Hairpins

Add a hairpin

Hairpins are symbols used to indicate gradual changes in volume in the score. There are two kinds: crescendo (getting louder) and decrescendo (getting quieter).

To create a hairpin:

1. Select a range of notes or measures;
2. Use one of the following shortcuts:
   • <: to create a crescendo hairpin.
   • >: to create a diminuendo hairpin (decrescendo).

Alternatively, use one of the following options:

• Select a range of notes or measures, and double-click a hairpin in a palette.
• Drag and drop a hairpin from a palette onto a staff line.

Adjust length and height

A hairpins is a type of Line with playback properties, and its length is adjusted similarly:

1. Double-click on the hairpin to enter edit mode. Then click on the end handle that you want to move:

   

2. Use one of the following shortcuts:

   • Shift+→ to move the end handle, and its anchor, right by one note or rest.
   • Shift+← to move the end handle, and its anchor, left by one note or rest;

   This method of extending or shortening the hairpin maintains playback integrity and allows it to cross line breaks:

   

3. To fine-tune the horizontal position of an end-handle (without changing playback), use the following shortcuts:

   • → to move the handle right by 0.1 sp.
   • ← to move the handle left 0.1 sp.
   • Ctrl+→ (Mac: Cmd+→) to move the handle right one sp.
   • Ctrl+← (Mac: Cmd+→) to move the handle left one sp.

To change the height of a hairpin:

• Adjust the lower handle at the mouth of the hairpin (e.g. the blue square below):

Cresc. and dim. lines

In addition to hairpins, there are cresc.   _     _     _ and dim.   _     _     _ lines with the same function in the Lines palette. You can adjust the text, if desired, in the Text Line Core section of the Inspector.

To turn a hairpin into its equivalent text line:

• Select the hairpin and, in the Hairpin section of the Inspector, select the appropriate line from "Type."

Copy hairpins

From version 3.1, a hairpin can be cut, copied and pasted just like a text element: see Summary of cut / copy / paste commands.

For versions prior to 3.1, you can only duplicate a hairpin: see Copying lines.

Edit hairpin properties

Properties of the hairpin can be edited in the Inspector, as follows:

• Element: Edit the Y offset to change the height of the hairpin above or below the staff.
• Line: Edit line properties such as color, line style and thickness.
• Text line core: Add text and set text properties.
• Hairpin:
  • Type: Change the type of hairpin: crescendo, decrescendo or text.
  • Circled tip: Tick box to activate.
  • Height: The width at the mouth of the hairpin.
  • Continue height: The width of the hairpin at the end of a system, before it continues to the next system.
  • Placement: Set hairpin above or below the staff.
  • Dynamic range: Specify whether hairpin playback applies to a staff, part (default) or a system.
  • Velocity change: … across the span of the hairpin; from 0 to 127.
  • Use single note dynamics (as of version 3.1): When checked (default), allows the hairpin to change the dynamic of a single note if the instrument supports single note dynamics.
  • Dynamic Mode (as of version 3.1): Set the method used to change the dynamic: Linear (default), Ease-in and out, Ease-in, Ease-out, or Exponential.

Hairpin playback

Prior to version 3.1 crescendo and diminuendo lines only affected playback from one note to the next: they had no effect on the playback of a single note or a series of tied notes.

As of version 3.1, hairpins affect single notes and tied notes on instruments that support single note dynamics. For example, a piano cannot have a crescendo on a single note, but a trumpet can.

By default, hairpins will affect playback only if dynamics are used before and after the hairpin. For example, a crescendo spanning notes between p and f dynamics will cause a dynamic change on playback. However, between any two successive dynamics only the first appropriate hairpin will have effect: a diminuendo between p and f will be ignored; if two or more crescendos are between p and f, all but the first will be ignored.

A hairpin may be used without dynamic marks, by adjusting "Velocity change" in the Inspector (values in the range 0 to 127).