Dynamics
The term dynamics refers to the volume at which music is played. If all music was played at the same volume it would lack expression and soon become boring. Therefore it is necessary to be able to play at a variety of dynamic levels ranging from very soft to very loud.
There are various markings for dynamics in written music. Most come from Italian words. Some are listed here, along with their English translations. To practice dynamics, play a scale, and then a melody at each of these volumes.
pp pianissimo (very soft)
p piano (soft)
mp mezzo piano (moderately soft)
mf mezzo forte (moderately loud)
f forte (loud)
ff fortissimo (very loud)
Volume Changes
Gradual changes in volume are indicated by the crescendo (meaning a gradual increase in volume) and the diminuendo (meaning a gradual decrease in volume).
Learning to use dynamics effectively takes quite a while. A good way to practice is to play a basic rhythm (e.g two bars of eighth notes) on one note, but at different dynamic levels, ranging from as softly as you can play to as loudly as you can play. Then try the same thing with a short melody. These two extremes are not so difficult, although keeping all the notes consistent when playing very quietly can be tricky at first. Most beginners have trouble making the gradual changes of volume in between pp and f distinguishable, so be patient and keep practicing until you are comfortable with all dynamic levels shown in this section.
Once you can play at different dynamic levels, start adding crescendos and diminuendos. Again, start with one note until you are comfortable with gradual and consistent volume changes, then try crescendos and diminuendos with scales and finally with melodies. An instrumentalist with good control of dynamics and time will always be in demand with other musicians and popular with audiences.
This piece is written in % time. Notice the tempo marking and the dynamic markings. Although it is meant to be played allegro, learn it slowly at first until you are comfortable with it and then increase the tempo.
To finish the book, here is another piece by JS Bach. It was originally written for flute and harpsichord, but it works beautifully on violin. This arrangement in the key of E minor is in ) time and contains a variety of rhythms. One of these is a dotted 16th note followed by a 32nd note, which is half the value of a 16th note. By now, you should be playing confidently and be ready for more advanced studies. Keep playing, keep practicing, play with other musicians as often as possible, and enjoy your music.
