What does this notation mean?

[oguzcan]

It's been bugging me for a while... what does that mean? It's obvious that you can't alter the velocity on the piano? How is that performed?

[phil13]

I assume you're speaking of the little crescendo and diminuendo in the RH over that one note.

It's like a stress, a half-accent if you will. Play it with more emphasis than the other notes, but not so hard as to strike the key like an accent.

Phil

[jlh]

It's another way of notating a tenuto (using the meaning that it is nominally stressed, and not that it's held longer) marking so that pianists will stop and question it and not simply play through it without noticing it.

[jlh]

It's obvious that you can't alter the velocity on the piano?

You can't alter the velocity?  how do you mean?

[oguzcan]

You can't alter the velocity?  how do you mean?

That is, after the note has been struck. I know, I was not clear enough. Thanks for all answers though, I always thought it had to do something with velocity.

[danielle1]

a tenuto is a straight line over a note

[prometheus]

How can you create a crescendo and diminuendo on a single note? You need at least three notes to do that. You can push the key as hard as you want after you have already hit it, building up the pressure on the key, but it doesn't do anything.

Is it a piano piece? If its wind then of course you can just blow soft at first, increase it and then build it down again.

[jlh]

How can you create a crescendo and diminuendo on a single note? You need at least three notes to do that. You can push the key as hard as you want after you have already hit it, building up the pressure on the key, but it doesn't do anything.

Is it a piano piece? If its wind then of course you can just blow soft at first, increase it and then build it down again.

I think you're being a bit too technical.  Yes, it does appear at first to resemble a cresc and dim on a single note; however, it would be insane to expect that of a performer -- especially on the piano.  No, I'm sure it means that you should play louder for that one note.  Why they didn't just put a little accent on it I don't know.  Perhaps the composer or editor wanted to avoid a harsh sound that might happen with an accent?

[pianochild]

is it out of schumann  album for the young? The first or second piece? (if it is i have a live recording so you can hear it)

[pianogeek_cz]

jlh is, I think, completely right.

Actually, a crescendo and a decrescendo could be done on a single note here. (NOTE: I'm not talking about a physical stronger/weaker, I'm talking about what the listener hears.) If you delay the note -very- slightly, accentuate it with the same subtlety, hold the LH eight a fraction of a second longer and accentuate it as well, it will make an illusion of a crescendo (Perhaps how a clarinet would play it?). The decrescendo feel will then come through making the second LH note pp; the RH sound will lose volume naturally. The illusion is then maintained through continuing the decrescendo in the other two RH notes in the bar.  It takes quite some musicality to get it right, though.
It does maybe sound complicated, but it comes naturally if you know what you want to hear...

[keyofc]

Cresendo and dimuendos are what it looks like - but yes, Jlh is right.

what about when we have a slurred stacatto?
what do you think you do then?

I think it's the same principle in understanding what editor or composer wants/
do you know what I mean?
you have 3 notes - they are all slurred -but two have a stacato

[ramseytheii]

Cresendo and dimuendos are what it looks like - but yes, Jlh is right.

what about when we have a slurred stacatto?
what do you think you do then?

I think it's the same principle in understanding what editor or composer wants/
do you know what I mean?
you have 3 notes - they are all slurred -but two have a stacato

?

Where did this come from?

If you're reading up on old posts, you missed mine where I lectured pianitisimo on using the phrase "staccato notes with slurs," because those are called portato.  It's neither legato, nor staccato, but portato.

Walter Ramsey