The words for the dynamiq symbols are all Italian. Now you know five Italian words: forte (loud), piano (soft), fortissimo (very loud), pianissimo (very soft), and mezzo (medium).

Dynamic marking and meaning

The terms crescendo, and diminuendo (or sometimes decrescendo), mean a gradual getting louder or softer. They can also be shown by signs known as “hairpins”. A hairpin opening out is a crescendo, one which closes is a diminuendo.

Dynamics refers to the volume of a sound or note. Traditionally, dynamic markings are based on Italian words, although there is nothing wrong with simply writing things like “quietly” or “louder” in the music. Forte means loud and piano means soft.

To find the right balance, here are five mix tips to improve dynamics.

1. Consider the genre and listener.
2. Don’t forget proper gain staging.
3. Listen for too many dynamics.
4. Listen for over-compression.
5. Use a meter.

Dynamics in music are very important because they can add a lot of emotion to a piece of music. When a piece of music performed very softly, it evokes emotions that are in stark contrast to music that is performed very loudly.

By making dynamics a main focus in your songwriting, you will be able to write music that better expresses specific ideas and emotions while adding more depth to the individual parts of your songs.

• ELEMENT. Basic Related Terms.
• Rhythm: (beat, meter, tempo, syncopation)
• Dynamics: (forte, piano, [etc.],
• Melody: (pitch, theme, conjunct, disjunct)
• Harmony: (chord, progression, consonance, dissonance,
• Tone color: (register, range, instrumentation)
• Texture: (monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic,
• Form: