music'', one of the ''[[Moralia]]'' attributed to the philosopher [[Plutarch]] in the first century AD, suggests that ancient Greek musical performance included dynamic transitions – though dynamics receive far less attention in the text than does [[rhythm]] or [[harmony]].

The [[renaissance music|Renaissance]] composer [[Giovanni Gabrieli]] was one of the first to indicate dynamics in [[music notation]]. However, much of the use of dynamics in early Baroque music remained implicit and was achieved through a practice called ''raddoppio'' ("doubling") and later ''ripieno'' ("filling"), which consisted of creating a contrast between a small number of elements and then a larger number of elements (usually in  a ratio of 2:1 or more) to increase the mass of sound. This practice was pivotal to the structuring of instrumental forms such as the [[concerto grosso]] and the [[solo concerto]], where a few or one instrument, supported by harmonic [[basso continuo]] instruments (organ, [[lute]], [[theorbo]], [[harpsichord]], [[lirone]], and low register strings, such as [[cello]] or [[Viol|viola da gamba]], often used together) variously alternate or join to create greater contrasts. This practice is usually called t''erraced dynamics'', i.e. the alternation of ''piano'' and ''forte''.  

Later baroque musicians, such as [[Antonio Vivaldi]], tended to use more varied dynamics. [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J.S. Bach]] used some dynamic terms, including ''forte'', ''piano'', ''più piano'', and ''pianissimo'' (although written out as full words), and in some cases it may be that {{serif|'''''ppp'''''}} was considered to mean ''pianissimo'' in this period. In 1752, [[Johann Joachim Quantz]] wrote that "Light and shade must be constantly introduced ... by the incessant interchange of loud and soft."<ref>Donington, Robert: ''Baroque Music'' (1982) WW Norton, 1982. {{ISBN|0-393-30052-8}}. Page 33.</ref> In addition to this, the [[harpsichord]] in fact becomes louder or softer depending on the thickness of the musical texture (four notes are louder than two). 

In the Romantic period, composers greatly expanded the vocabulary for describing dynamic changes in their scores. Where [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]] and [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] specified six levels ({{serif|'''''pp'''''}} to {{serif|'''''ff'''''}}), [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]] used also {{serif|'''''ppp'''''}} and {{serif|'''''fff'''''}} (the latter less frequently), and [[Johannes Brahms|Brahms]] used a range of terms to describe the dynamics he wanted. In the slow movement of Brahms's [[Horn Trio (Brahms)|trio for violin, horn and piano (Opus 40)]], he uses the expressions {{serif|'''''ppp'''''}}, ''molto piano'', and ''[[quasi niente]]'' to express different qualities of quiet. Many Romantic and later composers added ''{{serif|più '''p'''}}'' and ''{{serif|più '''f'''}}'', making for a total of ten levels between {{serif|'''''ppp'''''}} and {{serif|'''''fff'''''}}.

An example of how effective contrasting dynamics can be may be found in the overture to [[Smetana]]’s opera ''[[The Bartered Bride]]''.  The fast scurrying quavers played pianissimo by the second violins form a sharply differentiated background to the incisive thematic statement played fortissimo by the firsts.[[File:Smetana Bartered Bride overture, bars 30-36.wav|thumb|Smetana Bartered Bride overture, bars 30-36.]][[File:Smetana Bartered Bride overture, bars 30-36.png|thumb|center|500px|Smetana Bartered Bride overture, bars 30-36.]]

== Interpretation by notation programs ==
[[File:Dynamic's Note Velocity.svg|thumb|350px|Note Velocity is a [[MIDI]] measurement of the speed that the key travels from its rest position to completely depressed, with 127, the largest value in a 7-bit number, being instantaneous, and meaning as strong as possible. {{audio|MIDI dynamics fff to ppp.mid|Play a C major chord at each dynamic from fff to ppp}}]]In some [[scorewriter|music notation program]]s, there are default [[Musical Instrument Digital Interface|MIDI]] key velocity values associated with these indications, but more sophisticated programs allow users to change these as needed. These defaults are listed in the following table for some applications, including Apple's [[Logic Pro]] 9 (2009–2013), Avid's [[Sibelius (software)|Sibelius]] 5 (2007–2009), musescore.org's [[MuseScore]] 3.0 (2019), MakeMusic's [[Finale (software)|Finale]] 26 (2018-2021), and Musitek's [[SmartScore]] X2 Pro (2016) and 64 Pro. (2021). MIDI specifies the range of key velocities as an integer between 0 and 127:

