Dynamics in music is one of the main means of expressiveness. Features of piano dynamics

Music is a kind of art appealing to oursensory sphere with the help of sounds. The language of sounds has in its composition various elements, which in professional terminology are called "means of musical expressiveness." One of the most important and most powerful elements in terms of impact is the dynamics.

What is dynamics

This word is familiar to everyone from the physics course andis associated with the concepts of "mass", "force", "energy", "movement." In music, it defines the same thing, but with respect to sound. Dynamics in music is the power of sound, it can also be expressed in terms of "quieter - louder".

Playing at the same level of sonority can not be expressive, it quickly tires. On the contrary, frequent changes in dynamics make music interesting, allowing you to convey a wide range of emotions.

If the music is meant to express joy, triumph,glee, happiness - the dynamics will be bright and sonorous. To convey such emotions as sadness, tenderness, quivering, penetration, a light, soft, calm dynamics is used.

Methods for designating dynamics

Dynamics in music is what determinesvolume level. There are very few notations for this, real gradations in sounding are much larger. So dynamic symbols should be considered only as a scheme, a direction of search, where each performer shows his imagination to the fullest.

The level of dynamics "loudly" is denoted by the term "forte", "quietly" - "piano". This is well known. "Quiet, but not too much" - "mezzo piano"; "Not too loud" - "mezzo forte."

If the dynamics in music require access tothe level of extremes, the nuances of "pianissimo" are used - very quiet; or "fortissimo" - very loudly. In exceptional cases, the number of "forte" and "piano" icons can reach up to five!

But even with all the options, the number of symbols for expressing the volume does not exceed 12. This is not much at all, considering that you can extract up to 100 dynamic gradations on a good piano!

Dynamic instructions also include the terms: "crescendo" (gradually increasing the volume) and the opposite in meaning term "diminuendo".

Music dynamics includes a number ofsymbols indicating the need proaktsentirovat any sound or harmony:> ( "emphasis"), sf or SFZ (sharp focus - "sforzando"), or RFZ rf ( "rinfortsando" - "strengthening").

From the harpsichord to the piano

Preserved copies of harpsichords and clavichordallow us to imagine what dynamics mean in baroque music. Mechanics of ancient predecessors of the piano did not allow to change the volume level gradually. For a sharp change of dynamics there were additional keyboards (manuals), which could add to the sound of overtones due to octave doubling.

Special leverage and foot keyboardon the organ allowed to achieve a variety of timbres and increase the volume, but still the changes occurred suddenly. In relation to baroque music, there is even a special term for "terrace-like dynamics", since the change in volume levels resembled the ledges of the terrace.

As for the amplitude of the dynamics, it wasis quite small. The sound of the harpsichord, pleasant, silvery and quiet near, was hardly audible at a distance of several meters. The sound of the clavichord was more harsh, with a metallic tinge, but a little more sonorous.

This tool was very fond of IS. Bach for his ability to let to a barely noticeable degree, but still change the level of dynamics, depending on the strength of the touch of the fingers to the keys. This made it possible to give the phrase a definite convexity.

The invention of the early 18th century piano with hisThe hammer system revolutionized the possibilities of the keyboard instrument. Dynamics in music, performed on a modern piano, has a huge number of gradations of sound and, most importantly, the availability of gradual transitions from one nuance to another.

Dynamics large and detailed

Large dynamics are usually expressed by the symbols shown in the table. They are few, they are clear and definite.

However, "inside" each of these nuances canbe a mass of more subtle sound gradations. For them, no special notation has been invented, but these levels exist in real sound, and they make us tremblingly listen to the game of a talented performer.

Such a small dynamics is called detailed. The tradition of its use originates in baroque music (remember the possibilities of clavichord).

Dynamics in music is one of the test stonesperforming skills. It is masterful possession of a subtle nuance, light, barely noticeable changes that distinguish it from a talented professional.

However, it is equally difficult to evenly distribute the amplification or attenuation of sonority when it is "stretched" over a large segment of the music text.

Relativity of dynamics

In conclusion, it should be noted that the dynamics inmusic - this is a very relative concept, as, indeed, everything else in our life. Each musical style and even each composer has its own dynamic scale, as well as its own peculiarities in the application of nuances.

What sounds good in Prokofiev's music is absolutely inapplicable in the performance of Scarlatti's sonatas. And the nuance of piano in Chopin and Beethoven will sound quite differently.

The same applies to the degree of accentuation, the duration of preservation of the same level of dynamics, the way it is changed, and so on.

To master this tool musicalexpressiveness on a good professional level, it is necessary, first of all, to study the game of great masters, listen, analyze, think and draw conclusions.