Crescendo / Diminuendo Playback Incorrect

• Oct 5, 2014 - 00:57

I have instances of where I use a Diminuendo and then the rest of the song is quite.

f <> (rest of song is quiter)

I also have instances of using Diminuendo and the rest of the song is loud.

p <> (rest of sound loud)

My understanding is that the after the measure completes, you go back to the volume level specified (forte) after playing the crescendo or diminuendo.

Windows 7 - 64 Bit
Nighlty Build R28452a

Attachment Size
Example.mscz 1.77 KB

Comments

• Oct 5, 2014 - 01:23

You didn't include a dynamic marking at the end of your crescendos or diminuendo markings, so MuseScore's automatic algorithm for figuring out how loud or soft you want them to be cannot function. Either place a dynamic marking at the end of each marking (useful for human performers too) or enter the desired values for the markings yourself in the Inspector. They default to "0", which is the "auto" setting - but again, the "auto" setting requires dynamic markings to work.

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• Oct 5, 2014 - 01:39

Thanks for the reply Marc, not sure what a dynamic marking is. Can you provide me some examples of such markings and how I can find them in MuseScore?

On another note, In reading piano sheet music, I haven't come across any volume dynamics after a crescendo or diminuendo, unless they're changing the volume from what it was set in a previous measure. Should I change my thinking about that?

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• Oct 5, 2014 - 03:34

Dynamic markings are "p", "mf", etc - you already have two in your sample score. Found in the Dynamics palette. MuseScore depends on them t know how loud to play things, just as human musicians do. So in your example, you have a crescendo and diminuendo that starts with "p", but the next dynamic marking MuseScore sees is "f", so that's what it does with the "auto" setting on playback. if you want it to return to "p", place a "p" at the end. You can mark it invisible if you don't want to see it. Or, you can just set the value for the crescendo and dimuendo manually using Inspector as I said before. You'd need to do that anyhow or else you'll hear no change all all ("p" to "p" is no change as far as "auto" is concerned).

Most crescendos and diminuendos *do* change the volume of course - that's the whole point. Only the special case of a crescendo *immediately* followed by a diminuendo - which probably account fr a mall percentage of all cases - would not result in a dynamic change. In general, you really *should* be in the habit of placing a dynamic marking after every crescendo or diminuendo, except for those special cases.

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