# Help on dynamics notation



## mueske

I've had this problem for quite a while, but never bothered to ask for a solution, so here it goes.

In Sibelius (I use 5), after putting down a _*f*_ or any dynamic marking, Sibelius keeps using that dynamic for every note following. My question is simple, how do I stop this? What kind of marking do I put after the _*f*_ note, so that the next note is 'normal' again?

I hope this makes sense..;


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## Argus

I have never used Sibelius but can't you just use an *sfz* marking or put an accent sign over the note.


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## mueske

Argus said:


> I have never used Sibelius but can't you just use an *sfz* marking or put an accent sign over the note.


That, and I have absolutely no idea why, doesn't work in Sibelius. It doesn't do anything while playing back when using *sfz*.

And that's only delaying the problem. I'd like to have a section *p* notes (5 or so) and then return to 'normal'.

Thanks for replying this quick though.


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## emiellucifuge

What do you mean normal?


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## mueske

emiellucifuge said:


> What do you mean normal?


Well, if I just input notes, it's in a standard loudness. I'd like to go back to that.

Like, I ask you to play a C, then a forte C, and then a C like the first one again. Do you understand?


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## AmateurComposer

mueske said:


> I've had this problem for quite a while, but never bothered to ask for a solution, so here it goes.
> 
> In Sibelius (I use 5), after putting down a _*f*_ or any dynamic marking, Sibelius keeps using that dynamic for every note following. My question is simple, how do I stop this? What kind of marking do I put after the _*f*_ note, so that the next note is 'normal' again?
> 
> I hope this makes sense..;


Nevermind Sibelius or any other software. How is this done in pen and paper written notation? I am not aware of any convention for cancelling a previous _*f*_, _*p*_, or any other dynamic mark.


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## dmg

I imagine you don't have a default marking - you have to put the marking for the loudness you want to change to (like if the default is _mf_, you'd put _mf_ to go back to that)...

I could be talking out of my posterior, though, as I've never used this program...


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## mueske

AmateurComposer said:


> Nevermind Sibelius or any other software. How is this done in pen and paper written notation? I am not aware of any convention for cancelling a previous _*f*_, _*p*_, or any other dynamic mark.


Well, I do remember there being one. I took some lessons a few years ago, we had to sing louder for a forte, and keep it up until a certain mark appeared.

I have been trying to find the book that I used for those lessons, but seems like it got lost. 

Or I just imagined the whole thing.


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## Rasa

Here is what you do: the note you want f, you put f, and the next note you put P or whatever.

You hide both, and you put a Sfz, not hidden. there.


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## Kopachris

Are you composing for midi? Because if you are, you should use a real midi sequencer (Rosegarden is a good free choice) rather than a scorewriter like Sibelius. If you're not composing for midi, but for sheet music and actual performance, then you need to ignore the sounds Sibelius makes. Learn more about music notation instead and realize that what Sibelius plays is only a computer-generated approximation, and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

The way midi does dynamics is through a thing called "note velocity". I think the default "normal" is a note velocity of 80, which equates to _*mf*_. Since a velocity is given at the beginning of each note that's played, most programs don't have any way to do such dynamics as _*sfz*_, _*rfz*_, or accents without manually changing the actual volume or the note velocity. And for that, you should use a real midi sequencer. Here's a handy chart of note velocity equivalents for standard dynamics, if you decide to use a midi sequencer instead of composing sheet music for performance:


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## altiste

*Midi*

In a real MIDI sequencer dynamics are not only done through note velocity but can also be adjusted using Controller 7 for overall volume.


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## AmateurComposer

Kopachris said:


> Are you composing for midi? Because if you are, you should use a real midi sequencer (Rosegarden is a good free choice)


When I click on your link I end up in a site which offer search services. I do not see there anything about MIDI sequencers. If I missed anything please point it out.

Composing for MIDI? Well, I consider MIDI as a substitute, for whatever it is worth, to the real thing.

So far, I found a reasonable sequencer in SynthFont (www.synthfont.com)


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## Kopachris

AmateurComposer said:


> When I click on your link I end up in a site which offer search services. I do not see there anything about MIDI sequencers. If I missed anything please point it out.
> 
> Composing for MIDI? Well, I consider MIDI as a substitute, for whatever it is worth, to the real thing.
> 
> So far, I found a reasonable sequencer in SynthFont (www.synthfont.com)


huh. Sorry, the site is www.rosegardenmusic.com instead of rosegarden.org.


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## Jeremy Marchant

mueske said:


> ... In Sibelius (I use 5), after putting down a _*f*_ or any dynamic marking, Sibelius keeps using that dynamic for every note following. My question is simple, how do I stop this? What kind of marking do I put after the _*f*_ note, so that the next note is 'normal' again?


It's nothing to do with Sibelius.
Simple convention states that a player/singer performs at the dynamic level indicated by the composer in the score until that level is changed by a marking. You have to start with a dynamic level. If that is _mf_ and you then mark _f_, any performer will carry on at _f_ until instructed to do otherwise. If you want the level to revert to _mf_ you have to say so. This is just editorial good practice. Inter alia, I am a professional copyist and editor, and I use Sibelius.


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## GraemeG

Jeremy is right, of course. You should really have a dynamic marking in the first bar of your piece. Then, whenever you want it to change, you mark that place, and that dynamic stays until you make another change.
Pretty simple stuff.
I can't think of something less suited to a computer programme that composing/notating music.
cheers,
G


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## Jeremy Marchant

GraemeG said:


> Jeremy is right, of course.


 Too kind


> I can't think of something less suited to a computer programme that composing/notating music.


 Look at it practically, though. A program like Sibelius produces legible scores and parts which, importantly, look as the player expects to see them (particularly if the setter knows the rules (of which there are many - but the Sibelius manual, at least, do tell you most of them). This results in quicker learning, more accuracy in rehearsal and, paradoxically, easier spotting of mistakes.
Secondly, being able to push a button and get a complete set of parts for a symphony, say, *knowing that they are utterly consistent with the full score*, is invaluable.


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## GraemeG

Yes, Jeremy, I agree absolutely with you there. My orchestra (I'm a member) regularly plays modern works - even with living composers present! - and it's certainly a boon to have readable parts. Even if sometimes the composers don't seem to have any idea what they're doing. And compared to the times I've spent playing from what must be original premiere parts (hired) of music by Kabalevsky, or various Shostakovich works - my God, did they get some poor starving wretch in a gulag to copy these? - there's no contest.
So, I guess I shouldn't blame the software for the inadequacies of the composers - the ones who don't know the rules.
What the software ought to do (and it seems to be pretty good at this) is give each player the page turn at the rests. There're are a lot of living (and dead) copyists who ought to be shot for their efforts here.
And I'll stop there, because there are so many transcribing sins I've met, that I don't even want to continue on that subject...
cheers,
G


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