the ’ is a breath mark. in this context, it’s indicating a wind player to breathe at that moment. the same meaning applies to vocalists. it can also appear outside winds or vocalists. in such cases, it means to take a slight pause without necessarily altering tempo (usually by shortening the preceding note)
the > is an accent. it indicates to play with greater emphasis. how that emphasis comes through depends on the musical context, but it often means playing that note louder or stronger
I’ve always been taught that the accent is explicitly not to be treated as playing the note louder or stronger as whole, but rather to emphasize the beginning of the note by quieting the end of the note, i.e. treat the > as a note specific decrescendo
it completely depends on context and interpretation. there isn’t one correct way to play an accent, and you are correct that it doesn’t explicitly mean to play louder. what you’re describing as an accent is kind of like a fortepiano. similarly, what i described as an accent closely aligns with a sfortzando. point is, accents are vague and there isn’t a correct way to play one. more specific styles aren’t necessarily correct, and an interpretation is generally only made unambiguous with notation like the aforementioned fortepianos and sfortzandos
To me an accent isn’t louder in volume, but it’s a stronger or more percussive attack, or start of the note, which may end up slightly louder, but the goal is to strengthen the attack
the ’ is a breath mark. in this context, it’s indicating a wind player to breathe at that moment. the same meaning applies to vocalists. it can also appear outside winds or vocalists. in such cases, it means to take a slight pause without necessarily altering tempo (usually by shortening the preceding note) the > is an accent. it indicates to play with greater emphasis. how that emphasis comes through depends on the musical context, but it often means playing that note louder or stronger
Thanks a lot! If I come to have another doubt I’ll surely ask you again, you explained very well
I’ve always been taught that the accent is explicitly not to be treated as playing the note louder or stronger as whole, but rather to emphasize the beginning of the note by quieting the end of the note, i.e. treat the > as a note specific decrescendo
it completely depends on context and interpretation. there isn’t one correct way to play an accent, and you are correct that it doesn’t explicitly mean to play louder. what you’re describing as an accent is kind of like a fortepiano. similarly, what i described as an accent closely aligns with a sfortzando. point is, accents are vague and there isn’t a correct way to play one. more specific styles aren’t necessarily correct, and an interpretation is generally only made unambiguous with notation like the aforementioned fortepianos and sfortzandos
To me an accent isn’t louder in volume, but it’s a stronger or more percussive attack, or start of the note, which may end up slightly louder, but the goal is to strengthen the attack