{| {{Table}}
! Symbols 
!{{serif|''ppppp''}}|| {{serif|''pppp''}} || {{serif|''ppp''}} || {{serif|''pp''}} || {{serif|''p''}} || {{serif|''mp''}} || {{serif|''mf''}} || {{serif|''f''}} || {{serif|''ff''}} || {{serif|''fff''}} || {{serif|''ffff''}}
|-
| '''Logic Pro 9 dynamics'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Logic Pro X: Use step input recording techniques|url=https://support.apple.com/kb/PH12977|access-date=29 July 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205074037/https://support.apple.com/kb/PH12977|archivedate=2015-02-05}}</ref> 
| || || 16 || 32 || 48 || 64 || 80 || 96 || 112 || 127 || 
|-
| '''Sibelius 5 dynamics'''<ref>Spreadbury, Daniel; Eastwood, Michael; Finn, Ben; and Finn, Jonathan (March 2008). ''Sibelius 5 Reference''. Edition 5.2. Sibelius Software.</ref> 
| || || 20 || 39 || 61 || 71 || 84 || 98 || 113 || 127 || 
|-
| '''MuseScore 3.0 dynamics'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Handbook 3.0, Dynamics|url=https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/dynamics}}</ref>{{failed verification|reason=Numbers not located anywhere on the page (other than the value for mf).|date=March 2025}}
|5||     10|| 16 || 33 || 49 || 64 || 80 || 96 || 112 || 126 || 127
|-
| '''MakeMusic Finale dynamics'''<ref>MakeMusic, Inc. ''Finale (Version 26), Expression Dialog Box, Note Expression Selection''. Finale (26.1.0.397) Software.</ref> 
| || 10 || 23 || 36 || 49 || 62 || 75 || 88 || 101 || 114 || 127 
|-
| '''SmartScore X2 dynamics'''<ref>Musitek Corp. Smartscore X2 Software.</ref> 
| || 29 ||38 || 46 ||55 || 63 || 72 || 80 ||89 ||97 || 106 
|-
| '''SmartScore 64 dynamics'''<ref>Musitek Corp. Smartscore 64 Software.</ref> 
| || 30 || 40 || 50 || 60 || 70 || 80 || 90 || 100 || 110 || 120 
|}

The velocity effect on volume depends on the particular instrument. For instance, a grand piano has a much greater volume range than a recorder.

== Relation to audio dynamics ==
The introduction of modern recording techniques has provided alternative ways to control the dynamics of music. [[Dynamic range compression]] is used to control the [[Dynamic range#Music|dynamic range]] of a recording, or a single instrument. This can affect loudness variations, both at the micro-<ref>{{Cite book|title=Mastering Audio|last=Katz|first=Robert|year=2002|isbn=0-240-80545-3|location=Amsterdam: Boston|pages=109}}</ref> and macro scale.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/dynamic-range-loudness-war|title='Dynamic Range' & The Loudness War|last=Deruty|first=Emmanuel|date=September 2011|work=Sound on Sound|access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref> In many contexts, the meaning of the term ''dynamics'' is therefore not immediately clear. To distinguish between the different aspects of dynamics, the term ''performed dynamics'' can be used to refer to the aspects of music dynamics that is controlled exclusively by the performer.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Elowsson|first1=Anders|last2=Friberg|first2=Anders|title=Predicting the perception of performed dynamics in music audio with ensemble learning|url=http://www.speech.kth.se/prod/publications/files/4106.pdf|journal=The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America|year=2017|volume=141|issue=3|pages=2224–2242|doi=10.1121/1.4978245|pmid=28372147|bibcode=2017ASAJ..141.2224E|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=17 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117012048/http://www.speech.kth.se/prod/publications/files/4106.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Wiktionary|fortissimo|decrescendo}}
* [[Accent (music)]]
* [[Glossary of musical terminology]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Dynamics (music)}}
{{Musical notation}}
{{Musical technique}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dynamics (Music)}}
[[Category:Musical notation]]
[[Category:Musical terminology]]
[[Category:Elements of music]]