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5.7.13 Dynamics

Absolute dynamic marks are specified using a command after a note c4\ff. The available dynamic marks are \ppp, \pp, \p, \mp, \mf, \f, \ff, \fff, \fff, \fp, \sf, \sff, \sp, \spp, \sfz, and \rfz

     c\ppp c\pp c \p c\mp c\mf c\f c\ff c\fff
     c2\fp c\sf c\sff c\sp c\spp c\sfz c\rfz

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A crescendo mark is started with \< and terminated with \!. A decrescendo is started with \> and also terminated with \!. Because these marks are bound to notes, you must use spacer notes if multiple marks are needed during one note

     c\< c\! d\> e\!
     << f1 { s4 s4\< s4\! \> s4\! } >>

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This may give rise to very short hairpins. Use minimum-length in Voice (lilypond-internals) . Hairpin (lilypond-internals) to lengthen them, for example

\override Staff.Hairpin #'minimum-length = #5

You can also use a text saying cresc. instead of hairpins. Here is an example how to do it

     \setTextCresc
     c\< d e f\!
     \setHairpinCresc
     e\> d c b\!
     \setTextDecresc
     c\> d e f\!
     \setTextDim
     e\> d c b\!

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You can also supply your own texts

     \set crescendoText = \markup { \italic "cresc. poco" }
     \set crescendoSpanner = #'dashed-line
     a'2\< a a a\!\mf

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To create new dynamic marks or text that should be aligned with dynamics, see New dynamic marks.

Predefined commands

\dynamicUp, \dynamicDown, \dynamicNeutral.

See also

Program reference: CrescendoEvent (lilypond-internals) , DecrescendoEvent (lilypond-internals) , and AbsoluteDynamicEvent (lilypond-internals) .

Dynamics are DynamicText (lilypond-internals) and Hairpin (lilypond-internals) objects. Vertical positioning of these symbols is handled by the DynamicLineSpanner (lilypond-internals) object.

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