Uncle Forte and Aunt Piano... The Relativity of Dynamics in Music

Choose the correct answer

You are in the library and speaking full voice to the person next to you.

a) too loud

b) too soft

You are at a rock concert and talking in a regular tone of voice to your friend

a) too loud

b) too soft

You are at a party with loud music and you are talking loudly to your friend, when all of the sudden the music stops, and everyone hears the last couple words of your conversation.

a) too loud

b) too soft

In every day life, everyone recognizes that certain volume levels are appropriate at different places, and most importantly there is a range within each level. For instance, if we were to take the dynamic level piano, the grade-school definition is soft.

 The question becomes, what kind of soft?

Is it soft like a whisper? Well what kind of whisper a soft sweet whisper or a whisper like a yelling whisper? Is it talking softly, as if singing a lullaby to a baby. Or is it softly like my Mom used to do my brothers and I when we would be goofing around in church, “If you don’t knock it off right now….” (Generally accompanied by a grab around the arm). What about, if the music says to crescendo?  Does that mean you go straight to forte or only a mezzo piano?

When determining dynamics, you always have to keep in mind what is going on. It is always relative. The exact decibel level is not what dynamics are about. Dynamics help to define the character of a phrase/section/piece. Some intra-musical concepts that affect dynamics are range, texture, and rhythm. Extra-musical things that affect dynamics are venue, balance, and sound systems.  For instance a forte in someone’s living room is going to be different than a forte in a concert hall, or loud bar.

All music needs dynamics, if they are marked or not. Nothing should ever remain default loud or soft indefinitely. For instance, if the music has a big range and a thick texture then it is probably going to be louder, and therefore the opposite will also be true of a narrow range and thin texture. In popular music, the chorus will almost always be louder than the verse. Sometimes the bridge will be louder, and other times it will be softer. The key is that there should always be changes according to the music, and you need to listen and be aware of what the music is doing.  Life is not interesting when it is static and in default mode and neither is music.

 So the next time you are at a party and the music stops….I hope you are still not yelling…relatively speaking

Have fun