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The Common ToneWhere the Sacred and the Profane Share the Same Cup
The Common Tone · Visual Language of Music
Crescendo & Decrescendo Hairpins Two straight lines meeting at a point on the left and opening gradually to the right, like an elongated less-than sign.

Crescendo & Decrescendo Hairpins

Paired wedge-shaped lines telling you to change volume gradually over their length.

How the members differ

Follow the wedge for as long as it lasts: grow louder under an opening hairpin, softer under a closing one, arriving at the new level where it ends.

Crescendo hairpin
opens left to right — get gradually louder
Decrescendo (diminuendo) hairpin
closes left to right — get gradually softer

In context

Crescendo & Decrescendo Hairpins — example Two engraved excerpts side by side comparing the crescendo and decrescendo hairpins. Crescendo hairpin Four quarter notes rise from E to A under an opening wedge, followed by a whole-note B at forte. Engraved by Verovio 6.2.1-8d42439 Decrescendo (diminuendo) hairpin Four quarter notes fall from B to F under a closing wedge, followed by a whole-note E at piano. Engraved by Verovio 6.2.1-8d42439
Same phrase, opposite wedges: grow louder under the opening hairpin, softer under the closing one.

See also

cresc-dim-text · sforzando · messa-di-voce

For specialists

SMuFL: dynamicCrescendoHairpin
Record status: draft — verification pending (bookshelf locators + chord-symbol authority; OQ-1 blocks the slice gate)