Ney Lessons
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Ney Lessons - 15 -
Dynamic Markings and Vibrato
What is a Dynamic Marking?
It means the intensity of sound.
It is the Turkish equivalent of the word we use in daily life as “the volume of music.”
In French it is intensité, and in English it is loudness.
In music, the concept of loudness is expressed through various symbols and Italian terms.
When playing the piano, if we press the keys strongly or softly, the volume of the sound changes in different intensities.
The differences in sound intensity that we produce by pressing the piano strongly or softly are called dynamics or nuances.
The term “dynamic” is English, while the term “nuance” entered our language from French.
Its Turkish equivalent is gürlük (loudness).
In our country, the word “nuance” is generally used in music education.
The French word “nuance” translates into Turkish as “subtle difference.”
Dynamic Terms:
These are the terms and symbols used universally all over the world for the different levels of sound intensity we apply while making music.
Dynamic terms in international music notation are formed from Italian words,
and abbreviations of these words are used as symbols.
Quoted from:
Caner Başbuğa
Our teacher explained it very well, thankfully;
I did not feel the need to explain this concept further.
Dynamic Markings
Grace Note:
It is the striking of the main note by a lower or higher pitch.
In the staff below, you can see an example of an eighth-note grace note.
Video:
In the staff below, you can see an example of a sixteenth-note grace note.
Video:
Slur Sign:
It is the sign that connects two or more notes without taking a breath between them.
That is, while playing these notes, we do not breathe between them, and we do not articulate them with the tongue either.
We play the notes as if they were joined together.
In the staffs below, you can see examples of the slur sign.
Let us first perform it slowly:
Our normal tempo:
Another example of the slur sign:
While the notes in the first measure are articulated with the tongue, the tied notes in the second measure are expressed smoothly and without tonguing:
Video:
Piano: A dynamic marking indicating that the sound intensity should be reduced. It is shown as "p".
Pianissimo: A dynamic marking indicating that the sound intensity should be reduced even further. It is shown as "pp".
Pianississimo: A dynamic marking indicating that the sound intensity should be reduced to a very soft level. It is shown as "ppp".
Video:
Glissando:
In instruments such as the piano or bowed strings, it means sliding the fingers over the keys or strings.
In the staff below, you can see an example of the glissando marking.
Video:
Forte: A dynamic marking indicating that the sound should be played loudly. It is shown as "f".
Fortissimo: A dynamic marking indicating that the sound should be played louder. It is shown as "ff".
Fortississimo: A dynamic marking indicating that the sound should be played very loudly. It is shown as "fff".
In the staff below, you can see different types of forte markings.
Video:
Crescendo: Indicates that the music should gradually increase in intensity. It is shown with the symbol "<".
Video:
Decrescendo: Indicates that the music should gradually decrease in intensity. It is shown with the symbol ">".
Video:
Staccato: Indicates that the notes are to be played separately, without being connected to each other.
It is shown with a dot " ." placed above the note.
In the staff below, you can see the staccato marking:
Video:
Click on the notation to enlarge.
Video:
Trill (Tr):
It is indicated with the abbreviation "tr" and is performed together with the note that follows the written note.
In the staff below, you can see the trill marking:
Video:
Legato: Indicates that the notes should be played smoothly without any interruption between them.
It is shown with a line "–" above the notes.
In the staff below, you can see the legato marking:
Video:
Fermata (Puandorg): A sign indicating that a note can be held freely, independent of the rhythm, for as long as desired.
In the staff below, you can see the fermata marking:
Video:
Breath Mark: Indicates where to take a breath in the piece. It is shown with the symbol ( ’ ).
You can see the breath mark in the staff below:
Video:
Sforzando (sfz): A dynamic marking that indicates a sudden, strong emphasis on a note.
It is produced by playing or blowing with strong accent and intensity.
You can see the sforzando marking below:
Example Video:
Fine: Indicates the end of the piece. It is written as "Fine".
It simply means the music ends at that point.
Let’s make a dynamics exercise with the notation below:
Video:
Vibrato
Vibrato: A technique of producing a slight oscillation (vibration) in the sound.
The Italian word "vibrato" means vibration.
In ney performance, vibrato is developed through personal practice and technique.
Different instruments use different vibrato techniques.
(For example, instruments like harp and piano do not use vibrato.)
On the ney, vibrato is performed in four main ways:
1 - By slightly shaking the ney (similar to kaval style)
2 - By moving the head up and down
3 - By moving the head left and right (common in Arabic style)
4 - By cheek control (Niyazi Sayın style)
The technique we take as reference is the cheek vibrato of Niyazi Sayın.
This is the most effective vibrato technique and requires dedicated practice.
Dear Ney Players,
We have now covered the fundamentals of ney lessons.
From now on, I will continue updating these pages.
New pieces, new videos and new makams will be added.
If you have any questions, you can contact me by email.
I will do my best to help you.
There may be parts you do not fully understand — feel free to reach out.
The purpose of these lessons is to help those who cannot take private lessons
or do not have access to formal conservatory education.
Also, to support ney enthusiasts who cannot find courses or teachers in their area.
Of course, you may have suggestions, feedback or criticisms.
You are always welcome to share them.
I am open to all opinions and contributions.
I wish you all good practice.
May your breath be strong.
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