Improve Your Crescendos

Supposedly the guitar is a quiet instrument — we don’t have the dynamic range of a piano or a wind instrument. So I guess that means our Crescendos and Diminuendos are destined to be small and undramatic, right?

Wrong.

Want a dramatic, powerful crescendo? Cheat. Start quiet. Even in the dynamic level proceeding the crescendo is Forte, drop the level down to a whisper and build up. That’s dramatic and effective, and the best part is that the audience will notice it.

Tone color can also help out a crescendo. As you drop down at the start, move towards the neck. As the crescendo grows, move towards the bridge.

Remember that we sit right next to our instrument, and this sort of exaggeration can only do good things for our performance.