# Crescendo and Diminuendo



## Rooster (Oct 1, 2013)

Hi everyone! I'm a self taught guitarist/composer looking for help!

I play renaissance, baroque, classical, and modern music on guitar and I've just never figured these out;

Lets say you have a crescendo; so you start quiet, and end loud. AFTER the crescendo ends.. do you STAY loud? Until the next dynamic marking? Also, do you BEGIN the crescendo at the volume you were previously before the crescendo, or do you jump down to quiet volume when the crescendo begins?

Lets say you have a diminuendo; you start loud, and end quiet. AFTER the diminuendo ends.. do you STAY quiet? Until the next dynamic marking? Also, do you BEGIN the diminuendo at the volume you were at previously before the diminuendo, or do you jump up to a loud volume when the diminuendo begins?

Thanks so much I didn't know where to post but I'm sure plenty of people read sheet music here!


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

This is very general:

The convention of it is any thing in the score not marked with a symbol or other musical directive is assumed to be mf. i.e. in that range of an average normal 'speaking voice' dynamic level, neither loud or soft.

Marked dynamics, carats, etc. come from and go back to that level, unless otherwise notated; 
ex. if you are in a passage already marked Forte, the crescendo starts from there.

Ditto the diminuendo... unless, after it, there is another dynamic directive in the score.

The earlier pre-classical era music will be in terraced dynamics, i.e. no distinct crescendo or diminuendo. Those scores should be marked with just the dynamic markings, p. mf f, etc and if all is right, will not be marked by some editor with crescendi, other dynamic effects.... that is how those works were played.


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## Rooster (Oct 1, 2013)

Okay thank you for answering my question! Yes I just recently learned about terraced dynamics.

I'm just confirming that you're saying to return to mf after crescendo's and diminuendo's unless otherwise noted? Sorry!


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

If there is no dynamic directive immediately before or after those markings, you were at mf and should return to mf.
So, Yes


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## Rooster (Oct 1, 2013)

Thanks so much! I'll see you around the website!


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## SIoannou (Oct 6, 2013)

I personally disagree with the whole "crescendo = get louder, decrescendo = get quieter". I believe that to a large extent, these markings are not about dynamics, but about phrasing. A crescendo means a general build up. This means to move to the end of the crescendo. For me it is more about drive than anything else. I believe when studying a score you should question it and ask yourself WHY that crescendo is there. Then decide how you will execute it. However do not take the score so strictly and trust your own musicality. If the score really told you everything, every performance of a piece would be identical and in classical music this is certainly not the case


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

SIoannou said:


> I personally disagree with the whole "crescendo = get louder, decrescendo = get quieter". I believe that to a large extent, these markings are not about dynamics, but about phrasing. A crescendo means a general build up. This means to move to the end of the crescendo. For me it is more about drive than anything else. I believe when studying a score you should question it and ask yourself WHY that crescendo is there. Then decide how you will execute it. However do not take the score so strictly and trust your own musicality. If the score really told you everything, every performance of a piece would be identical and in classical music this is certainly not the case


Phrasing and articulation are about phrasing and articulation, period.

There are separate specific markings for those directives. Of course they are included within any dynamic, plateau, swell or diminuendo.

How you personally tend "to feel" about any of those may work for you, but otherwise what you've said above is pure and useless tosh.


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