Notation for loudness

[namui]

Since the loudness control notation (for continually louder or continually softer) is placed between the right hand score lines and left hand score lines, does this mean that both right hand and left hand always go louder and softer together ?

If there is going to a case that left hand going softer but right hand going louder, or left hand going steady but right hand going louder (just examples), how will that be annotated ?

Thanks

[robert_henry]

The fact that you are asking this question reveals that you are starting to listen to yourself more closely.  Congratulations!

A forte or a piano refers to the overall average of your volume, not the volume of each note.  A forte chord, for instance, might be played like this:  

RH pinky FFF
RH thumb mf

LH Thumb mf
LH Pinky F

This would all average out to a forte, but as you can see, each note has a different volume.  Every thing shoulod defer to the melody.  Listen to your balance.  IF you can't hear the melody, neither can the audience.  It is very immature to play all notes of a forte chord (or any chord, texture, scale, etc.) the same volume.

You can even play the melody of a Chopin Nocturne FF and the accompaniment ppp.  That would equal out to about p.  Amazingly, it still sounds soft.

You've probably heard people bang, right?  There are many ways to play badly that will result in what we would call banging.  You can have the most beautiful tone in the world, but if the chord is not balanced, it will sound banged.  It's what the Russians sometimes call intonation.  You can actually play out of tune on a perfectly tuned piano, not in terms of pitch really, but by playing your textures out of balance.

Robert Henry

[Sketchee]

Also a composer can notate different dynamics for each hand by placing the markings above the top staff and/or below the bottom staff for the right and left hand respectively.