Dynamics
Loudness marks on the page describe relationships, not decibels
Related
Dynamics are the loudness marks written in a score: from p (piano, soft) to f (forte, loud), plus crescendo (growing louder) and diminuendo (growing softer). They describe relationships, not fixed decibel values — the f of a chamber piece and the f of a symphony are at completely different sound levels, and the same p sits differently on a piano and on a flute. A dynamic mark gives the player a scale of proportions, not a volume knob.
The usual mistake is to treat dynamics as audio volume. In recording there is also MIDI velocity, a number captured from how fast a key is struck — not decibels either. The same word means two different things in the two contexts.
Read deeper → Dynamic Markings
Sources
- 力度记号为相对指示、非绝对声压级,为通行演奏惯例(参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Dynamics");velocity 为 MIDI 规范术语(MIDI 1.0 Specification);本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.