DYNAMICS add colour to music and help express different moods & feelings. Without them, all of our music would be flat and boring. They help create drama and different intensities throughout a piece, making music more interesting. Imagine music without any emotion. The music would not be appealing and people would not be able to relate and appreciate the song or the piece. By cleverly incorporating dynamics, musicians are able to create intimate connections between the audience and the music.

When you listen to a piece of music - thibnk about WHY the composer has choosen the dynamics in ceratin places - do they weant to shock yuou, make you feel small, create tension, build to climax?

If you are asked to describe the  RANGE OF DYNAMICS in a piece of music. - you will talk about all the different dynamic variation. The range of dynamics is the extent to which different levels of loudness or softness (and everthing in between)  are explored or utilized, creating contrast and expressive possibilities in the music. A wide range of dynamics can add depth, emotion, and excitement to a musical performance.

The first type of keybpoard invented (harpsichord) coul dnot play a range of dynamics. The strings were plucked and you could only increase volume by playing more than one note at once. With the introcustion of the FORTE-PIANO (loud/soft) in the Romantice period - wher strings were hot by hammers - musicians could now play a range of dynamics - depending on how hard they hit the keys. Guitarists will pluck the stings harder or softer, violinists use the bow more forcefully etc.

ARTICULATION

All instruments have their own particular articulations .e.g. guitarists use things such as hammer ons, bends, harmonics, wind instruments use different types of tonguing, pianists plat the notes different lengths, violinists pluck notes, use upbow & downbow, mutes etc. . Check out the evideos below!

Phrasing

A musical phrase is a passage of notes that work together to create a musical thought, very similar to a group of words that work together to create a spoken sentence. Like a spoken English sentence, musical phrases end with a musical punctuation mark called a cadence. Musical phrases may be short or long and they may end high like a question or lower like a statement. 

Phrases can she short or long.

Phrasing in music is similar to phrasing that is done when speaking a language. For example, say the sentence, “I enjoy reading books.” There are so many different ways to say just these four words. Repeat this sentence with no emotion at all. Notice that it sounds very flat and like it has little meaning. Now say it as if the sentence is true and you really do enjoy reading books. What word did you stress the most? Next, say the sentence with sarcasm: as if you don’t mean the words at all. Did the sound of the words change? Did the word that you placed emphasis on change? This is how phrasing works! 

When we sing o rplay a wind instrument - we choose where to take a breath so our musical phrases makes sense. Singers are often told NOT to breathe half way through a word!

Phrasing allows you to have a conversation musically!