How do you express emotion? Can you pick up what other people are thinking by the way they’re acting?

Of course!

Think of a romantic comedy. A couple meets. They get close. And then something tries to tear them apart. 

Yet one (or both) soon realize the error of their way, and they make an impassioned plea to get back together. It’s heartfelt. It’s emotional! And we can read it in their body language alone. 

Piano dynamics takes that concept to your piano playing. Listen to the greats, and you’ll hear it all the time. 

A soft whisper across the keys making it barely noticeable. Or pounding out the notes to cause a commotion. 

Piano dynamics help you make a song that much more memorable. 

Imagine if you played every song the same, same tempo, same level, same flow. Pretty boring, right? 

That’s why pianos are built in such a way to make everything – soft, loud, and everything in between – possible. 

How do you know where to use dynamics? Your sheet music will feature dynamic marketings to help inform you how to play. You’ll see:

ppp – pianississimo – very, very soft

pp – pianissimo – very soft

p – piano – soft

mp – mezzo piano – moderately soft

mf – mezzo forte – moderately loud

f – forte – loud

ff – fortissimo – very loud

fff – fortississimo – very, very loud

You’ll also find accented notes, crescendos, diminuendos, and a host of other indicators throughout the music to clue you in how to play. 

This is what the songwriter was thinking when they wrote the song. Of course, you can use your own musical skills to put your own personal imprint on it whenever you can. That’s the fun of playing the piano!

While dynamics are important for all piano players, keep in mind that some pianos are better at creating dynamic differences than others. This is where selecting the right piano makes all the difference. 

If you’re not getting the full vocality out of your piano, and are frustrated with the results, maybe it’s time to trade up to something better.