Decrescendo

Hairpins under the notes

On the page Dynamics the decrescendo or diminuendo appears as the gradual getting softer that brings calming, withdrawal or fading out. In notation crescendo and decrescendo often appear as opening or closing hairpins under the notes.

On the Notation symbols page the execution is described: a decrescendo demands more control than a crescendo. The dying away must be even, without the note vanishing before the end or “standing still”. As an example the page names Schubert, who often uses decrescendi dramatically: a phrase that begins with full sound and fades into nothing conveys longing or wistfulness.

In the score

Guitar

• Etüde Nr. 7 Matteo Carcassi, op. 60 No. 7 · guitar · 2 pages

  “dim.” with a dashed line in bar 2 and in bar 4, in bars 7 and 8 before the “poco riten.” a further “dim.” after an opening hairpin.

Piano

• Le Courant limpide Friedrich Burgmüller, op. 100 No. 7 · piano · 1 page

  In the first system “pp mormorando” is followed by a “cresc.” and then “dim.”.

Decrescendo and tempo

The page Tools points out that loudness and tempo couple in the body: it gets slower when it gets softer. That can be intended, as with morendo, or creep in unintentionally.

Common mistakes

• Vanishing too early: The note should decrease evenly, not go out before the end.
• Staying at one level: The control is more demanding than with the crescendo.
• Getting slower unintentionally: Loudness pulls the tempo along.