If I see in piano sheet music, say, "mp" mark between bass and treble staves, which staff should be played in "mp" dynamics?
Reverse question: if I want to apply a dynamic mark to a specified staff, how to notate this?
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On piano music, with treble and bass clefs, if the dynamics mark is between them, it refers to both parts (hands). If it's for the treble, it's found above the treble, and if for bass alone, it's found under the bass.
Tim
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-1: I'm pretty sure I've never seen dynamic marks for piano music written above the treble staff. I believe dynamics between the staves apply only to the treble clef, and dynamics below the bass clef only apply to the bass clef. – Kevin Jan 15 '15 at 17:51
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2@Kevin - Tim is absolutely correct about between-staff dynamics applying to both hands. This is by far the most common use of dynamics for the piano, it was almost exclusively the case in the vast majority of classical piano music. Situations where the two hands have different dynamics are relatively rare even in more recent piano music, but that would be the only normal situation in which you would see a dynamic below the bass clef. Tim, I am, however, fairly certain the the standard placement for treble only dynamics isn't above, they are placed below the treble staff and context clarifies. – Pat Muchmore Jan 15 '15 at 18:06
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@Kevin - How would you see the dynamics portrayed for each of the three situations? – Tim Jan 15 '15 at 18:28
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@Kevin - generally speaking, all parts of piano music are dictated by the same dynamics. It's rare that either hand is dynamically different. – Tim Jan 15 '15 at 18:37
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1@PatMuchmore: I would expect a dynamic marking above the upper clef in cases where the upper clef itself contained two parts that were intended to be treated differently even if played with one hand. If, for example, the right ringfinger and pinky might have alternating sixteenth notes played pianissimo while other right-hand fingers joined the left hand in playing a main melody mezzo-forte, putting the dynamic for the "frilly" part above the staff would seem clearer than writing it below but somehow excluding certain notes from its effects. – supercat Jan 15 '15 at 19:25
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@supercat Hmmm, I haven't ever seen that, but I agree that would be an excellent reason to employ some above-staff dynamics. That's definitely how I'd notate it if I didn't think context made it obvious. But that's to differentiate between two voices in the same staff, I think Tim's answer was about differentiating between the two staves. – Pat Muchmore Jan 15 '15 at 21:01
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@PatMuchmore: I agree that if the upper staff only shows one voice, dynamics which affect that voice not not the lower staff should generally be placed below the staff (but as close to it as practical). My point was that while markings should be below the upper staff *absent a reason to put them elsewhere* such reasons could sometimes arise. – supercat Jan 15 '15 at 21:30
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1@Kevin: Check out Myra Hess' arrangement of *Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring* for different dynamics on each voice. – jogloran Jan 17 '15 at 06:35
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Absolutely correct. [Here's another image showing different dynamics per hand exactly as @Tim described](https://interlude-cdn-blob-prod.azureedge.net/interlude-blob-storage-prod/2021/02/Mahler-transcription.jpg). – fourpastmidnight Jun 18 '22 at 19:47
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Just to add some working example to the thread, here goes Prokofiev op. 97, no. 10. An adagio from the Cinderella suite for piano. The complete score for this adagio is available here, page 29.
In the first two bars, there are specifications for both staves (forte), and for the upper (piano) and lower (mezzoforte) staves only.
Rubens
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In scores for greater ensembles as well as for instrument groups (say 2 bassoons and contrabassoon notated in the same score) the dynamic is typically written below the voice it belongs to.
guidot
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