Wish you could write Solfeo that fully expresses your thoughts and ideas? Many songwriters struggle with this for a variety of reasons. One of the most common reasons is they simply have not spent enough time writing music. Truth is, you will need to write a lot of songs before you can become a highly expressive songwriter.
That said, another major reason why many musicians take a long time to become better songwriters is they ignore one or more important elements in music. In this article, I will discuss one of the most overlooked musical elements, why most musicians ignore it and how you can use it to better express yourself in music. The musical element I will cover is the element of dynamics.
NOTICE: If you are currently thinking: “Dynamics? I already know about that… it only means making music louder and softer, that’s all.” … Then you have already begun to overlook the unique creative qualities of this musical element (this is the same mistake that most musicians make). You see, many songwriters overlook the element of dynamics while thinking of things like which chords to use, how to write a melody or what song lyrics to write. As a result, they miss out on one of the most effective musical tools for powerful self-expression.
The following list contains some of the great uses for dynamics that will help make your music more musically expressive. When you fully utilize dynamics in your music, you will:
- Create a totally new dimension in your music to emphasize each individual song section or musical part.
- Make your music much more creative and expressive without even altering a single pitch.
- Gain the power to drastically change the feeling of intensity in a song.
The Fundamentals Of Musical Dynamics
In general, dynamics refer to the overall volume of a section in a song, individual musical part or note. To express the idea of specific dynamics in written music, the following symbols are used commonly:
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p (piano) means “soft.”
ƒ (forte) means “loud” or “strong.”
mp (mezzo-piano) “moderately soft.”
mƒ (mezzo-forte) “moderately loud.”
ƒƒ (fortissimo) means “very loud.”
pp (pianissimo) means “very soft.”
ƒƒƒ (fortississimo) means “very very loud”ppp (pianississimo) means “very very soft”
How To Use Dynamics In Music Tip#1: Giving More Life To A Melody
To make any melody stick out, emphasize it by using varying dynamics. For instance, begin the melody “loud” and gradually reduce the volume until the notes are “soft”. This technique is known as a “decrescendo”. Additionally, alter the volume level of different notes within a melody to make them contrast with each other and stick out. This is especially useful for adding interest to repeating musical parts in your songs. This will give you the power to express yourself in different ways without altering any of the actual pitches in your melody. Enhance your song melodies by using the effective techniques in this free songwriting elements eBook.
How To Use Dynamics In Music Tip#2: Enhancing Musical Expression Through Contrast
By using contrasting dynamics you can quickly grab the attention of anyone listening to your music. For example, think about the common songwriting formula used in rock ballads. For the most part, the song will consist of softly played acoustic guitar and vocal parts. Many times, the introduction (and beginning verse and chorus) will contain no percussion whatsoever. Then, to provide contrast, the drums will begin playing during the second verse. As an even bigger contrast, the songwriter may even include a solo/break section with electric guitar (only to return to the soft, acoustic guitar parts once the section has ended). This simple formula is highly effective at gaining the attention of the listener due to its contrasting dynamics. You can also use this concept in your music to contrast not only entire song sections, but different notes within a single melody or musical idea.