Ornaments

Ornamentation is used to add extra notes and to decorate the music. Music can be ornamented in many ways.

The Slide

In the pictures below, there are examples of an ornament called a slide. The notes are played one after the other in quick succession. They are small notes attached to a primary note. The examples are on the top stave of both pictures.

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The Acciaccatura

The acciaccatura is a small note with a stroke though it. It is also called a crushed note or a grace note. It is played on the beat. The small acciaccatura is played quickly as possible with the principal note. In the picture below, the first note in the treble clef is an example of an acciaccatura.

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The Appoggiatura

The appoggiatura looks the same as the acciaccatura but without the stroke through the small note. It is part of the melody. The small appoggiatura note takes half of the value and the principal note takes the other half. So, if the principal note is a crotchet, the appoggiatura would be performed as a quaver and the principal note would also be performed as a quaver. If the principal note is a minim, the notes would be performed as crotchets.

If the principal note is dotted, the small appoggiatura note takes two thirds of the value and the principal note takes one third. So, if the principal note is a dotted crotchet, the appoggiatura would be a crotchet and the principal note would be a quaver. If the principal note is a dotted minim, the appoggiatura would be a minim and the principal note would be a crotchet.

If the appoggiatura is written with a chord, the appoggiatura would be performed with the note that it is slurred to, this would be its principal note.

The Upper Mordent and The Lower Mordent 

The sign above the first note in this piece below is an example of a lower mordent. The upper mordent is the same sign but without the line down the middle. When the lower mordent is performed, the principal note shown is played first, then the note below and back to the principal note. The upper mordent is performed with the principal note, then the next note up and back to the principal note. They would be played quickly.

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The Trill

The trill is performed as the principal note shown, then the note above and played quickly one after the other. It lasts as long as the value of the principal note and also depends on the speed of the piece how many notes can be performed. The picture below shows a note with a trill sign above it. In Mozart's music, the trill is performed starting on the note above the principal note.

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The Turn

A turn is written above the note and it will be performed; the note above the principal note, the principal note, the note below, then back to the principal note. It can also be written as an inverted turn where it is performed; the note below the principal note, the principal note, the note above, then back to the principal note. The speed the turn is performed depends on the speed of the piece. When the turn is written between notes, it is performed; the principal note, the next note up, back to the principal note, the lower note and back to the principal note. When it is inverted; the principal note, the note lower, the principal note, the upper note and back to the principal note.

The picture below shows some examples of a turn. The turns are on the top stave and the inverted turns are on the bottom stave.

Image By Louise MacPherson 11/1/2017

Baxter, Harry and Michael Baxter. The Right Way To Read Music. Tadworth: Right Way, 1993. Print, pp. 138 to 151.