Hairpin Crescendo Marks

With Composer, you can add to a hairpin crescendo or decrescendo mark to a score such as in the following example:

The word "hairpin" is commonly used in the vocabulary of music notation to suggest the shape of the symbol.

If a hairpin crescendo mark crosses a barline into a measure that is on a subsequent staff, Composer automatically divides the hairpin mark, as illustrated below:

Composer does not directly interpret hairpin crescendo marks or dynamic marks during playback. Instead, you can directly edit the loudness of notes, and you can graphically edit the staff volume level for regions of the score. This offers you a high degree of control over the interpretation of dynamic marks in the score.

To add a hairpin crescendo or decrescendo mark:

-- OR --

Type the less-than sign "<" or greater-than sign ">" character on your keyboard for crescendo or decrescendo.

Composer will display the Crescendo Palette:

Composer will change the mouse cursor to indicate Add Mode:

       Composer will insert the crescendo or decrescendo in the score. It will extend horizontally from the point where you clicked the mouse to slightly past the end of that measure. Composer highlights the newly added crescendo mark to indicate that it is selected so that you can immediately edit it:

3.	To change the position, length, or height of the hairpin crescendo mark, click one of the three handles illustrated in the above picture, and hold down the left mouse button. Now drag the handle to its new position. Then release the left mouse button.

If you wish to move the end of the hairpin right or left without changing the angle of the hairpin, then hold down the SHIFT key while you drag the top of the two handles.

The following example shows the result of dragging the top, right handle down and to the left:

-- OR --

Click the Vertically Center in Middle button in the Crescendo Palette:

-- OR --

Type "c" for center.

The following example shows the result of the Middle command:

The following example shows the result of unselecting the newly added crescendo mark:

To change the position, length, or height of a crescendo or decrescendo mark:

-- OR --

Move the start or end of the crescendo mark using one of the following palette buttons or keyboard short-cuts:

4.	Optionally, vertically center the start or end of the crescendo or decrescendo mark using the Vertically Center in the Middle button.

To change a crescendo mark to a decrescendo mark or vice versa:

3.	Click the crescendo or decrescendo button.

-- OR --

Type the less-than "<" or greater-than ">" key.