When the composer wishes to build up a really tremendous climax and sweep all before him by the intensity of the emotional excitement generated, he frequently indicates an increase in the amount of tone, coupled with a very gradual acceleration in tempo, all proceeding by slow degrees, and perhaps accompanied by a rise from a low pitch register to higher ones. If on the other hand, he wants to let down in emotional intensity, he does the opposite of all these things. The combination of crescendo and ritardando is also tremendously effective.

In order to bring together in fairly comprehensive array the terms that are ordinarily used by the composer to indicate various expressional effects, a table of the most frequently encountered dynamic expressions is here included.

Pianississimo (ppp)
pianissimo possibile 		(as softly as possible)
pianissimo (pp)(superlative of piano—very softly)
piano (p)(softly)
più piano(more softly)
il più piano(most softly)
piano assai(very softly)
mezzo-piano (mp)(moderately softly)
forte (f)(loudly)
fortissimo (ff)(superlative of forte—very loudly)
fortississimo (fff)(as loudly as possible)
più forte(more loudly)
il più forte(most loudly)
il più forte possibile(as loudly as possible)
mezzo forte (mf)(moderately loudly)
forte-piano (fp)(loudly followed immediately by softly)
forzando (z)
sforzando (sf or sfz)
forzato (fz)
sforzato (sf or sfz)
or 		(These words and signs indicate that
a single tone or chord is to be accented,
the amount of stress depending upon the
character of the passage and of the
composition)
rinforzando (rinf)
rinforzato (rfz)
(reinforced; a definite increase in power
extending through a phrase or passage)
crescendo (cresc. or )(gradually becoming louder)
decrescendo (decresc. or )
diminuendo (dim. or )
(gradually becoming softer)
crescendo poco a poco(becoming louder little by little)
crescendo subito(becoming louder immediately)
crescendo molto(becoming much louder)
crescendo al fortissimo(becoming gradually louder until the fortissimo
 point has been reached)
crescendo poi diminuendo
crescendo e diminuendo
(gradually louder then gradually softer)
crescendo ed animando(gradually louder and faster)
diminuendo al pianissimo(becoming gradually softer until the pianissimo
 point is reached)
morendo
perdendosi
smorzando
calando
(gradually dying away, i.e., becoming slower
and softer by very small degrees)
con amore(with tenderness)
con bravura(with boldness)
con energia(with energy)
con espressione
espressivo
(with expression)
con brio(with brilliancy)
con fuoco(with fire)
con passione(with passion)
con grazia(with grace)
con tenerezza(with tenderness)
dolce(gently) (literally, sweetly)
giocoso(humorously) (cf. jocose)
giojoso (joyfully) (cf. joyous)
con maestà
maestoso
(majestically)
pastorale(in pastoral, i.e., in simple and unaffected style)
pomposo(pompously)
scherzando
scherzo
(jokingly)
sotto voce(with subdued voice)

We shall close our discussion of the subject of dynamics with a brief presentation of a few practical matters with which every amateur conductor should be familiar.

The pianissimo of choruses and orchestras is seldom soft enough. The extreme limit of soft tone is very effective in both choral and orchestral music, and most conductors seem to have no adequate notion of how soft the tone may be made in such passages. This is especially true of chorus music in the church service; and even the gospel singer Sankey is said to have found that the softest rather than the loudest singing was spiritually the most impressive.[18]

Pianissimo singing or playing does not imply a slower tempo, and in working with very soft passages the conductor must be constantly on guard lest the performers begin to "drag." If the same virile and spirited response is insisted upon in such places as is demanded in ordinary passages, the effect will be greatly improved, and the singing moreover will not be nearly so likely to fall from the pitch.

The most important voice from the standpoint of melody must in some way be made to stand out above the other parts. This may be done in two ways:

1. By making the melody louder than the other parts.

2. By subduing the other parts sufficiently to make the melody prominent by contrast.

The second method is frequently the better of the two, and should more frequently be made use of in ensemble music than is now the case in amateur performance.