Dynamics and articulation are some of the most important details in a piece of music, which indicates how the music should be expressed or performed.
Dynamics are expressive markings that relate to volume. Musicians use the following Italian terms, and their abbreviations, to talk about volume:
| pianissimo | pp | very soft |
| piano | p | soft |
| mezzo piano | mp | medium soft |
| mezzo forte | mf | medium loud |
| forte | f | loud |
| fortissimo | ff | very loud |
Crescendo and decrescendo are two other commonly-used dynamic terms. A crescendo is a dynamic progression that starts soft and gets gradually louder. It can be notated in the music with a word, abbreviation, or symbol:
crescendo cresc. 
A decrescendo is the opposite of a crescendo: it starts loud and gets gradually softer. Another word for decrescendo is diminuendo. They can be notated in the music like this:
decrescendo/diminuendo decresc./dim. 
Articulation refers to the distinct character that a musician gives to each note. There are articulations that are unique to each instrument, but some of the most common articulations are:
Staccato – short and detached
Legato – smooth and connected
Tenuto – held out or slightly lengthened
Marcato – accented heavily
These are just some of the techniques composers use to make their music enjoyable to listen to.
