Gradual dynamics

Gradual dynamics indicate a change in volume that happens incrementally over the specified duration. By default, gradual dynamics appear either as hairpins or as text instructions, such as cresc. or dim..

You can change the appearance and placement of gradual dynamics individually, independently of your project-wide settings, using properties in the Dynamics group of the Properties panel. For example, you can change the type of gradual dynamics so that they are shown as a hairpin with a single direction or as a messa di voce pair of hairpins with two directions.

You can change the style of gradual dynamics to show them in any of the following ways:

Hairpin

cresc./dim.

cresc….

cre-scen-do

Tip

You can also change the line style of hairpins using Hairpin line style in the Dynamics group of the Properties panel.

If you enter two or more consecutive hairpins of the same direction separated by immediate dynamics into the dynamics popover, you can show them as a single, continuous hairpin across the immediate dynamics by activating Hairpin shown as continuation and the corresponding checkbox in the Dynamics group of the Properties panel in Engrave mode.

Figure: Hairpin not shown as continuation

Figure: Hairpin shown as continuation

You can also change the style of diminuendo text of gradual dynamics using the cresc./dim. style, and you can change the continuation line style of gradual dynamics using the cresc…. style.

In Engrave mode, hairpins have three square handles at the start/end:

  • The middle handles at the start/end change the offset position of the start/end of the hairpin.

  • The pair of outer handles at the start/end adjusts the aperture of the start/end of the hairpin.

Figure: A hairpin with the start middle handle selected in Engrave mode

You can use these handles to change the angle of hairpins.