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 Jazz
is a very passionate music to play.
Like "Classical" music, Jazz can
be played very loudly and very softly throughout
the whole song. These changes in loudness
and softness are called "Dynamics."
In the figure above are some common "dynamic
markings." These markings are used
by the composer to show the player when
to play softer or when to play louder! These
changes in loudness and softness make the
music much more exciting and interesting
to listen to. If you were to play a song
with exactly the same dynamic level throughout,
it would be very boring to listen to. You
might remember some bands or musicians that
play at the same dynamic level throughout
the entire performance (such as a loud rock
or heavy metal band). This kind of performance
can be really boring and a mark of poor
training in music. Even "Jimi Hendrix"
(famous electric guitar player in the 1960
's) used many dynamic variations in his
music including "feedback" from
his guitar and amplifier. Feedback is a
high pitched electronic squeal generated
when a microphone or a guitars' pickup gets
to close to it's own amplifier. Hendrix
was certainly a master of dynamics and feedback.
The
names for each marking are as follows:
- pp
- pianissimo
- p
- piano
- mf
- mezzo forte
- f
-
forte
- ff
- fortissimo
- fff
-
fortississimo (with an attitude, *grin*)
The
dynamic markings are placed just below the
note were the composer wants the change to
occur. Look at the figure above. If you see
the dynamic marking and no other lines next
to it, the change should be abrupt. On the
next page is an example of dynamic markings
that change gradually and not abruptly.
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