Concerning Dynamics
I generally don't start a score specifying a volume dynamic for each staff. I frequently have the issue where I will use a "p" to lower the volume and then want to return to the volume (unspecified) where the staff originally started. How do I do this? Should every staff begin with a volume dynamic? I'm confused over this issue. What would be best practice?
Comments
Remember, the main purpose of MuseScore is to produce typeset scores for human beings to read. And they will need to be told what dynamic to play at. So yes, you should have an explicit dynamic at the beginning of each staff if you care about dynamics at all. It just so happens that it is also useful for MuseScore's playback facility.
In reply to Remember, the main purpose of by Marc Sabatella
Ok, what you say makes sense, but does not really answer my question. If one does not use a starting dynamic and uses a "p" to lower the volume, then what is it lowering it from and how does one get back there? Seems like there is no answer if a starting volume dynamic is not used. Correct?
I guess this question is really frivolous if one does not use best practice.
Just for the sake of discussion, if a starting dynamic is not used, where does MuseScore get the starting volume -- from the Mixer? I promise - no more questions concerning this issue.
In reply to Concerning Dynamics by Swedster
In theory, yes, starting dynamic could be anything. It could be different on PC versus Mac, could be different between version 1.3 and version 2.0, could be different on Mondays than Wednesdays.
In practice, I suspect it is "mf" :-)
In reply to In theory, yes, starting by Marc Sabatella
In version 1.2 the default note velocity (aka loudness) is 80 which is equivalent to mf.
p is 49, mp is 64, fff is 126 etc. (on a scale of 0 to 127).
The Mixer can be used to adjust playback volume for individual instruments. I find this necessary because I like to use flute for vocal parts (I dislike the sound of 'Vocals' as an instrument) and I find that - by default - the flute sounds much louder than the piano. They might still both be indicated as mf on my score but here I would expect the singer and the pianist to co-operate in the performance.
In reply to In version 1.2 default note by underquark
Thanks for the info - this gives me a good starting point in dealing with dynamics. Knowing where it starts make the rest easy to deal with.
There is one other issue I run into at times - when I use a larger group of instruments, I get a
distortion or rattle in playback. Is this a problem with the sound font I'm using or how I have the playback set up? If I adjust the Play Panel to reduce the volume to make the distortion go away, then the volume ends up being too low for the smaller groups of instruments. How do you handle this kind of situation?
It annoys me no end when a piece gets posted with the volume set to max for all instruments.
What are they thinking? I go to the Mixer and move everything down to 50% and the use the Play
Panel to adjust the finale play velocity (volume). I find it interesting the MuseScore uses 80 as the default - it seems logical to me that 50 should be the default - mid way between ppp and fff.
But that's just me and my meager knowledge of MuseScore and music in general.
Thanks again for your help.
In reply to More on Dynamics by Swedster
Try turning down Reverb.
Why is 80 so odd for default? The scale goes from 0 to 127:
fff is 126
ppp is 16
126 - 16 = 110
Half of 110 is 55
16 + 55 = 81
In reply to Try turning down Reverb. Why by underquark
That explains a lot and gets my thinking aligned with the way Musescore works.
Thanks for your help.
PS. Sorry for late response - moving to new state and have not been on much lately.
In reply to More on Dynamics by Swedster
Knowing the scale goes to 127 definitely helps - if one thought it only went to 100, then 80 would seem quite high.
Realistically, I think "mf" is about what most musicians would think of as "default" anyhow, like if you just askled them to play a note or scale or whatever and didn't tell them what dynamic to play it. "mp" and below you make extra effort to play more quietly, "f" and above you make extra effort to play more loudly. One sometimes wonders why there is no "m" right between "mp" and "mf", but realistically, I think "mf" actually serves that purposes of "basic average volume".
In reply to Knowing the scale goes to 127 by Marc Sabatella
Thanks for your comment. With "underquark"'s explanation and your overview, I think I'm finally on the right path to understanding how the volume dynamic actually works. Should be no trouble in the future.
PS. Sorry for the late response - have moved to a different state and have not been on much lately.