Dynamics: the optical center

[Knut]

Are you saying that if John isn't OK with any of the 12 marks he didn't mention, those would be to your liking and vice versa?

[Peter West]

No, I'm saying that other than the one's he specifically mentioned, I cannot assume which to infer that he likes. Some of course, but which and how many I do not know, therefore I cannot say that I don't like all the ones that he does. This was an error in my previous comment.

[Knut]

No, I'm saying that other than the one's he specifically mentioned, I cannot assume which to infer that he likes. Some of course, but which and how many I do not know, therefore I cannot say that I don't like all the ones that he does. This was an error in my previous comment.

Ah, and here I thought you were just being difficult.

[John Ruggero]

I liked all the ones I didn't mention.

For me the "bounding rectangle" center should be in the center of the note head. Then there is as much before the note head as after, which looks balanced to me.

[OCTO]

Here's an illustration of how the reference point for dynamics might be defined in different ways:

That was extremely helpful. I didn't know for this particular calculation.

[Peter West]

In Knut's diagram I prefer what he calls Optical Centre point centred on the notehead for shorter dynamics (eg up to 3 characters perhaps). I've never rationalised this, placement has always beed instinctive for me. Especially when composers use dynamics with 6 or 7 characters, like, for example, sfffffzppp

Some composers do this a lot, and so I often have to think outside the bounding box.

[Peter West]

By default Finale puts the centre of the character in line with the left edge of the notehead. This is a bit far left, I think, but as I receive so many Finale files from composers who use the default, I've kinda got used to it as normal.

My personal preference is to have the centre of the character aligned left on primary notehead and offset 0.333 of a space right. This places them all 0.167 of a space left centre

[John Ruggero]

I wonder how Mozart ever got along with P, F, FF, and FP. Maybe because his music speaks for itself?

[OCTO]

Tchaikovsky uses pppppp.

[Peter West]

WHO WANTS TO HEAR A CLARINET ANYWAY?