Understanding dynamics and articulation
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can identify dynamics, dynamic changes and different types of articulation accurately.
Key learning points
- Dynamics and articulation have a big impact on musical mood and character.
- The most common dynamics are piano (p) and forte (f).
- Dynamic changes are indicated with crescendo, diminuendo and subito (sudden) and poco a poco (little by little).
- Staccato and legato (slurred) are the most common types of articulation.
- Different kinds of articulation include accents, tenuto, marcato and sforzando.
Keywords
Crescendo - when the dynamics gradually increase, getting louder
Diminuendo - when the dynamics gradually decrease, getting quieter
Accented - a note that is emphasised, shown with this symbol: >
Sforzando - a sudden, loud type of accent, marked with the abbreviation sfz
Tenuto - a note that is held for its full length, though still detached from surrounding notes
Common misconception
There is only one type of accent.
The regular accent is the most common, but composers often indicate more specific articulation by using other accents such as marcato and sforzando. These can be difficult to distinguish by ear, but as a performer you should be familiar with them.
Teacher tip
There are many Italian terms covered in this lesson. Understanding these is a strong starting point for pupils though they are by no means exhaustive. To embed understanding, consider a short exercise using notation software, experimenting with changing the articulation and observing the effect.
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