In this article our Community Manager Dave Belcher talks about dynamics on the classical guitar. We’ll talk about dynamic range and contrast, especially exploring dynamic extremes, and the relationship between sound and silence.<\/p>\n
In the silence of the night, interrupted by<\/i><\/p>\n
the whispering aromatic breeze of<\/i><\/p>\n
jasmines, the Guzlas accompany<\/i><\/p>\n
the Serenatas and their fervent melodies,<\/i><\/p>\n
which diffuse in the air notes as sweet as the sound<\/i><\/p>\n
of the palms swaying in the sky above<\/i><\/p>\n
– Isaac Alb\u00e9niz<\/span>, note on first page of “C\u00f3rdob<\/span>a” (Chants d’Espagne<\/i>, Op. 232)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Dynamic Power<\/h3>\n
Dynamics in music can be a powerful thing. In fact, the word “dynamic” comes from the Greek word dynamis<\/i>, which means “power.” Music has the power to move us, physically and emotionally, and well-sculpted dynamics can draw us in to what a performer wants to say, the story they’re trying to tell, the picture they are painting for us (to use non-musical analogies). However, a musical performance without dynamics can equally leave us feeling cold and unsatisfied. Music without dynamics is like coffee without caffeine or lightning without thunder. It is thus imperative that we learn to use dynamics appropriately and early on so that we can enrich our performances and give our music the power to move our audiences. In this article I’d like to talk further about dynamics and why it’s important to use dynamics effectively in classical guitar performance.<\/p>\n
The quiet voice of the classical guitar<\/h3>\n
Because of the nature of plucked sound, the classical guitar has a rather limited dynamic range. The classical guitar, unlike its more audacious cousin, the electric guitar, is shy and has a quiet, tender voice. Nonetheless, the gentleness of the instrument is also one of its most attractive attributes and many are drawn to the classical guitar because of its warm, unassuming, almost romantic sound.<\/p>\n
In order to preserve this quieter sound, Maestro Andres Segovia was steadfastly opposed to amplification of the guitar in his concert performances (Bream also eschewed amplification). Even when he performed concertos with orchestras, instead of amplifying the guitar Segovia would have the orchestra moved back so it would not drown out the guitar’s quiet voice. He required his audiences almost to have to strain, to lean in a bit to hear the soft whispering of the guitar in a concert’s most intimate moments. According to Segovia this quiet, charming aspect of the guitar was the “true sound of the instrument,”[2] a charm lost when others chose to amplify the sound.<\/p>\n
Louder guitars<\/h3>\n
This did not stop him, however, from pressing luthiers, especially Hauser, to improve upon the volume of the guitar. And, largely due to Segovia’s efforts, today’s concert guitars are louder than ever. Amplification has also become much more acceptable in most venues and it would be a very rare event these days to hear a guitar concerto, for example, performed without amplification.<\/p>\n
All of this means that, even though the natural sound of the guitar is still rather quiet, we have gained a greater dynamic range in the last half century. The challenge of the modern classical guitarist, then, is to utilize the improved dynamic range of the instrument while also preserving that quieter sound that gives the classical guitar its charm and appeal. It is thus up to us to explore a wider <\/i>dynamic range in our playing.<\/p>\n
Dynamic Extremes<\/b><\/h2>\n
Dynamics is integral to music, so much so that not until the eighteenth century did composers start to use dynamic markings in their music. Prior to that dynamics was simply assumed to be a normal element in how a performer would interpret a piece of music. By the beginning of the twentieth century, however, composers began to use much more intricate markings for dynamics and extremes were widened to the point where some instructions were almost impractical. For instance in Isaac Alb\u00e9niz<\/span>‘s “Jerez” from Iberia<\/i>\u2014to take just one example\u2014the composer includes the dynamic marking “pppp mais sonore<\/i>” (quadruple pianissimo but sounding). This dynamic marking is accompanied by the performance instructions “effleurez la note pppp mais la laissant vibrer<\/i>” (gently touching the note quadruple pianissimo but allowing it to ring).<\/p>\n\n
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