One of the most important means of altering the energy of music is by means of dynamics. Officially known as loudness, or sound pressure level, this acoustical fact can be measured accurately and expressed in decibels (dB): perception of loudness is a fundamental aspect of our hearing. Accomplished at the very first stage of the processing of auditory input, it is tied to our very survival, with our sensitivities to loudness adapted to the frequency range of human speech. Dynamics in music tell players how loud to play, how to gradually change loudness and therefore help determine the impact of the notes or sounds we hear.
Increased loudness is typically increased energy, with the very important caveat that context alters meaning profoundly in music. Everything is related to everything, no single parameter exists on its own, and the existence of a state in one parameter might well alter the perception of the other. (One might ponder that comment in light of our complex social relations.) It is crucial to remember that the human mind/brain is a pattern-recognizer supreme, and that difference, change, stands out so much that sudden soft sounds in a loud context might create more energy – but energy of a different sort, the energy of interest, of attention, of suspense or expectation – than the loudness itself. All that said, to increase volume is one of the most tried-and-true means of raising musical energy that it hardly even bears mention. One of the more salient, deeply important aspects of the Sound-Energy Aggregate theory is that obvious things are very important in taking account of music’s impact. Whatever the subjective interpretation of energy, predictable or not, loudness is a primary determinant of that interpretation.
Examples will help make the point, so please follow this link to the Soundpost bearing them…