Dynamics, the changes in volume of a piece of music, are an important part of communicating feeling in a piece of music. They are marked by:
< Cresendo (increasing volume)
> Decresendo (decreasing volume)
A slow cresendo will have a very elongated sideways V, with the point where the cresendo will begin and the mouth where the climax is reached. The decresendo, of course, will have the mouth at the beginning of the decresendo, and the point at its conclusion (or quietest point).
It is important to point out that dynamics are usually found on two levels in singing. First, there is the overall dynamic movement of the piece, which usually is a building one toward the climax, which is the loudest point in the piece. Second, there are smaller, more specific changes in dynamics which highlight more specific areas on the way to the overall climax of the piece.
It is a common misconception that any phrase that a singer wishes to emphasize should be sung louder. This is not always the case. It is important to remember that it is not how loud you are singing that creates emphasis, it is the change in volume. It is just as powerful (and sometimes more so, depending on the piece of music) to sing the phrase more quietly than other sections. This is where the need to analyze text comes in.
When looking at a piece of sheet music, some composers have made it easier by indicating where crescendos and decresendos are to be placed. In other pieces, it is up to the individual singer (or conductor) to decide.
In general, there are a few trends that can help to identify where to place dynamic transitions:
• Songs tend to build towards the end.
• High notes are usually placed at important points in the song, and these will likely also be highlighted by a crescendo (but not always)
• Look at the meaning of the text.
Use Dynamics to Communicate The Text
When it comes to communication of text, singing is much like acting: you need to make choices about what you are attempting to convey; the delivery can change the meaning of the text entirely. Different singers will choose to interpret things differently, and thatís ok. In fact, itís more interesting that way.
Dynamics Exercises
Exercise #1
Sing a regular scale during your warm-up, but practice using dynamics as you do so. Start quietly, and build gradually in volume to the top of the scale. Then, decresendo back down the scale, reaching the quietest volume as you return to the bottom of the scale.
Exercise #2
You can also do the opposite, starting at a fairly loud volume and reaching your quietest volume at the top of the scale. This second one is usually more difficult to do.
Exercise #3
Sing up and down the scale again, but this time, do not reach the climax until you have returned to the bottom of the scale (this means you will only cresendo). Then try repeating the entire scale on a decresendo. This exercise requires a great deal of concentration at first.
