Music Details

Stylize your playing

1. Dynamics

2. Styles of Playing

3. Accidentals

4. Double Stops

5. Looking For Patterns

1. Dynamics indicate the loundness of a note.

2. This can be achieved on a string instrument by using different amounts of bow, or pushing in various degrees of pressure into the string. On a woodwind or brass instrument, different amounts of air and how compressed it is vary the dynamics, or loudness. For percussion, the energy that the object is striked with indicates the dynamic level.

3. The following are symbols for basic levels of dynamics:

Forte, or Loud:

Mezoo-forte, or Medium Loudness:

Piano, or Quiet:

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Styles of Playing

1. Terms for style of playing:

Adagio-slowly

Allargando-gradually slower and broader

Allegro-lively

Crescendo-A gradual increase in loudness

Decrescendo-A gradual decrease in loudness

Dolce-Softly; delicately

Grave-Slow; solemn

Largo-Broadly

Marcato-Accented

Pesante-Heavy

Presto-Quickly

Rallentando/Ritard-Gradually slower

Vivace-quick

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Accidentals

1. Accidentals are notes that are indicated as sharp or flat without abiding by the key signature. Thes notes are played as they are written, and last for the remainder of the measure.

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Double Stops

1. Double stops are similar to chords, as they are a combination of multiple notes in the same key, but only involve two notes.

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Looking for Patterns

1. When reading music, one should look ahead continuously for scales and repetative patterns in the music, as this accurs many times in music. This facilitates reading music and better familiarizes the player.

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