Reference Guide

764
Notation and Lyrics
Chords and Marks
Adding Expression Marks
Expression marks tell a performer how to interpret the notes and durations on the page. They
provide a necessary supplement to simple notation, in which notes have only pitch and duration, but
no hint of how loudly, softly, or smoothly, they are to be played. Dynamic marks—from ppp
(pianissimo) for “very, very softly” through fff (fortissimo) for “very, very forcefully”—allow notation to
convey volume instructions. Expression marks are also needed to specify other aspects of
performance, such as whether a passage is to be played legato or staccato. Finally, expression
marks can be used to convey to the performer the composer's suggestions or requirements as to
how a passage should be interpreted. In such cases the language used can leave much to the
imagination, as in with majesty or abrasively.
Expression marks do not change the underlying MIDI data. They only provide information to the
reader on how a piece should be performed.
If the track is split into treble/bass staves, expression marks are allowed only below the treble staff.
When entering an expression mark, you can leave a dangling hyphen at the end of an expression
mark to insert automatic spaced hyphens until the next expression mark. For example:
cresc. - - - ff
It is often desirable to terminate such a series of hyphens with a blank expression mark. For
example:
accel. - - -
Expression text is italicized in the Staff view. Standard dynamic markings also appear bold.
To Add an Expression Mark
1. Click the Draw tool .
2. Select the Expression tool .
3. Position the pointer below the lowest note in the staff. (The pointer changes to a pencil when you
are in a legal position.)
4. Click to open an insertion box.
5. Type the expression mark text. Press ESC to abort the operation.
6. Press ENTER, or press TAB or SHIFT+TAB to move to the next or previous mark, respectively.
SONAR inserts the new expression mark below the staff.
To Edit an Expression Mark
1. Right-click the expression mark to open the Expression Text Properties dialog box.